Memories of a Risotto

Goa is a funny place. With so many beaches and resorts, you would think it would be all calm and serene. But every time I head out there, I find myself in the middle of one big party. Now I'm usually the one to tag along with the group to whichever nightlife spot they are headed to, but I find it much harder to find food I can enjoy. After all, all the beach shacks are equipped to cook and sell seafood and a vegetarian dish is a rarity in Goan cuisine. So on one of the trips to Goa, I found myself in an Italian restaurant called Italie, just down the road from Baga Beach (it's now closed and has been replaced with a Russian restaurant). The hour was late, I was hungry and a tomato risotto seemed like a logical choice. It was the kind of comfort food that lingers in your memory long after you are back from the trip and finally, last night, I decided to recreate it.

The starting point was the tomato sauce I made a few days back. In addition to measuring out half a cup of tomato sauce, I defrosted a cup and a half of mushroom stock (but water will do if you don't have any stock at hand). I also roughly chopped 7-8 pitted olives and cut about 50 grams of mozzarella into cubes.

First step, heat the stock or water in a saucepan until it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and leave it to simmer. In another pan, heat a tbsp. of olive oil. Add 1/2 cup Arborio rice and stir until the oil coats the rice. Now add the tomato sauce and mix well with the rice. Next, add enough stock to cover the rice. In a few minutes, once some of the stock has evaporated and you can see the rice again, add more stock. Keep adding the stock gradually until the rice is cooked though but still has a bite to it. Add the olives and the cubed cheese and let cook for another couple of minutes. Top with parmesan cheese when serving.

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