My friend Anshu Sethi makes the best Risotto.  Its light and perfectly cooked.  Anshu’s method is simple and easy to make at any given night.  She says its comfort food at her house and shared with us steps on how to cook the rice slowly to get the perfect texture.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup arborio rice

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup zucchini, chopped

1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 tbsp mascarpone cheese or heavy cream

1 cup vegetable stock (optional)

1 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Step 1

Prepare few hours before serving, in a medium sauce pan heat the olive oil and saute finely chopped garlic, arborio rice and vegetables (onions, bell peppers, and zucchini) for 2-3 minutes and put it aside.

Step 2

Start cooking the rice mixture in 1/2 cup of vegetable stock or water at a time (15 minutes before serving/eating).  Add more water or vegetable stock slowly (5-6 times) until the rice are cooked. Then add salt and 2 tbsp of mascarpone cheese or heavy cream and cook for another 2 minutes. Add freshly cracked black pepper and parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

Notes: Saute the rice in olive oil without washing them.