Mushroom and Yellow Pepper Risotto (Rice)
Mushroom and Yellow Pepper Risotto
Mamta Gupta
Risotto is completely different from an Indian rice dish, where each grain of rice is separate. Risotto rice is creamy and moist, with a little 'bite' in the centre, al dente. It is cooked slowly, first in butter or olive oil and then by adding wine and stock, little by little, until rice looks creamy. It is made with short-grain rice like Carnaroli or Arborio, which absorb the flavours around them well. Any number of things can be added to it, vegetables, prawns, chicken, mussels and so on. Here I have used Oyster mushrooms and yellow peppers only (Bell pepper or capsicum or Shimla Mirch.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli or Vialone nano). Or use other short grain rice.
2 tbsp. olive oil or butter
1 onion
125-200 gm. oyster or chanterelle or other mushroom available (you can add 5-6 dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes)
1/2 red or yellow pepper
2-3 tbsp white wine, if you have a bottle open
1 litre or more stock, use vegetable or chicken stock or bouillon. Keep it warm.
1 tbsp. very finely chopped or ground coriander leaves
2 tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese
A good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Peel and chop onion finely
Heat the olive oil or butter in a pan. Keep heat low-medium.
Add the onions and cook slowly, until soft.
Meanwhile, break up or slice mushrooms into bite sized pieces. Button mushrooms can be left whole.
Deseed and slice pepper.
Add mushrooms and peppers. If using dry and soaked mushrooms, squeeze the water out and add. Add the liquid to your stock.
Cook slowly until softened
Add the rice (no need to wash) and stir for a couple of minutes until well-coated with the butter.
Add the white wine if used, and cook for a few minute.
Now start adding a ladleful of hot stock at a time and stir until it is absorbed. Continue adding stock a ladle at a time. It needs to be stirred until it is absorbed. The rice should be creamy and tender, slightly firm in the centre or 'al dente'.
Towards the end, add the coriander leaves, Parmesan cheese, black pepper and stir in.
Serve immediately.