Global Cuisine at Health 360
TCAH WebmasterParticipants in Health 360 come from many different backgrounds and traditions. They represent the American South, Trinidad, Greece, Guyana, and St. Maarten, among others. We can find healthy foods all around the globe! With this in mind, a Nigerian nutritionist taught us how to make a traditional Nigerian dish called “moinmoin,” a steamed cake made from blackeyed peas. We learned all about the health benefits of legumes: they are high in fiber, low in fat, and a great source of protein and complex carbohyrdates. We also got to try something that none of us had ever tasted before. Come celebrate the healthy foods from your culture at our next class! Contact Claire at clynch@bedstuyagainsthunger.org or 178-773-3551 x115 to find out more. Many thanks to Anthonia for sharing her culture and her nutrition knowledge!
Steamed Cowpea Paste (“MoinMoin”): A Nigerian Dish
Ingredients
| Vegetarian | Non-Vegetarian |
| 1 cup dried cowpeas or blackeyed peas | 1 cup dried cowpeas or blackeyed peas |
| 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped | 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped |
| 1 medium red pepper | 1 medium red pepper |
| 1 hot red pepper/chili pepper | 1 hot red pepper/chili pepper |
| 1 egg* | 1 egg* |
| 1-2 tablespoons olive oil | 1-2 tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 ½ teaspoons curry | 1 ½ teaspoons curry |
| 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste | 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste |
| 1 bouillon cube, optional** | |
| 1 can salmon |
* The egg can be beaten and mixed into the paste, or you can mix in a chopped up, hard-boiled egg. The egg can also be omitted entirely for a vegan version of the recipe.
**If you choose to add a bouillon cube, cut back on the added salt. Bouillon cubes contain a lot of sodium.
Procedure
1. Wash the peas and pick them over to remove any debris. Put them into a large bowl and cover with hot water at least two inches above the level of the peas. Soak for at least one hour. Soak times may be longer for other bean varieties.
2. Rub the peas between your hands to remove the skins. The skins will float to the top. Pour off the skins into a colander and repeat this process several times until most of the skins are removed.
3. The peas will be white when the skins are removed. It’s not necessary to get off every single skin, but try to remove as many skins as possible.
4. Put the skinned peas into a blender or food processor. Add the chopped onion, red pepper, and hot pepper. Process until completely smooth (this may take a few minutes, depending on your processor).
5. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Stir in the seasonings (salt, curry, and bouillon), egg, and salmon, if using. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to make a thick but pourable slurry.
6. Boil water in a steamer or deep pot with a steamer basket set over it. Oil 8 ramekins. Pour a scant 1/2 cup of the batter into each ramekin and cover with aluminum foil. Set ramekins into steamer. Alternatively, ½ cup of the batter can be filled inside aluminum foil pockets.
OR
The ramekins or aluminum pockets can be arranged in an aluminum tray and baked in an oven at a temperature of 4500F for 40mins or until a toothpick or fork inserted in the center of a ramekin comes out fairly clean.
Keep covered with foil to preserve moistness until ready to serve.
