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.
