Beef Stew

Beans (or black-eyed peas) are a common staple in West Africa and are second only in popularity to rice and its many uses. From plain cooked beans to more elaborate meals like moin-moin (bean cake), it's a healthy vegetable with a flavor all of its own. The meal moin-moin (bean cake) is one of the more popular dishes, and although it takes a while to prepare, it's worth the taste once ready to be served. Traditionally, brown beans are used and are soaked in water for a while to make the skin soft. It is then washed by hand (rubbing between palms) to get rid of the skin. Using a sieve (with preferably tiny holes), it is continuously washed until all beans look white (skinless). This process can be time consuming, so for this recipe, we will use pre-washed, packaged beans (this can be purchased at any tropical food store near you).

Preparation Time: 2 hours

Ingredients [Serves 4-6]: I medium sized bag of pre-washed beans, I large onion (chopped), 3-4 medium-sized chopped tomatoes (optional), 2 small yellow/red peppers, I cup of dry ground crayfish, 4-5 hard-boiled eggs (optional), ½ cup of groundnut oil, seasonings of choice (usually Creole/Greek), 3-4 Maggi cubes (beef flavor), salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Traditionally, plantain/banana leaves are twisted into 'cups' where the bean mixture will be poured into and steamed or cooked. Those can be purchased in a local farmer's market. But to improvise, aluminum foils can also be used. These must be folded into pouches, so the mixture can be scooped into it without leaking, as well as have room for it to be sealed tightly.

Preparation: Soak beans in warm water and wash carefully, draining water once done. In a blender, combine beans, chopped onions, tomatoes, peppers and some water. Blend thoroughly until you get a fine, smooth thick paste (do not make it too thick). If you can still feel hard chunks of beans between your fingers, then you should continue blending until the right texture is achieved. Pour paste into a bowl and add groundnut oil, crayfish, hardboiled eggs (if you're adding this, be sure you mix carefully so you don't crush the eggs), and seasonings.

Since moin-moin is cooked mostly on the steam generated, line the bottom of your pot with an aluminum foil and pour about two cups of water into it. Once you've carefully scooped the paste into each pouch and sealed tightly, place gently into pot. Cover the top of pouches with a grocery bag (within the pot) this helps to generate more steam that enables the moin-moin to cook faster and better. Cover the pot tightly and allow to simmer on medium-heat for about an hour - adding water at various intervals so it doesn't dry out.

To know when your moin-moin is ready, you can stick a fork into it gently. If it comes out 'dry', it's done, if not, allow to cook for a while longer. To serve, simply unwrap the foil and place moin-moin on plate. Garnish with beef stew or it can be eaten with white or Jollof rice.

Enjoy!

KiyaSama is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.

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