Risotto / Millet Risotto

07 Apr Risotto / Millet Risotto

Risotto is an all-time Italian classic rice dish cooked with special rice called Arborio rice -the short-grained, high-starch rice. I have tweaked it to make it a desi version. I have replaced High starch rice with healthy millet.

Risotto is normally cooked in butter, white wine with onion and garlic. It is a dish that is often associated with fancy high-end restaurants, where it is served heavily loaded with cheese. In reality, it’s a staple in Italy, their daily comfort food and so traditional risotto does not have too much cheese. Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy even if no cream is added, due to the starch in the grains.

Here’s the closest cousin of the original version. Healthier version.

For the Risotto:
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ cup barnyard millet
2 cups water
2 tablespoon Vegan Parmesan cheese*
1 tablespoon any nut butter (optional)

For the Vegetables:
½ cup zucchini cut into cubes
½ cup bell peppers chopped (red & yellow)
½ cup broccoli cut into small florets
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
½ tsp pepper powder
½ tsp salt

Risotto:
In a heavy bottomed pan add 1 tsp olive oil, sauté the onions for a minute, add the garlic and sauté till onions are translucent. Do not brown. Add sautéed onion and garlic to the washed barnyard millet and add 2 cups water / vegetable stock (if you have). Cook as per your convenience. I normally steam cook the millets to retain most of the nutrients. It can be pressure cooked or boiled directly.

Vegetables:
In the heavy bottomed skillet add broccoli & zucchini and sauté till they brown a little. Add the bell peppers and sauté a little more. Vegetables should remain crunchy. Add salt, pepper powder and chilli flakes. You can add 1 tsp olive oil, if you desire.
OR
Mix the vegetables with 1 tsp olive oil and salt and bake in an oven @ 180˚for 20 minutes. Add chilli flakes and pepper powder.

Serving:
Once the millet is cooked, add the nut butter and vegan Parmesan cheese and mix well. The mixture should be lumpy. If it is not, add hot water, cook further to make it lumpy. Add the veggies, mix well.

Serve hot.

*Vegan Parmesan cheese is available in the market. If you do not find, dry roast 20 whole cashews in a skillet, powder with a pinch of salt, and garlic powder. If you have access to nutritional yeast powder, add 1 tsp, else skip it.  Make sure it’s a coarse powder. This is the closest substitution.