I love risotto- it appeals to the khichdi lover in me. Arborio rice is fabulous for kheer and khichdi and all kinds of soupy rice dishes. My risotto “ah ha” moment came after I read a blog post on serious eats which talked about the fact that stirring continuously and using hot broth are both unnecessary. Since then risotto and me are very simpatico. Here in this recipe I use the trinity (as it’s called in Cajun cooking) of onions, garlic and peppers in place of the traditional onion, celery, garlic

Here is my recipe for risotto with butternut squash which is the king of the pumpkin family as far as I am concerned.

1 medium butternut squash- peeled and cubed into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion – finely chopped
half a green pepper – finely chopped
2 gloves of garlic- finely chopped
5 quarts veg stock – I used a store one which is actually as good as my homemade stock
1 cup arborio rice
one splash of wine
olive oil and butter- 2 tsp
quarter cup parmesan cheese- grated

Heat oven to 400 degrees F, toss the squash with salt, pepper and olive oil and roast till pale brown and soft (around 20-25 min)

In a skillet, add butter and some olive oil, sweat the onions, garlic and peppers for 10-15 minutes until soft and just starting to brown. Add the arborio rice and after toasting it for a few minutes, add the wine (I used vermouth- I was out of white wine). When the liquid has evaporated, add the stock all at once. Keep at a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Make sure the liquid doesn’t run out. Good risotto needs to be soupy.

At the end, add the roasted squash, top with parmesan and add a knob of butter.
Some people add a dash of cream to their dish- I do it occasionally -it does taste good.

I like this risotto with some Shiraz (but my desi taste buds like Shiraz with everything)