Brown Rice Risotto with Chicken and Mushroom

Brown Rice Risotto with Chicken and Mushroom

Italian cuisine is not just about pasta and pizza, it's also about Risotto and Polenta. Well, Polenta I haven’t explored yet but wish to do that soon too.😊 Risotto is one of their staple dishes, just like paella for Spain or khichdi for us. It wouldn’t be wrong if I say, it's an Italian version of our very humble khichdi.  A simple one-pot meal with mild flavors but bountiful of taste.

My style of cooking is often inspired however, I like to give it my own version and touch. I do like to explore new ingredients and bring out unique flavors but at the same time, I also vouch for local ingredients. Risotto has that creamier texture and is authentically made with Arborio, but since Arborio isn’t readily available in India, I experimented with the dish with brown rice, and well the taste and texture were pretty close and we enjoyed it thoroughly.

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Servings: 2-3 persons

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice soaked for 2 hours
• 4 cups vegetable/chicken stock
• ¼ cup white wine(optional)
• 200 gms mushroom sliced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 200 gms boneless chicken diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves minced
• Mixed dried herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary)
• ½ cup grated cheese (parmesan or any) and some more for garnishing
• 1 tbsp butter+1 tbsp olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper and salt for seasoning

Instructions:

• Wash and soak the rice for a minimum of 2 hours.
• Heat butter and oil in a heavy skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and lightly sauté.
• When the onions are translucent, add the diced chicken pieces and sauté it well. Let it cook for a few minutes and toss it occasionally.
• Next add the sliced mushroom, salt, and pepper seasoning and sauté for a minute or two.
• Add the wine and let it simmer until most of it is soaked up. Adding wine is completely optional and it can be skipped. Replace the wine with more stock if needed.
• Add the soaked rice and mix well. Add about a cup of the vegetable or chicken stock and stir the ingredients. Cover and cook while stirring it occasionally. Add more stock and stir. Continue cooking and adding more stock until the rice is cooked and has soaked up most of the liquid. The stock needs to be added in stages, one cup at a time. This allows the rice to release the starch and give the sticky creamy texture.
• In case the stock is over and the risotto is still thick and the rice uncooked then add water until you get a thick creamy texture.
• Finish the risotto by adding the dried herbs and the cheese. The texture of the risotto needs to be creamy and sticky not dry or runny.
• Transfer to serving bowls or plates, garnish with more cheese and serve immediately.

Tips:

• Using wine in this dish is optional and can be skipped.
• Fresh herbs can be used instead of dried herbs if, available.
• Parmesan cheese can be replaced with cheddar or processed cheese too.
• Soaking brown rice is a must as the cooking time of brown rice is longer, soaking it quickens the process.
• The vegetable or chicken stock should be piping hot.