This is a recipe for Kabocha Squash Risotto. It’s vegan and gluten free, which are two things that make it popular with people who have dietary restrictions. But the best part about this dish is how easy it is to make! You don’t need any special skills or equipment to cook it up – just follow these simple steps and you’ll be enjoying your meal in no time at all.
Step one: Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan and turn the stove on medium heat. Add an onion, two cloves of garlic (grated or finely minced), salt, pepper, celery seeds, sage leaves (fresh if you have them but dried is just fine!), thyme leaves and parsley to your pan and cook for five minutes stirring every once in awhile with a wooden spoon. Uncover during this step so that your vegetables saute nicely without getting stuck to the bottom!
Step two: Once all those veggies are cooked up nice and soft it’s time to add some squash puree! You can buy pre-made puree at many grocery stores right now because kabocha squash is a popular trend! If you make your own, just cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Then bake it at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until soft enough to mash with a fork.
Step three: Add some of that puree to your pan along with butter (another tablespoon), then stir throughly and let cook on low heat for another five minutes or so before adding rice- start by tasting the risotto as you go because every stove is different and what might be perfect for one person might not work well for someone else. Rice should absorb all of this liquid, but if there’s still too much–add more water/veggie broth mixture! Don’t forget salt & pepper during this step either 😉
And that’s it–kabocha squash risotto should be ready in about 45 minutes, or an hour if you’re a little more patient 😉 And remember to save some leftovers for tomorrow! This recipe will make four servings. Enjoy the taste of fall!
What does each ingredient bring to the mix?
Kabocha squash: It is a Japanese winter squash with an orange flesh. You will find it at Asian markets, Whole Foods Market and farmer’s markets in the US. The kabocha has less moisture than other squashes so you won’t have to worry about cooking too long or adding lots of liquid as the risotto cooks. Kabochas are sweet but can be bland if not roasted first.
Arborio rice: This variety of Italian short-grained white rice from Lombardy produces creamier grains when cooked because they stay more separate after boiling than typical medium-grain white rice does; this makes them perfect for creamy risottos like this one! Arborio also absorbs flavors better than other types of rice.
Shallots: Shallots are a type of onion with a milder flavor than yellow or white onions and they’re sold loose in most grocery stores because their papery skin doesn’t need to be peeled off before using like the other two varieties do.
Parmesan cheese: This is an Italian hard, granular cheese made from cow’s milk that has been aged for at least 12 months. Parmesan melts beautifully and its taste becomes more complex as it ages so don’t use anything less if you can help it! You will find this readily available in your local supermarket but look for imported brands rather than domestic ones when possible; imports often have higher quality standards (including how long the product has been aged).
Additional tips:
-If you have a rice cooker, this recipe is perfect for it. Just add the ingredients (except butter) and cook until done as directed by your specific machine’s instructions.
-Do not use pre-cooked or precooked brown rice
– if you don’t want to go through all of the steps below, we recommend buying some whole grain short-grain white rice to make risotto with instead.
-It will take an hour in a standard oven at 400 degrees. Covering them halfway through cooking can help reduce stirring time but may result in unevenly cooked vegetables; testing periodically is recommended. Cooked squash should still be firm when pierced with knife or skewer – overcooking will produce mushy results!
-If you are using fresh spinach, cook it first until wilted as the recipe does not need to be cooked.
-This dish can also be made vegan by substituting coconut oil for butter and a vegetable broth, such as Better Than Bullion No Chicken Base or Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon