Diri ak Joumou (Rice with Kabocha Squash)

I didn’t grow up eating Diri ak Joumou (Rice w/Kabocha squash) my mom never made it, probably because she didn’t have it growing up. It’s a fairly new dish to me and I can’t pinpoint when I first tried it but I’m happy I did!

I used Kabocha squash to make this, however I feel like you could also use butternut squash or even pumpkin 😛 that would be yummy, I’ve definitely heard the term pumpkin rice somewhere before. I’ve tried this with both Jasmine rice and Parboiled rice and I have to say I prefer it with the parboiled rice simply because of the texture, it’s more solid. I used frozen peas and carrots but those are totally optional, you can make it without or add your favorite vegetables. Make sure you follow my exact instructions for the liquid portion of this, the liquid that the rice is going to be cooked in is about 3 ½ cups, you may end up with some puree left over, but keep it handy in case you feel like you need to add some of it to the rice to make it your desired softness.

I served this with some baked chicken and sweet plantains and it was delicious, I ended up making a sauce with onions and bell peppers from the drippings of the chicken but you really could just use the drippings as is, I’m just a little extra sometimes LOL.  I love rice, like many Haitians do, so this is a great addition to my rice repertoire, I hope you try it and like it enough to add it to yours.

Watch me make Diri ak Joumou here:

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Wooden Spoon Set

Large aluminum pot

Mini glass prep bowls

Porcelain Ramekins

Wood Cutting Board w/handle

Vegetable Bouillon Cubes

​​Li Bon! All Purpose Seasoning

No Reviews

Ingredients

Adjust Servings
1lbs Joumou (kabocha squash), seeds removed and peeled
2 cups parboiled rice, rinsed
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
1 sprig scallion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bouillon cube
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon clove powder
1 tablespoon cooking margarine
2 sprigs of thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 hot pepper

Directions

1.

In a small pot on medium to high heat add peeled joumou, along with 4 cups of water and cook for about 20 minutes or until squash is easily pierced with a fork. Add the cooked squash to the blender along with liquid and 1 extra cup of water and blend until smooth, set aside.
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2.

In a medium sized pot on low heat add oil, scallion, garlic and mix until oil is fragrant.
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3.

Add mixed vegetables, bouillon cube, onion powder, garlic powder and mix well.
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4.

Add 3 ½ cups of squash puree, thyme, hot pepper, salt, clove powder, cooking margarine and mix. Taste for salt.
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5.

Once liquid comes to a boil, add rinsed rice, give it a mix and lower the heat. Allow liquid to evaporate then cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Serve with your choice of protein, enjoy!
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Notes

Peel your squash to make life easier for you.

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