Moin-moin is very versatile: You can eat it cold or hot, as a part of a meal or as a snack. There are similar dishes made of ground black-eyed peas throughout western and central Africa, including akara, a fritter with mostly the same ingredients.
Wash the peas and pick over them 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.
Drain off the soaking water and place the peas in a food processor. Pulse briefly about 12 times, until peas are just barely broken.
Pour the peas back into the bowl and cover with water. Rub the peas between your hands, removing the skins. The skins will float to the top. Pour off the skins, into a colander, and repeat this process several times.
Once the skins are removed, the peas will be white. It’s not necessary to get off every single skin, but try to remove as many as possible.
Put the skinned peas back into the processor. Add the chopped onion, roasted red pepper, tomato paste, and about 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth. Process until completely smooth (this may take a few minutes, depending on your processor).
Pour the mixture back into the bowl. Stir in the Old Bay seasoning (or other, see Note below), salt, and white pepper. Add a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth, if necessary, to make a thick but pourable slurry.
Heat 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.
Steam for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a ramekin comes out fairly clean.
Keep covered with foil to preserve moistness until ready to serve.
Notes
You may use any seasoned salt instead of the Old Bay and salt. Use about 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons and add more to taste.