You can take your love for brown rice a step ahead with this delicious platter of steaming risotto, by using brown rice instead of the traditional Arborio rice, making your meal healthy as well as yummy. You cannot make and keep a risotto; it has to go straight from the stove to the table. So, make sure it goes directly into the plate right after.

Risotto made with brown rice

Brown Rice Risotto  (Serves: 2)

1 tbsp olive oil; 1 small onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; ¼ cup brown rice; 1/3 cup white wine; 2 cups vegetable stock, warm; Parmesan cheese for garnishing; salt and pepper to taste; ½ cup mushrooms, chopped; sprig of fresh coriander; 25g butter

brown rice cooked to perfection!

– Heat the oil and sauté the onions till soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook till the garlic starts giving off aroma. Add the mushrooms and sauté till they turn light brown.

– If you are using quick-cooking brown rice, add it to the sautéed mushrooms now. If you are using normal brown rice, soak it for at least three hours. Toss with the mushrooms till the rice is well coated with oil.

– Now pour in the  white wine all at once and let it get absorbed by the rice.

– Continue cooking the risotto by adding the stock, one ladleful at a time and stirring well.  Once the stock is absorbed, add the next ladleful and stir.

– Check the rice to see if it is done. The rice in a risotto should not be cooked to mush, it should retain some bite, or as the Italians say, it should be al dente.

throw in some veggies to add flavor

– When the rice is done, add one last ladleful of stock ad stir till it is almost absorbed. The risotto should be a little soupy.

– Season the risotto to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to a serving plate. Grate some Parmesan cheese over the risotto, garnish with a sprig of fresh coriander and dot with some butter. Serve hot.