RECIPE ~ Brown Rice Risotto with Asparagus

Traditonal risotto is made using arborio rice, which is white and glutinous and produces a very creamy rice dish. The trick to making a creamy and tasty brown rice risotto is to use short grain rice and lots of veggie stock. Pictured here with a spinach salad topped with sauteed apples.

3/4 cup short grain brown rice
2 cups vegetable or mushroom stock
1 Tbsp each butter (or ghee) and olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
black pepper
grated parmesan or reggiano cheese

In a medium, heavy pot, heat the butter and olive oil. Add onions, garlic and red pepper flakes, sauteeing until soft. Stir in rice, basil and half the stock. Let simmer covered on medium for 20 minutes, then add remaining stock plus asparagus. Stir well, cover, and let cook until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is creamy (not firm or dry), about another half hour. If needed, cook in another 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup of stock to reach the right consistency. Stir in parmesan to taste and grind in some black pepper. Serves 2.

NOTE: Ayurvedically, cheese is not recommended as it is difficult to digest, but it also purports that black pepper helps make it more digestible.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
Great for all doshas. Pittas, omit or minimize garlic, dride basil, and red pepper flakes; Kaphas, omit or reduce butter and oil to 1 tsp each.