Humble Risotto

Risotto is a kind of Italian dish prepared with starchy rice varieties, mostly arborio. It is usually cooked to a creamy texture using vegetable or meat stock and then spiced as per need. You get only imported arborio in India; I used local brown rice which is also short grained and starchy, even the normal idli rice should work. Yeah, it may not taste ditto like arborio risottos because I'm translating it and not transliterating :)

Ingredients:

1.       Brown rice – 1 cup

2.       Butter – 1 blob

3.       Onion – 1 chopped finely

4.       Tomato – 1 chopped finely

5.       Vegetable stock – 3 cups

6.       Pepper powder – 1 tsp

7.       Italian seasoning – 1 tsp

8.       Salt as per taste

9.       Mint to garnish

10.   Fresh cream or grated cheese (optional)

Method:

Step 1: Heat butter in a non-stick pan, sauté onion in that and then roast the brown rice in that. Boil the stock in parallel, we’ll use them periodically.

Step 2: Add stock to the rice to the level the rice just submerges and cover it. Sprinkle required salt. Stir occasionally.

Step 3: Once the water is absorbed, add some more stock to cover the rice and let it cook. Add in chopped tomatoes. Repeat adding stock, until it is fully done. Slow cooking is the essence of risotto, it takes about 45 minutes.

Step 4: Sprinkle seasoning, pepper and add cream/cheese if using and stir well. Adjust salt.

Step 5: Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot.