Cooking time: 45 mins – 60 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 250g Arborio rice
- 1 cup Frozen or fresh peas
- 1 packed cup Spinach leaves
- 20 Asparagus stalks (about 2 bunches at a supermarket)
- 700 ml Chicken and vegetable stock OR equivalent stock cubes
- 100 g Pecorino romano cheese (or medium Cheddar)
- For garnish: Mint leaves or lemon zest, Salt and pepper to taste
1. Cut off the heads of asparagus and set aside. We’ll use the stems.
2. Bring 500 ml of lightly salted water to boil.
3. Add spinach, asparagus stems and peas and boil for 10 mins or till the stems are cooked.
4. Drain the liquid into a separate bowl – we’ll use this to add more flavor to our stock.
5. Blitz the boiled asparagus, peas and spinach into a puree. If you enjoy a little more texture, mash them roughly. Either way works fine.
6. Warm up your stock. Add the boiling liquid (from step 4) to it. Gently bring to boil and keep aside.
7. Wash the rice till the water runs clear.
8. In a heavy bottomed non-stick pot, add the rice and cover with stock. Cook in medium heat.
9. Gradually keep adding stock as the rice cooks.
10. Remember to be gentle when stirring the rice, and ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the pan.
11. Half way through, add your puree to the rice and top with stock.
Tip: If you’re using a slow cooker/rice cooker/big pot, add all the stock at once. Add the puree half way through the process. This is what the lady suggested!
12. Cook till the rice becomes al-dente.
13. Roughly grate the cheese and add half of it to the risotto. Mix gently till cheese is incorporated. You can add more depending on your taste.
14. Remove from heat. Check seasoning.
15. Sauté the asparagus heads in butter and season generously.
16. Ladle onto a bowl and garnish with sautéed asparagus heads, grated cheese and chopped mint leaves (or lemon zest, both work wonderfully.)
17. Enjoy by itself or as a side to roast chicken/shallow fried sea fishes.
Recipe by: Shrutakirti Gupta