Akara & Moin Moin: Lip-Smacking Savouries from the Black-Eyed Beans
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A Taste of Tradition: My Childhood Memories with Akara
Akara and Moin Moin were traditional staples that I grew up eating in Nigeria. Akara is a paste made from peeled black-eyed beans, preferably black-eyed beans. Nowadays, you can buy peeled beans; all you need to do is soak them in water until they soften. Then you blend it, cut in some peppers and onions, and if you want it super exciting, add some dried prawns and deep fry it.
The Street Food Legacy: Why Akara is Best Made by the Experts
As children, we did not make akara; it is a staple you can purchase from street food sellers. They make it better than us. Some street sellers have made this for decades and passed it on to their children, who continued the tradition.
My time in Lagos with my grandmother was the most intense memory I have ever gained. I remember my her giving us coins to pop down the street and buy hot akara from the food seller. It was either that or we purchased it from the hawkers who walked the streets advertising their wares in their sing-song voices. There was nothing the hawkers did not sell.
Village Adventures: How Akara Sparked My Love for Food Writing
We spent our holidays in the village with my great-grandmother, a farmer who prepared delicacies for our time with her. I had a few interests in the village, especially reading. I explored my mother’s library of books to my heart’s satisfaction. Read everything that I could lay my hands on during those weeks. In the mornings, I would run to purchase akara from the village food seller, a relative. I was known in the village for my interest in food preparations and did not realise that the experience prepared me for my life writing about food. I used to divide my time between the people who made gari, a dried staple made from cassava, or elubo, flour made from dried fermented yam. Then there was the local bakery. I was persuasive in asking to help out in any way I could. I was a headache to my grandmother when I wasn’t reading because I was adventurous. She did not want me to get in trouble.
The Art of Moin Moin: From Leaf-Wrapped to Modern Convenience
Moin, Moin is a staple dish in Nigerian cuisine. It is often a side dish or main course, especially during festive occasions or gatherings.
The history of Moin moin traces back to traditional West African cooking methods, where beans were ground and mixed with various ingredients to create nutritious and flavourful dishes.
Moin Moin is made from a mix of blended peeled beans, pepper, and tomato. Then, as you fancy it, add mackerel, boiled eggs, dried crayfish, oil, salt and seasonings. Mix it, pour it into individual foil containers, and then steam it in a pot or wrap them in leaves and steam. I taught myself how to make Moin Moin wrapped in leaves. The dish has a steeper learning curve, and I sometimes get it wrong. It is about ensuring that you get the consistency of the mix right, or it would not be tasty.
Healthy, Hearty, and Delicious: The Nutritional Benefits of Akara & Moin Moin
Amazingly, these are healthy dishes because they’re made from beans, which we know is protein. Akara is deep-fried so, it is not as healthy, but Moin Moin is super healthy as long as you’re careful with the seasonings and use the oil sparingly.
Here’s a list of each country’s version of akara:
Brazil (Acarajé)
Deep-fried bean fritters are made from peeled black-eyed peas and are typically filled with shrimp and spicy sauce.
Ghana (Koose)
Spicy bean cakes are made from black-eyed peas, often served with spicy pepper sauce as popular street food.
Jamaica (Stamp and Go)
Fried fritters from salted codfish mixed with flour, herbs, and spices are often served as a breakfast or snack.
Trinidad and Tobago (Pholourie)
Small, deep-fried balls of seasoned split pea dough are typically served as a snack or appetizer with chutney or tamarind sauce.
Haiti (Akra)
Fritters made from malanga (taro root) or other root vegetables, seasoned and fried until golden brown, are commonly served as snacks.
Cuba (Bacalaitos)
Crispy codfish fritters, made from a batter of flour, eggs, salt, and shredded codfish, are famous as street food or appetizers.
Suriname (Akara)
Like Nigerian akara, it is made from peeled black-eyed peas or beans, seasoned, and deep-fried. It is often served with spicy sauce.
Sierra Leone (Koose)
Deep-fried bean fritters made from black-eyed peas or black-eyed bean flour are seasoned with spices and served as a snack or side dish.
Barbados (Accra Cake)
Deep-fried cakes made from grated breadfruit mixed with flour, seasoned, and fried until crispy, commonly served as a side dish or snack.
Mozambique (Acarajé)
Like Brazilian acarajé, these deep-fried fritters are made from black-eyed peas or beans. They are often stuffed with shrimp and served as a street food delicacy.
These variations demonstrate the rich culinary diversity of bean-based fritters across various cultures and regions.
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