Moi Moi (Steamed Bean Pudding)
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Skinned black-eyed peas blended with red pepper, onion, Scotch bonnet and stock, then steamed in ramekins with egg.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Soak. Cover the peas with water and soak 30-60 min.
- 2
Skin. Pulse the peas with fresh water in the blender in short bursts just to crack them, tip into the bowl, swish and pour off the floating skins; repeat until almost all are skinless.
- 3
Blend. Blend the skinned peas with the onion, pepper, chilli, stock and salt 3-4 min until completely smooth, then whisk in the oil.
- 4
Fill. Grease the ramekins, half-fill with batter, add a piece of egg to each, top up and cover tightly with foil.
- 5
Steam. Set on the rack in the pan with 2 cm simmering water, cover and steam 45-60 min, topping up the water, until firm, a skewer comes out clean and the centre reads at least 74 °C.
- 6
Serve. Rest 5 min, then turn out or serve in the ramekins.

Cat tip
Take the time to remove the bean skins; left in, they make the pudding grey and gritty.
More from the cat
- Blend until there is no grit at all for a silky texture.
- Do not let the steaming pan boil dry.
Storage
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; re-steam until piping hot. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large bowl
- blender
- 6 ramekins (about 200 ml)
- foil
- wide pan with lid and a rack or folded cloth
- skewer
- food thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 229 kcal |
| Protein | 9.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 21.4 g |
| of which sugars | 3.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 12.1 g |
| of which saturates | 1.4 g |
| Fibre | 3.8 g |
| Salt | 1.09 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
