Button and Enoki Mushrooms Risotto

I had tried the Enoki mushrooms in a regular pasta dish but I had preferred the regular button mushrooms that are cheaper and easier to get. However, by frying the enoki, it adds a different texture and flavour to the risotto and I now love it.

Also, I like a lot of veggies with each bite so I use a lot of mushrooms, but f you're happy with the creamy, cheesy rice then you can reduce the mushrooms you put in. Also, if you have other types of mushrooms at your disposal, it will add to the flavour if you mix it up.

I also used regular short-grain rice instead of arborio rice. I added some brown rice cooked for 7-8 minutes in the microwave as well. Because the brown rice doesn't turn all mushy like the white rice, it adds some bite to the final dish.

What I've learned about my many failures with risotto is that you need to go big or go home. Meaning, use stock instead of water; don't skimp on the butter and cheese; and don't take the easy way out by pouring in all the stock and letting the rice cook on its own - keep stirring it in by the ladle ful.

You'll need:
1 packet/bunch Enoki mushrooms, with roots removed
4-5 cups of chopped button mushrooms
2-3 cups of stock*
2/4 cup rice
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt/Pepper
Chilli flakes
4-5 cloves of garlic
3-4 sprigs of Rosemary**
2 tbsp cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

*I've used water when I didn't have stock but it makes a world of a difference in flavour
**If you don't have fresh Rosemary, you can also use parsley or oregano either fresh or dried

In a saucepan, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Fry the Enoki mushrooms till brown. Keep aside.

Spread the button mushrooms in a single layer in a baking tray, and bake at 180 deg C for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, add in some salt and the rosemary and bake for another 5 minutes. Do not discard the water it leaves off - use it along with the stock.
-In the convection microwave, I use the grill setting and put in for 7 then 3 minutes.
-Keep aside.

Keep your stock ready by heating it up. You can also keep it on simmer if you want to do this perfectly.

In a saucepan, put in the remaining oil and butter on medium heat. Add in the chopped garlic and chilli flakes, and before it starts to turn brown, add the rice. Stir for about 30 seconds.

Add in 2 ladles of stock - or just enough to cover the rice. Stir it to release the starch from the rice. As soon as the water evaporates, add in another ladle or two. Keep doing this till the rice is cooked. It takes about 10-15 minutes of labour.

Don't keep stirring it the whole time, just a few rounds between each addition. As it nears to cooking, the regular rice will be prone to breaking so be gentle.

As you put in your last ladle of stock (note that you might not need all of the stock - just enough for the rice to cook), stir in the cream, seasoning, and the baked mushrooms.

The consistency should not be very dry, but smooth.

Remove from heat and mix in the cheese.

Top it up with the fried enoki and serve immediately.

Rice Pudding

This is a quick rice pudding with a nice texture. I substituted half the rice with steel cut oats (NOT the regular porridge oats please) and it gave a nice woody flavour to it.

You'll need:
1 cup rice (or half cup if you plan to add steel cut oats) soaked in water for about an hour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar or jaggery
2-3 Green cardamoms, crushed
4-5 blanched almonds for garnish (optional)

After the rice has soaked for an hour, grind half of it into a paste. Bring the milk to a boil then on simmer, add all of the rice. If using steel cut oats, then add it directly to the milk. Keep it on simmer till the rice and oats are cooked.

Add the sugar and cardamom. Stir till the sugar dissolves, and the pudding thickens to a gooey paste. Don't dry it out too much because it will thicken some more once you take it off the heat.

Garnish with some blanched almonds. It can be either served warm or cold.

Thai-style Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice

I've always loved this dessert...Mangoes are my absolute favourite and this combination with rice makes it more fulfilling.

1 cup uncooked sticky rice (or sushi rice*)

200gm (or 1 can) coconut milk

1/2 cup brown sugar**

1 mango (a sweet or juicy variety is the best combo)

Toasted sesame seeds

* The pre-cooked sushi rice has added vinegar used only for making sushi. Use plain rice for this recipe.
** (I used jagery, but white sugar can also be used - all these sugars have variations in taste and sweetness so add accordingly)

To cook the rice:

Wash the rice and soak for about 4 hours. Drain the water and steam-cook it. I used a saucepan filled with water, put a splatter screen on it, flipped a bowl of rice on top of the screen and let it steam for about 30 minutes. (Flip it once in between to ensure even cooking.)

For the sauce:

Heat the coconut milk in the microwave. It should be hot enough to dissolve the sugar. Pour this on the cooked rice and mix well. 

Peel and slice the mango and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve the rice warm.

Spinach and Sweet Corn Risotto

Risottos are a quick and delicious meal - it might not always turn out true chef style, but it can still taste good, and be healthy.

Stuff you'll need:

Spinach - 1 bunch

Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Sweet corn - 1/2 a cup

Onion (chopped) - 1 large

Arborio rice - 1 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup

Veg/Chicken stock or water - 1 cup

White wine - 1/2 cup (can be substituted with 2-3 tbsp of vinegar)

Oil or butter - 2 tbsps

Cheese - 1/2 cup (optional) Any hard cheese would do.

Wash the spinach and cook it in a cup of water/stock in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Don't throw away the water/stock. In a blender, puree the spinach with the garlic.

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and cook till translucent. Add the rice and continue cooking for another minute. Add the milk and stir till it evaporates. Add the wine if using (if using vinegar, skip this step). Once it evaporates add the water/stock and reduce the heat to low-medium. 

Let the rice cook for about 5 minutes, then add the spinach and corn. Let it continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Check if the rice is done. Traditionally, the rice is supposed to have a little bit of a bite (it shouldn't be too soft), but some prefer it well done. Keep it for another 5 minutes if you prefer it soft. Add the vinegar (if using) and cheese. Increase heat to dry of excess liquid, but don't let it dry out completely.

Serve hot.

Makes enough for 2 people.

Mushroom Risotto

This turned out to be a nice and easy Sunday lunch with some beer!

Ingredients:
1 large onion, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbsps butter
3-4 tbsps white wine (since I didn't have any, I used whiskey - single malt)
1 cup arborio rice (or any other medium grain rice)
handful of mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/2 cup Parmesan (or any other hard cheese)
Seasoning
2 cups water (room temperature)

Heat the butter on a saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and leave on low for 10-15 minutes for the onion to caramelize. Add the mushrooms. Once it starts to wilt, add the rice and saute. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate. Next, add the water and cover for 10 minutes on medium heat. When the water has almost been absorbed, add the seasoning. Don't dry out the risotto. Top it up with cheese. I prefer the rice not too soft, so 10-12 minutes is perfect cooking time. If you prefer it mushy, then leave it on for 5 more minutes. And done!

Carrots and Beetroot Risotto

I usually like all types of vegetables and fruits. Bitter gourd and beets are the exception most of the times. Although I have found ways that I can eat beets, bitter gourd still remains a challenge!

Here's another healthy, and very edible, beet recipe, a slight modification from the earlier version.

You'll need:

3 small carrots

2 beets
2 tbsp Olive oil

1 cup (uncooked) Arborio rice (or any medium-grain rice)

1 large onion peeled and chopped

2-3 tbsps butter

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup red/white wine

2 cups (approximately) water or chicken/veg stock

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese + some more for garnish (Parmesan is recommended because of its strong flavour, but I've used Gouda or even Cheddar and liked the result)

Seasoning to taste

Bake the carrots and beets with some olive oil at 200 deg C for about 30 minutes. Once cool, peel and puree them in a mixer. If you don't have an oven, just boil them in some water till semi-cooked. If you put a knife through it, there should be some resistance. Keep aside.

In a deep pan on medium heat, pour the butter. When hot, add the garlic and onions. Stir for a minute and put it on low heat for another 5 minutes. Once the onions start to caramelize a little, increase the heat to medium-high and add the rice and roast for about a minute. Add the beets and carrot. Then add the wine and stir a little till the liquid is absorbed. 

Now add 1 cup of the water or stock. Stir a little and let the water get absorbed by the rice. Once the rice has taken in most of the water, add another half a cup of water/stock and stir a little to release the starch from the rice. 

Depending on the consistency, add or subtract the amount of water/stock being used. Add some salt and pepper and the Parmesan cheese. Check the rice if it's done - it should be firm and not be too soggy. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with some grated Parmesan.

Masala Rice

Entering the kitchen in the summer, or worse, humid monsoons is not something I look forward to. I keep looking for one-dish meals that are quick and easy to make. This rice was a desperate effort to finish with my cooking in 10 minutes...and it worked.

I already had some cooked rice...but it takes just 10 minutes to make it in the microwave if it's not ready.

In a hot saucepan:
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
2-3 crushed garlic
1 large onion

Once the onion starts to brown slightly, add

1 large chopped tomato and let it cook.

Once the liquid from the tomato had been absorbed, add
1tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp chilli powder

Cook this for 2 minutes, then add
1 cup of chopped mix vegetables (carrots, peas, beans, cauliflower)

Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes then add 2 cups of cooked rice and seasoning.
Cover and leave for 5 minutes.

Top with some chopped fresh coriander.