Beetroot Risotto

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


  1. 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.
  2. Add arborio rice/ pearl barley and toss to coat it with oil. Do so for a couple of minutes, till the rice turns toasty.
  3. Then add beetroot puree and cook it for two minutes.
  4. 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.
  5. Lastly, stir in cream and check for seasoning.
  6. 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.
  7. Serve hot. Garnish it with Ricotta cheese and fresh parsley, or any fresh herb that is available on hand.

Watch