Curry Risotto
Ingredients:
- 1 cup risotto rice
- 3-4 cups vegetable stock
-
2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 150 g zucchini
- 0,5 bell pepper
- 0,5 onion
- a pinch of sea salt
-
a pinch of black pepper
-
a pinch of savory
-
0,5 teaspoon curry
- chives
Buy The inspiration for this recipe comes from Italian cuisine, but it has been enriched with a hint of oriental spices. The addition of curry gives the risotto not only a beautiful color, but also a wonderful flavor. Curry consists mainly of turmeric, known for its numerous health-promoting properties, including boosting the immune system, which is especially important in the autumn and winter seasons. It is definitely worth using it as much as possible in your kitchen (I wrote more about turmeric and other healthy spices in the post on spices and herbs in the kitchen).
Preparing the dish requires a bit of patience but the final result is definitely worth it 🙂
Preparation
I heated the coconut oil in a frying pan and sautéed the chopped onion. Next, I added pressed garlic, the rice and fried it all for about 2 minutes, stirring all the time. I poured in 100 ml of the broth, stirred it and simmered. When the rice absorbed all the liquid, I added another portion of broth.
I added sliced zucchini and diced pepper along with the last portion of the broth. I fried the dish for about 3 more minutes. At the end, I seasoned the dish with spices and set it aside for about 4 minutes with the lid on.
I sprinkled the risotto with chopped chives before serving. Enjoy! 🙂
Why the broth goes in a ladle at a time
This is the part that takes the patience the recipe warns about, and it is the whole technique. Risotto rice releases starch only when it is stirred in a small amount of hot liquid; flood the pan and the starch stays inside the grain, leaving you with boiled rice in soup rather than a creamy risotto. So add roughly 100 ml, stir until the pan is almost dry, then add the next portion.
Two details make it easier. Keep the stock hot in a second pan, because cold liquid stops the cooking each time you add it and the rice cooks unevenly. And do not rinse the rice beforehand: the starch on the surface is exactly what you are trying to release.
When to add the vegetables and the curry
The courgette and pepper go in with the last portion of broth, not at the beginning, which is why they keep some bite instead of dissolving into the rice. Three minutes is enough for both.
The curry goes in at the end, off the strongest heat. Ground spices turn bitter and dusty when they fry, and turmeric in particular stains everything it touches, so stirring it through at the end gives you the colour without the sharpness. The four minutes under the lid afterwards are not idle time: the rice finishes softening in its own steam and the dish settles to the consistency it will have on the plate.
How to tell it is done, and what to change
Taste a grain rather than watching the clock. It should be soft with the faintest firmness left in the middle, and the risotto should spread slowly when you tilt the pan rather than standing in a mound. If it has gone stiff, a last splash of hot stock brings it back.
Any short-grain rice works if you cannot find risotto rice, and savory can be swapped for thyme or oregano. Risotto does not keep well, so make what you will eat: the rice keeps absorbing liquid in the fridge and turns dense overnight. If you would rather have dinners like this one planned for the week with a shopping list, that is what the Diet & Training by Ann app does.
Curry risotto with courgette and pepper
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and saute the chopped onion.
- Add the pressed garlic and the rice and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Pour in 100 ml of hot stock, stir and simmer until the rice has absorbed it, then add the next portion. Repeat until the rice is nearly soft.
- Add the sliced zucchini and diced pepper with the last portion of stock and cook for about 3 more minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, savory and curry off the strongest heat.
- Set the pan aside with the lid on for about 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped chives before serving.
Notes
Frequently asked questions
Because risotto rice releases its starch only when it is stirred in a small amount of hot liquid. Flood the pan and the starch stays inside the grain, which leaves boiled rice in soup rather than a creamy risotto. Add about 100 ml, stir until the pan is nearly dry, then add the next portion.
Yes, keep it hot in a second pan. Cold liquid stops the cooking each time it goes in and the rice ends up cooked unevenly.
No. The starch on the surface of the grain is exactly what makes the dish creamy, so rinsing it off works against the method.
The courgette and pepper go in with the last portion of stock and need about three minutes, which is what keeps some bite in them. The curry goes in at the end, off the strongest heat, because ground spices turn bitter and dusty when they fry.
Taste a grain rather than watching the clock: soft with the faintest firmness left in the middle. The risotto should spread slowly when you tilt the pan rather than stand in a mound, and a last splash of hot stock loosens it if it has gone stiff. Dinners like this one come planned for the week with a shopping list in the Diet & Training by Ann app.
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