Butter, cheese and starchy rice—a recipe containing all these sinful ingredients could be anathema even for a gourmand today, leave alone the diet-conscious masses. But what would be a risotto without the creaminess of the starch, the gloss of the butter and the flavour of the cheese?
Now what if the butter was reduced and the rice was replaced with a healthier grain? Even as traditionalists gasp in horror on hearing this, chefs across the globe are doing exactly that.
Even domestic goddess Nigella Lawson has advocated reducing butter in her risottos.
Closer home, Matteo Fonatana, chef de cuisine at Delhi’s Le Cirque at the Leela Palace, takes the risotto to another level as he introduces in his new menu a recipe that has none of the heaviness associated with the dish. The scarmoza cheese instead of the usual parmesan lends a rich smoky flavour, while the barley instead of the rice makes the risotto healthier.
The butter is restrained, but it is the immaculately-diced tiny chunks of pumpkin with a bit of crunch that give the dish its lovely texture. The amaretto crumble and the micro green salad are the perfect toppings for that extra crunch, making the risotto easily one of the best you will ever encounter.
