How to Cook Sweet Carrot Risotto
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients needed to make Sweet Carrot Risotto:
For the carrot puree:
- 12 oz carrots, peeled and chopped into ½’’ dices
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups water
For the broth:
- 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 medium celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ lb carrots, chopped into large pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
For the risotto:
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 12 oz carrots, peeled and shredded
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking instructions for Sweet Carrot Risotto:
- To puree the carrots, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and stir in a dash of salt until it dissolves.
- Drop the carrot chunks into it and continue to boil for 4 minutes or until they are just cooked.
- Drain them out into a blender, using slotted spoon and pour in ¾ cup of the cooking water into it.
- Pulse them into a smooth, semi-thick puree and set aside.
- To make the broth, dump all its ingredients into the saucepan with rest of the cooking water and place a lid on top.
- Bring it to a boil over high flame and then bring it down to a simmer.
- Remove the lid and continue to simmer over slow flame for 30 minutes or until the flavours are infuses into the cooking liquid.
- Tip the contents of the saucepan into a colander to strain and pour the strained liquid back into a larger saucepan.
- Bring it to a gentle simmer over slow flame to keep warm.
- To cook the risotto, heat the measured oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat until it shimmers and throw in the garlic, onions well as chopped thyme.
- Season with a pinch of salt and fair amount of ground pepper, stir to mix well and sauté for 4-5 minutes while stirring often, until the onions soften.
- Dump the rice into it, along with a tsp of salt and continue to stir fry for a minute or until the rice starts popping.
- Pour in a splash of wine and cook for a minute, while stirring regularly, until it is cooked off.
- Stir in the shredded carrots until well combined and cook further for 45 seconds or until the carrots begins to turn limp.
- Pour in 2/3 cup warm broth, stir and cook for 10 minutes or until all of the cooking liquid ebbs away.
- Continue to cook the rice likewise, while adding 2/3 cup broth every 10 minutes, while stirring often, until rice is softens
- Fold in the carrot puree until well coated and adjust the seasonings as required.
- Continue to cook until most of the liquid oozing out from the puree is absorbed.
- Add splashes of the broth from time to time for another 10 minutes, while cooking until the rice is tender but doesn’t turn mushy.
- Stir in a splash of lemon juice and grated cheese until mixed well and dot with butter.
- Serve warm.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
