Warm food that will put your heart at ease - Red cabbage Risotto

A Risotto is a perfect match for a rainy day . This warm bowl of goodness is pretty much what any food lover would kill for & infused together with red cabbage extract and some red wine this dish has a beautiful nutty flavor and a striking lavender color to it .When done correctly , a risotto is rich in itself and is made right , without the use of any excess fat or cheese. Let me share with you that the perfect risotto takes some time to learn and I too , like many home cooks , have had my phase of going overboard with the cooking of the rice and overloading the dish with excess cheese . With time and practice , i learned that the creaminess of a risotto , unlike a pasta , come's from the rice starch and not from the cheese .

''The type of rice is a key component of risotto. The best Arborio risotto rice substitutes are any other high-starch variety or small grain rice . Avoid any long-grain rice varieties like basmati etc ,as these will not result in a creamy risotto''

To start with , making a risotto is a slow cook and constant stirring of the rice with small portions of stock is the main step . The starch in the risotto rice needs to combine slowly with the stock and therefore , you need to allow it to cook in stages . If you add in all of the stock at once , you will just be boiling the rice and not get the creamy starch going at all . So add more stock , only once the rice has absorbed everything and slowly , you will see the starch creaming up . The key , is to also to keep the rice al -dente and only christen the risotto with the cheese / protein / veges in the end and not use it in the cooking process . Let me take you through today's Mid week special :

''Italian chefs spend exactly 16 minutes focusing just on feeding the risotto with stock or water, eyeing the rice while it simmers to ensure that the liquid is slowly plumping the grains rather than quickly drying them out. As with pasta, al dente is key to this Italian style of cooking - Food & Wine Magazine ''

Things you will need ( Makes Risotto for 02 adults )

• 01 cup of red cabbage extract ( Prepared by blending 1/2 red cabbage head with 01 tsp red / white vinegar and passing it through a sieve )

• 1/3 cup of red wine

• 1 and 1/2 cup of risotto rice or any other small grain rice

• 02 cups of chicken / vegetable stock

• 01 small onion - finely chopped

• 01 tbsp vegetable oil

• 02 tsp garlic powder

• 02 tbsp Parmesan cheese

• 01 tbsp peas

• 01 chicken breast , cut into bite sized pieces and saute'd in a pan with some butter and seasoning .

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 01 tsp fresh cream- optional

Steps to follow

• In a sauce pan , heat the oil & add in the onions - saute for 1 min till transparent .

• Next , add in the risotto rice and saute for 01 - 02 sec .

• At this point , pour in the red wine and stir , allowing the rice and onion to absorb the red wine. Next , add in one cup of stock ( just enough to cover the rice ) and keep stirring continuously .

• Repeat pouring the remaining cup of stock , over the next 10 mins - refilling every time the stock has evaporated itself. Post 10 mins , check the doneness of the rice : same needs to be al-dente and creamy in texture. At this point , add in the red- cabbage extract as the last addition and cook for another 5-8 mins .

• Remove from the gas.

• Add in the garlic powder , cream , peas , chicken chunks and mix everything well .

• Plate the risotto and top with Parmesan cheese - enjoy hot !