Mọin-Mọin for a Gathering (Savory Bean Pudding)

Name: Mọin-Mọin for a Gathering (Savory Bean Pudding)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 10 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 1¼ cups dried, peeled black-eyed peas or ẹ̀wà olóyin (honey beans), see Tip; 3 large banana leaves, cut into 10-inch squares, rinsed and wiped clean with a damp cloth (save trimmings to line the skillet); ¼ cup red palm oil (see Tip); ¼ cup vegetable oil; ½ cup ground dried crayfish (see Tip), or tiny dried shrimp (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes to soften, then drained); 1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped; 1 small red or yellow onion, coarsely chopped; 1 Scotch bonnet chile, stem off, seeded if you like; 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal); 1 large egg, whisked for batter, plus 2 hard-boiled (7- to 8-minute) eggs, quartered, for garnish; 2 (7-ounce) pieces ẹja panla (cold-smoked hake) or smoked white fish fillet, skin off and picked of any bones, flakes broken into 1-inch pieces, see Tip

By Yewande Komolafe

Published March 15, 2026

Mọin-Mọin for a Gathering (Savory Bean Pudding) — Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

Thick and soft, this pudding of ẹ̀wà olóyin (a mildly sweet bean), onions, bell peppers and chiles gently cradles boiled eggs and smoked fish. In Yorùbá, one of the languages spoken across West Africa, the garnishes for this dish are often called ẹmi (lives or spirits), and can range from three to seven add-ons, such as chopped bits of cooked meat or fresh prawns. Wrapped in fragrant ewé mọin-mọin (banana leaves are a good alternative) and steamed, the bean batter and garnishes hold their robust flavors like a surprise gift. Dried crayfish and red palm oil are folded into the batter to add richness, and a whisked egg ensures a firmly set texture for this large-format version of mọin-mọin, which sometimes come in smaller cone-shaped, leaf-wrapped packages. Serve cut into wedges or scooped alongside jollof rice and èfọ́ rírò or any leafy green stew.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings

1¼ cups dried, peeled black-eyed peas or ẹ̀wà olóyin (honey beans), see Tip
3large banana leaves, cut into 10-inch squares, rinsed and wiped clean with a damp cloth (save trimmings to line the skillet)
¼ cup red palm oil (see Tip)
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup ground dried crayfish (see Tip), or tiny dried shrimp (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes to soften, then drained)
1medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1small red or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1Scotch bonnet chile, stem off, seeded if you like
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1large egg, whisked for batter, plus 2 hard-boiled (7- to 8-minute) eggs, quartered, for garnish
2(7-ounce) pieces ẹja panla (cold-smoked hake) or smoked white fish fillet, skin off and picked of any bones, flakes broken into 1-inch pieces, see Tip

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place the peeled black-eyed peas in a medium bowl and cover with about 2 inches of room-temperature water. Soak for 1½ to 2 hours, until black-eyed peas plump and rehydrate. (They should feel rubbery between your fingers, similar to a soaked cashew, and break when pressed without crumbling or turning to mush.) Drain the beans, rinse with fresh water and drain again. (The beans can also be soaked ahead of time, covered with water in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.)
Step 2
As the black-eyed peas soak, line the bottom of a large (10- to 12-inch) stainless steel skillet, Dutch oven or cast-iron pan with the banana-leaf trimmings. Place a 10-inch square of banana leaf over the trimmings to hold everything in place. Arrange more 10-inch squares in the pan to come up the sides while overlapping in the center. Place the remaining 10-inch square of banana leaf over the others to hold everything in place. Trim off any overhang that extends more than 1 inch beyond the lip of the skillet.
Step 3
Place a small (8-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the red palm oil and vegetable oil, and gently warm up to melt and mix together. Add the ground crayfish (or soaked dried shrimp) and stir while frying until fragrant, sizzling and popping with foamy bubbles, expanding and creeping their way up the skillet, about 6 minutes. Pay attention here: This step happens quicker than expected, and the crayfish could burn if the oil gets too hot. Remove from heat.
Step 4
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place racks in the center and bottom of your oven. Take out a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Step 5
Working in batches, transfer half the drained beans to a blender, and add red bell pepper, onion, Scotch bonnet, salt and 1 cup water. Blend on low speed, gradually working up to high speed, until the mixture is completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
Step 6
Add the rest of the beans and blend, increasing the speed from low to high once more, and adding a tablespoon of water to help the blender along if necessary, about 1 minute. The purée should be loose and whipped to a latte foam-like consistency with lots of tiny bubbles. Transfer to a medium bowl and use a spatula to gently stir in the raw egg and the oil-crayfish mixture.
Step 7
Transfer the bean purée to the large skillet lined with banana leaves. Lay the hard-boiled egg pieces horizontally with the yolk visible, leaving half the egg submerged in the batter and half sticking out. Dot the surface with the pieces of flaked fish. Use a sheet of aluminum foil to cover the top of the pan, crimping the edges and sides to completely seal and create an insulated steam chamber. (Use 2 strips of foil, secured in an X shape to the pan's edge over the banana leaves, if necessary. If using thin foil, use extra if necessary to make a strong seal.)
Step 8
Slide the 9-by-13-inch baking dish onto the bottom rack of the oven and pour 2 cups of water in to create some steam. Transfer the skillet to the center rack of the oven. Bake until the edges are just set but the center jiggles when moved back and forth, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil completely.
Step 9
Continue to bake until the entire custard is set and jiggles more slowly when the pan is moved back and forth, 20 to 22 minutes. A toothpick or knife inserted in the center should come out with a bit of bean paste and crumbs stuck on. Let cool for 30 to 40 minutes (the pudding will continue to set once out of the oven). Cut into wedges or scoop out and serve from the pan at room temperature, alongside jollof rice and èfọ́ rírò.

Tips

Ẹ̀wà olóyin, also called “honey bean,” is known for its mildly sweet and starchy texture. The whole beans are available at any African, Caribbean or international grocery store that also carries peeled dried black-eyed peas, a substitute that can be used for convenience. To peel ẹ̀wà olóyin or black-eyed peas at home, add the unpeeled beans to a large bowl, rinse, drain and repeat until the water runs clear. Cover with 3 to 4 inches of water. Soak for 4 to 12 hours, then drain, discarding the soaking liquid. To peel, fill the bowl of soaked beans with 3 to 4 inches of fresh water. Grab a handful of soaked peas and, working with your hands submerged in the water, rub the beans between your palms. The peels will slip off and float above the beans. (The extra water helps provide an area for the skins to float upward, leaving the skinned beans collected in the bottom of the bowl). Holding the beans back with one palm, pour the water and the peels into the colander. Discard the peels. Repeat this step up to 4 more times, until about 95 percent of the beans are peeled.