MOINMOIN SCONES

'Moinmoin' is a spiced steamed bean pudding , which is synonymous with most Nigerians.

Traditionally Moinmoin is steamed in the leaves of Thaumatococcus Daniellii (an amazing fruit that turns anything sour; sweet), which lends its unique taste to the dish. The leaves are known as Waakye leaves in Ghana or Uma in Nigeria.

 

The process of making Moinmoin can be time consuming, as you need to soak the beans and take the skins off.

My first experience of making Moinmoin was a  painful and rewarding journey. I soaked the beans overnight and painstakingly peeled the skin off each bean. 

It was a time consuming experience and one I didn't ever wish to repeat. 

I remember relating this experience to my Mum, and all I could hear was the echo of her laughter, quickly followed by her stern instruction of 'grab a pen and paper'.

Mum carefully explained how I needed to roughly blend the soaked beans, transfer it into a bigger bowl and add water, which will separate the skins from the beans. This quickened the peeling and eventually the cooking process.

I tried my Mums method and understood her chuckle at my expense.  I've since enjoyed preparing Moinmoin using my Mums method, till I received a parcel from the Real African Food Company in 2016.

The parcel was a sample of their Moinmoin mix and a request for my honest feedback. 

 

 I gave my honest feedback on taste, texture and packaging and was so proud to see the end results. I received a few boxes in the post and knew the painstaking, peeling shenanigans of Moinmoin was over.

If you've been following me for a while, you'll notice I love twisting 'food', hence I decided to play with flavours and textures of the Moinmoin mix.

You know what?  Let's make Moinmoin Scones as one does for an African inspired 'Afternoon Tea'. 

 

Let me explain the reasoning behind the flavours.  The Moinmoin mix has an earthy taste with accents of Paprika which works well with the Cheese and aromatic taste of the Rosemary.

The Moinmoin mix is gluten free as it's made from ground beans and it's a great addition to your picnics. The Moinmoin Scones can be refrigerated and used within a week. You can warm it up again in the oven either by wrapping it in foil or steam it in the oven (check method later in the recipe).

 

Traditionally when making Scones, one is advised against working the dough to activate the gluten in the flour. With this recipe this isn't a problem as the beans flour doesn't contain gluten.

To make this you need;

Ingredients 

200g of Moinmoin mix

140g of grated Cheddar cheese

30g of grated cold butter

20g of finely chopped fresh Rosemary 

1 levelled tablespoon of Baking powder 

50ml of Milk or Water

1 beaten free range or organic egg

Salt to taste 

To start

 

Pour the Moinmoin mix , salt and baking powder into a bowl. Mix everything together.

 

Add the grated butter and cheese 

 

 Now add the chopped fresh Rosemary 

 

Mix everything together till you have a breadcrumb consistency, as shown below

I've used less butter for the recipe as the cheese also contains fat.

 

Add the milk and egg to the mixture. Using a fork mix everything together gently till well combined.

 

 Cover the bowl with a cling film and refrigerate the mixture for about 10-15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 180*c

 

When ready to cook, flour the surface of a chopping board (using the beans flour for a gluten free option)and roll the mixture out.

Tip

You can use plain flour for the surface, if you don't have any gluten allergy.

 

Using a round cutter, cut the Moinmoin mixture into sizeable portions.

Grease a baking tray or use a great proof paper to line your tray.

Place the tray in the middle of the oven.

Place a separate tray filled with 100ml of water at the bottom of the oven.

This will steam and bake the Scones at the same time, ensuring an even cook and a surface crust.

Bake for 25 minutes and remove from the oven.

You can enjoy the Scones either hot or cold. 

This recipe works perfectly as a snack , starter or add a meaty sauce for a main dish. 

 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa', like this party Jollof rice recipe.
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