How to make Black Mushroom Rice (Black Rice with Djon-Djon Mushrooms or Riz Djon Djon)
The famous Black Mushroom Rice (Black Rice with Djon-Djon or Riz Djon Djon) is a traditional Haitian dish. This rice is commonly served with meat, poultry, or seafood dishes, specializing in Haitian culinary culture.
This dish is present in most events, whether at family gatherings or public gatherings. It is also served at all Haitian restaurants. Black Mushroom Rice is one of the most requested rice recipes on this website and Haitian Caribbean gatherings.
What is djon djon mushrooms and where to find it
Djon Djon is a type of mushroom. The Djon-Djon mushrooms are grown in the northern part of Haiti and sold dried. This type of fungus – djon djon – is mainly used for cooking rice, meat, and poultry in Haiti.
Unfortunately, the djon-djon mushrooms are not sold in every supermarket. You will not be able to find it in your local supermarket in the US. You may discover Djon Djon Maggie Cubes in West Indian markets. But the dried mushroom is sold with a large concentration of Haitian people. You may find it in Haitian-owned stores as well.
The Djon Djon mushrooms can be found on Amazon and Etsy. The price is very high. So I would suggest finding a West-Indian or Haitian-owned store to get the mushroom. It will be more affordable.
How to use Djon Djon mushrooms in cooking
When djon djon mushrooms are used for cooking other types of dishes such as meat or poultry, the boiling method applies. The mushrooms are boiled with water. The water is then preserved to prepare either a sauce for the meat or poultry or cooked with rice. That is how dishes get their colors, dark gray or black.
The more djon djon you add to the water, the darker it will become. But of course, you have to make sure that the water is sufficient for whatever you are cooking.
Do you want to use Maggie Djon Djon? Use it as a seasoning because it contains other spices and salt. The cube also has djon djon. Your dish will turn black or dark gray, depending on the amount of water. Whether you are using dried Djon Djon or Maggie Djon Djon, it is recommended to use a reasonable amount so the water can have the right amount of color for cooking the rice.
How to make Rice with Djon Djon or Mushrooms Rice the Haitian way.
Cooking rice with Djon Djon is very easy. You either soak or boil the Djon Djon and use the water for cooking the rice. You should only add additional water if necessary. Make sure you have plenty of djon djon water to cook the rice. If you need water, use the leftover mushrooms to resoak or boil. If you use regular water or chicken broth, the rice will not be dark, and the taste might change. It is always good to adjust your seasoning.
Seasoning the rice the right way is essential. Many cooks will opt to use chicken bouillon and a mixture of dried or green seasoning blends. Many others will only use chicken bouillon seasoning. Whatever seasoning you use, make sure it is not strong, as the mushroom will give the rice an earthy and flavorful aroma.
Cooking the rice with Djon Djon Mushrooms
Before preparing this dish, you need a good rice brand and type. Usually, long-grain rice is recommended. I recommend soaking the mushroom for at least 2 hours and then boiling it. This process makes the water darker.
The rice is prepared the same way as any other rice dish. The exact amount of water you will use for cooking white rice, for example, the same amount of mushroom water, is needed. If you need 2 cups of water, you will boil about 1/4 cup of mushrooms in 2 cups of water. The only difference with the recipe afterward is adding green peas or lima beans. So take into account the moisture of the beans or peas.
Are you using frozen lima beans or frozen peas? The peas or beans should be cooked in the pot before adding the rice. This way, everything will cook evenly. Adding shallots, scallion or parsley, and even a whole hot pepper is not uncommon.
As far as seafood, it is best to cook shrimp, lobster, or langoustine separately. If you add any seafood mentioned to cook with the rice, they will be overcooked. You can season the seafood, sautee in a separate pan, and add them to the rice during the last few minutes of cooking. Or you can serve the rice, let say, with shrimp creole. This combination is a delight!
The perfect combination
Below are a few dishes ideas to enjoy Rice with Djon Djon.
Useful tips:
- Soak mushrooms overnight for the best result.
- If adding shrimp or lobster, clean and lightly season seafood first and add before simmering.
- Do not over mix; the rice will not be grainy.
- Use long-grain rice
- You can also buy Maggi Djon-Djon in many West-Indians stores. If you are using it omit the chicken bouillon from the recipe
Make this recipe for Sunday dinners and on special occasions.
Here’s the recipe!
Black Mushroom Rice (Black Rice with Djon-Djon Mushrooms or Riz Djon Djon)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Long Grain White Rice yellow if preferred, good brand rice
- 1 cup Djon-Djon dried mushroom sold in Haitian Grocery Stores
- 4 1/2 cups Water
- 1 cup Baby Lima Beans or Greens Peas frozen and then thawed
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic minced or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Thyme leaves only
- 2 Scallions stalks finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Green Pepper finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Black Pepper
- 4 Whole Cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Chicken Bouillon Powder
- 1 small Whole Hot Pepper or a few drops of Hot Sauce optional
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Clean mushrooms by removing any dirt. In a large bowl, add mushrooms and water and let soak overnight for best result. When ready to cook the rice, transfer the mushrooms and liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5 minutes at medium high heat then remove from stove. Do not cover saucepan or the liquid will spill over while boiling. Drain and set aside. Only the liquid will be used to cook the rice.
- In another large pot or pan, heat oil. Add garlic, scallions, thyme, cloves and green pepper. Let mixture fry for about 1 minutes. Add thawed green peas or baby lima beans and chicken bouillon powder. Stir to mix well. Best use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add mushroom water to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Once water starts to boil, add rice and whole hot pepper if using. Gently stir. Do not over stir. When water has almost evaporated and you only see the ingredients, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked and still grainy. Serve hot with a meat or seafood dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
Hi! I’m so excited to try Djon Djon rice but I live in Minnesota and finding the mushrooms ended up so expensive, can I use wood ear or black mushroom from the Asian store instead?
Hi Claudia. I wouldn’t advise on using wood ear or black mushroom from the Asian store because I have never tried them and not sure if they are similar to the Haitian Djon Djon. Have you searched on Etsy? There are a few stores selling Djon Djon Mushroom. Just make sure you do your research on the seller. Good Luck!
What do you consider a good brand rice
Hi Aly. Thanks for your question. I consider a good brand of rice, one with good reviews. We usually buy Kirkland Jasmine Rice, Goya Jasmine White Rice and
Four Elephants Premium Thai Jasmine Rice. This is just my preference. So remember that everyone’s preference is not always the same. Always buy a small bag when trying a new brand.
YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!! I have been trying to find a proper recipe! Thank you!
You’re most welcome. Have fun blogging!
I used Basmati rice, Epis and 3 Maggi djon djon cubes. This was my FOURTH attempt at this rice and omg it came out so perfect. THANK YOU !!!!
You are so welcome! I’m so glad you are enjoying it. Don’t forget to share photos with us on social media. How about sending us some gratin! 🙂