Risotto With Idly Rice

Last Friday, I tried this risotto recipe with the idly rice (Earlier I had tried my ‘Humble Risotto’ with brown rice). Though this is not as creamy as Arborio rice, I would consider it a closer variety we’ve in India. I also experimented in substituting cucumber for zucchini, which both of us didn’t appreciate very much but it can be just skipped if zucchini is unavailable. I’ve not used cream in this recipe, Italians do not use them at all; the creamy texture of risotto is rendered by the starch released by Arborio rice and slow cooking is another imperative process in risotto making.

Serves:  2

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Idly rice – 1 ¼ cup

2.    Butter – 1 tbsp

3.    Zucchini (I used cucumber) – 1

4.    Carrot – 1

5.     Bush beans – 5

6.    Tomato – 1

7.     Onion – 1

8.    Garlic – 4 cloves

9.    Italian seasoning – 2 pinches

10. Salt to taste

11.  Pepper crushed – ½ tsp

12. Olive/ shaved parmesan cheese for garnishing (optional)

13.Vegetable stock or hot water – 3 ½ cups approx

Method:

Step 1: Clean and chop all vegetables into small chunks and mince garlic.

Step 2: Hand pick the rice to clean it as we are not going to wash it.

Step 3: Melt butter in a pot and sauté ginger and onion in it for a minute and then add carrot and beans.

Step 4: When the veggies are half done add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes.

Step 5: Add ½ cup stock or water and cook it open in low heat, once the liquid is fully absorbed add another ladle water/ stock repeat this ladle by ladle.

Step 6: When the rice is half cooked add required salt, cumber and then tomato and repeat adding stock/ water.

Step 7: The right way of making risotto is cooking it until there is just a light crisp in the centre of the rice grain though some prefer to cook it completely soft and gooey.

Step 8: Sprinkle crushed pepper and Italian seasoning and adjust salt and spices as required.

Step 9: Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese or olive.