My mom has struggled with making me eat certain vegetables, beets being one of them. In my defence, she just gave me plain sliced boiled beetroots and I downright refused to eat it. And now to adult, I try and incorporate beets in dishes, the best way I can.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Medium Sized Onion, Finely Chopped
- 3-4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 2 Cups Arborio Rice/ You Can Substitute It with Pearl Barley Too
- 1 ½ Cup of Beetroot Puree (Blend Boiled Beetroot)
- 8 Cups of Vegetable Stock/ Or Water
- 1/4 Cup Cream
- Chopped Parsley, To Garnish
- Ricotta Cheese/ Or Feta Cheese/ Or Crumbled Paneer, To Garnish
- Salt & Pepper, To Taste Process
Preparation
Prep: 20 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
- You can start making this risotto by sautéing onions in a wide heavy-bottomed pan along with olive oil till the onions turn translucent. Add garlic and cook till it is softened.
- Add arborio rice/ pearl barley and toss to coat it with oil. Do so for a couple of minutes, till the rice turns toasty.
- Then add beetroot puree and cook it for two minutes.
- Slowly begin to incorporate the vegetable stock or water in parts (till the liquid is absorbed) and keep on stirring in a circular motion. Add another ladle full of vegetable stock only after water on the pan is fully absorbed. Do this until the rice is cooked and there isn’t a bite to it. Make sure that the risotto isn’t too thick. Adjust the consistency by adding in more water, if required.
- Lastly, stir in cream and check for seasoning.
- Remove off the heat and add the butter. Butter is generally added to a Risotto at the end to “finish it off”; adding butter at the end ensures that the risotto absorbs the buttery flavour.
- Serve hot. Garnish it with Ricotta cheese and fresh parsley, or any fresh herb that is available on hand.
