Cooking Chocolate Risotto with Ranveer Brar

It is unfortunate that I have not been able to attend much sessions during ‘The Food Book Club’, mainly because I was travelling for most part of the year or was busy with prior appointments.  But this time, I made sure that I would cancel all the appointments and would attend the session with Ranveer Brar, and I am glad I did.

It was interesting to listen to his food stories while he demonstrated his favourite  Chocolate Risotto with Spiced Candied Oranges, the recipe of which appears in his book called ‘Come into My Kitchen’ on page 161.

Now Risotto is a creamy, hearty rice dish made with short grained Italian rice. The rice itself is starchy enough to thicken and create its own sauce.

Short grain rice such as Aroborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano or Baldo can be used for making risotto. It comes in various forms and is uually very pale in color, stubby and smooth in texture. Grains range in length from commune, to semifino, fino and superfino, which is the longest. The nature of the grains also varies from region to region. Long grain rice should be avoided. Semi-round risotto rice absorbs liquids and flavours, it releases starch far better that gives risotto its characteristic texture.

Many times that I have dined in any Italian restaurant, I have always had savoury and delicious risotto with most exotic veggies and cheese but today Ranveer was to demonstrate a dessert version, adding chocolate and candied fruit, so this was something new I was to learn.

He did not soak the rice but simply rinsed and started cooking.

He heated butter, added ginger, sautéed a bit then added rice and started gently mixing it, till it room was filled with nutty aroma.

One ladle at a time, he started to pour warm milk allowing the rice to absorb each ladle of milk before adding  another ladle again. He described that as meditative way of cooking. He kept stirring till creamy.

While the rice was being cooked, there was lot of discussion on different types of sweet rice made in Indian kitchens, that we are familiar with. I am sure sweet rice is made in many homes (although not risotto) I remember my mom used to make sweet rice during festivals, adding saffron strands and cardamom. (I can still recollect that taste, although I have not had that for a long time) ..sugar is always added last because it retards the cooking time.

Since it was chocolate risotto, he added dark and white grated chocolates, stirred it till it melted and was well combined with the rice.

There are so many ways of making risotto. Till you get a glaze, the rice is not done. You have to keep stirring because risotto that sticks and burns has to be one of the saddest mishaps. It has to be stirred often, but not constantly to release the grains’ natural starches.

Remove from heat and transfer into plate and serve hot. With every minute the taste changes, therefore it should be served immediately.

Recipe as it appears in Ranveer Brar’s book

Ingredients

For the Oranges

6 oranges large

1 cup castor sugar

1 cup water, boiling hot

1 cinnamon stick

2 mace flowers

For the Risotto

1 cup arborio rice

1tbsp butter

1tsp ginger

3 cups milk, warm

½ cup dark chocolate, grated

¼ cup white chocolate, grated

1tsp mascarpone

Method

For the Oranges

Zest the oranges into thin, long strands, set aside

Then neatly cut out the orange segments

Simmer the zest in boiling water for 2 minutes, then set aside.

Melt the sugar in a wide, heavy-based steel pan on moderate heat

Once the sugar is caramelised to the hazelnut brown, pour the hot water into the pan.

Drop in the blanched shreds of orange zest and spice and leave it to simmer for 5-10 minutes till the zest is translucent.

Pour hot syrup and shred over the orange segments and leave it to cool

For the Risotto.

Heat the butter in the pan

Once it melts, add the chopped ginger and saute for a  minute

Add the rice and gently toast till it releases a nutty aroma

Pour in the milk, one ladle at a time allowing it to absorb each ladle

Keep stirring the rice gently till it becomes creamy but the rice grains still have a bite

Gently fold in the grated dark and white chocolates and stir till it melts and is well combined

Remove from heat and set aside

Transfer in pasta plate

Arrange candied oranges over it and place a quenelle of mascarpone on the side. Serve immediately.

Celebrating Mumbai Food Bloggers' Day

So now it’s official. November 6^th is declared as ‘Mumbai Food Blogger Day’. I am not sure what we will do on this day next year, or the year there after, but this year is celebrated by getting together at Khana Khazana studio to share the food knowledge with Sanjeev Kapoor at his Dhalia Estate at Versova.

Most of the Mumbai food blogger I know are through social media, and I do meet them regularly online, sharing thoughts and ideas, but meeting personally is a different experience. There is so much excitement and happiness around, each one is anxious to share their food experience. Some of them are great cooks, some good food-photographers, some good food critics and some just enjoy eating food. Just listening to their conversation, reveals  new strands of knowledge I often pick up to taste. This was a special meet, during this meet, all eyes are focused on Sanjeev, because we were to learn from experienced chef who has come a long way.

While sipping coffee, I look around the FoodFoodStudio that has interesting stuff. My thoughts begin to run. Maybe, I need this pasta machine, maybe, I too could set my kitchen shelf like this, I don’t like this color of the wall, brick ethnic look is not my taste, I would do this arrangement differently, various such thoughts float into visual arena of my mind while I survey each section.

The cooking station is all set with the ingredients that are required during the cooking session. There are serving plates and great variety of glasses of different shapes and sizes. Two bloggers volunteer to cook Rissotto and other two bloggers volunteer to cook stuffed Gahlawat kababs. All the ingredients are there, neatly placed in small bowl, the resulting dish would depend upon the creativity used by each blogger.

“Cooking is all about having fun with ingredients, one must just know the science of cooking” says Sanjeev Kapoor and thus begins the long chat by Sanjeev K, while the food bloggers are busy creating a dish.

It is an informative discussion.

 Did you know that salt, not the sugar, is the real cause of diabetes? I didn’t know. We can take care of our diet if we know the ingredients and their context during cooking. We normally associate ingredients with the dish, for example, we associate saffron with sweet dish, bay leaves with Biryani, It is important to know each ingredient by itself, remember its’ basic taste, and know its reaction during cooking. Except for salt, sugar, water and chilies (which has to be just right) all other ingredients can manipulated. Experimenting with ingredients brings in new taste.  If the dish goes wrong, don’t admit it, present as a new dish. Smart cooking is not about cooking complicated dishes, but it is about cooking with the first instinct that comes with the visual taste and doing the unexpected. It is easy to blend into the crowd, but to stand out, one has to do unexpected. You may be average cook but the most important part of your cooking is your presentation of the finished dish.

The kitchen begin to come alive with aroma distracting me from this conversation, and I look behind to see Harsha tossing the mushrooms in a pan. The Rissotto is served in the dish and she tosses the mushrooms on the rice and garnishes it with herbs.

Gahlawat kababs are ready too. They are stuffed with dry fruits. The green chutney looks yum!

But wait…..its time for presentation and surprises.

Sanjeev K walks behind the cooking station and bring out puffed puris. I watch in wonder, while he stuffs the puris with Risotto and places it on the top of tiny glass filled with tomato and mint soup (cooked earlier). How do you eat that? Simple.  a bite into the puri and a sip of tomato soup.

Innovative creation!

Next he prepares the buttermilk, adds mint and squeezes lime. Hmmn,! an experiment perhaps? He pours again into tiny glasses and covers it with the puri stuffed with Gahlawat kabab. This is new for me. Reluctantly, I stretch my hand to try the buttermilk mixed with squeezed lime.

It tastes good.

I am surprised.

The mood is set. I am now interested in what next he has up his sleeve?

He melts the chocolates in micro-oven, beats it and mixes it with cream. In another bowl, he mashes the motichoor laddoos, and mixes with the chocolate cream mixture. The mixture acquires a different texture of glossy brown pearls. In goes this mixture into another puri to be placed on another tiny glass containing the milkshake made from chocolates, coffee, milk and Vanilla ice-cream.

Stomach begins to growl.

Feasting the eyes is not enough, taste I must. Actually I am hungry. I take small bite and wait till the photo session ends.

image by: Sanjeev Kapoor

It is time to splurge on feast. The table is dressed with Thali Peeth with Kharda (chutney), American corn sevpuri, Tikka pita paneer, Tikka pita Chicken as starters. For Mains its Khullad Briyani (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) Mirchi ka sallan, Lulla Mussa Dhal with brown rice and for dessert there is Jamun Bappa Doi and Motichoor Golgappa expresso.

Goodbyes are made with impressive take-away gift that includes on ornamental diya, a jar of Pineapple and Raisin chutney and a personalized Rissotto recipe written in gold on a velvet frame.

A gentle note to PR if they reading this: 

Food bloggers are the group of people who have passion for food and writing, They love to write about food and share their experiences. They are NOT freeloader who are looking for free meals or for food discounts to promote your brand. Please do not appraoch them with a nice juicy carrot, asking them to review, invite them if you must, but only if you appreciate their love for food and understand their passion for writing.

Vegetarian Risotto

Italian Restaurants are good for Pizzas or Pastas. I am happy to munch on garlic bread and try few starters with assorted sauces and pesto’s.

But I have never really relished risotto because I find them too bland and too rich with butter and cheese. I have seen people dumping various sauces to improve its taste, to suit their palate, but eventually, destroying the authenticity of a real risotto dish.

A properly cooked risotto is normally rich and creamy, still has some resistance or bite and should have separate grains. Its’ traditional texture is fairly fluid but still not too watery like a broth. It is served on a flat dish and it should easily spread out but should not have excess watery liquid around the perimeter.

The rice that is used in this recipe is short-grained type which has good absorbing properties, has an ability to release starch to make it stickier than the normal rice, giving it a creamier effect.

Italians use rice like carnaroli because this variety of rice keeps its shape better than other forms of rice during the slow cooking, that is required for making risotto .

For me, a rich dish is rich if it contains not only assorted vegetables but also the right quantity of cheese and olive oil. A tasty dish for me is one that is spicy too. 

Normally, in a traditional risotto, they use wine and vegetable/meat stock to cook rice, but I have not used wine, (wanted to make it completely vegetarian) and also have used vegetable stock ‘cubes’ instead of vegetable stock that they normally make.

Oh! And yes, I love green chilies.

Since no restaurant will serve me the way I like, I prefer making it on my own.

What you need to prepare before cooking

As usual, chop all the vegetables required for this dish and bring out all the other ingredients from shelves or fridge or wherever you have stored them......

5-6 garlic pods, 

1/2 inch ginger, 

2 green chilies, 

1 vegetable stock cube, 

1 cup rice.

2 tbsp olive oil

5-6 mushrooms, 

1 carrot, 

1 medium green capsicum, 

1 medium Zacchini, 

1 medium red capsicum, 

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1 tsp 5-spice-powder

1 tsp red chilly flakes

1 tbsp black pepper sauce

10-12 olives, 

1 cup grated cheese,

So now that you are ready, lets begin.

Step 1

Pound garlic, ginger and green chilies in the mortar

Step 2

Fry the garlic, ginger and chili in olive oil

Step 3

Add rice and vegetable stock cube and toast it well

Step 4

Add water, let it cook on slow flame.

Step 5

In a separate pan, stir fry vegetables in olive oil 

Step 6

Add basil leaves, red chilly flakes, 5 spice powder, black pepper sauce and salt.

Step 7

Transfer the stir fried veggies into the rice pan

Step 8

Mix it well and add 1 more cup of water and let it cook till the rice is tender.

Step 8

Remove from flame and add grated cheese and chopped olives, mix it well.

It must be eaten at once as it continues to cook in its own heat and can become too dry with the grains too soft.

Hope you like it. I had made chilies in vinegar, which tasted quite good when I sprinkled on it.