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Diri djon djon
Black mushroom rice
Northern Haiti's black mushroom rice, coloured and perfumed by soaked dried djon djon, with peas and a whole scotch bonnet
Diri djon djon comes from northern Haiti, around Cap-Haïtien, where the tiny black djon djon mushrooms are gathered and dried. Soaked in hot water, they give an inky liquid that turns rice a striking grey-black and makes it taste deeply earthy and savoury. It's the rice for weddings, baptisms and big Sunday lunches, cooked with epis, cloves and green peas or butter beans, a whole scotch bonnet laid on top for perfume. Dried djon djon is sold in Haitian and Caribbean shops and online. Chef's tip: avoid djon djon stock cubes, which are often made with chicken fat and add little real flavour; use the dried mushrooms, and add a few dried shiitake for even more depth.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the mushroom liquid
- ½ oz dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
- 3 ¾ cups boiling water
For the rice
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 14 oz long-grain ricerinsed until the water runs clear
- 5 ½ oz frozen peas or butter beans
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 scotch bonnet pepperwhole, not cut
To finish
- 1 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 oz dried djon djon mushrooms quickly in a sieve to wash off grit. Put it with ½ oz dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl, pour over 3 ¾ cups boiling water and leave for 30 minutes, until the liquid is black and smells of forest floor.
30 minStep 2: Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with kitchen paper into a jug, pressing the mushrooms hard. You need about 750 ml; top up with water if short. Chop the soaked shiitake and keep them; discard the djon djon, which are tough.
3 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 3 tbsp epis (Haitian seasoning base), 3 whole cloves and 3 sprigs fresh thyme for 2 minutes, until the epis smells sweet and the oil turns green.
2 minStep 4: Add 14 oz long-grain rice and the chopped shiitake and stir for 2 minutes, until every grain is shiny with oil.
2 minStep 5: Pour in the mushroom liquid, add 5 ½ oz frozen peas or butter beans and 1 ½ tsp salt, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Lay 1 scotch bonnet pepper on top. Boil uncovered until the liquid sinks below the surface of the rice and small holes appear, about 8 minutes.
8 minStep 6: Cover tightly, turn the heat to low and cook for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and has soaked up all the liquid. A common mistake is bursting the scotch bonnet when you stir; keep it whole and lift it out gently, or the rice becomes far too hot to eat.
20 minStep 7: Remove the pepper, thyme stalks and cloves. Stir through 1 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil if using, fluff with a fork and serve with legim, pikliz or a green salad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does diri djon djon take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of dried djon djon mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of whole cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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