Recipe: Buckwheat Risotto with Creamy Mushroom

Relish the tantalizing flavours of a creamy risotto minus the guilt, by simply replacing it with whole buckwheat. It tastes yummy and creamy and is a treat for your taste buds. 

Tips to Remember:

Being a natural and unprocessed ingredient, buckwheat needs enough water (or stock) to cook. Make sure you add enough fluid for it to cook well and become soft.

Serves: 4 servings
Total Time: 35 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 3 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp butter 
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 1 whole cup of thinly sliced mushrooms 
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or use ½ tbsp dried thyme) 
• Salt to taste 
• Black Pepper to taste 
• 1 cup whole uncooked buckwheat
• ¼ cup fresh cream
• ½ cup grated cheese (preferably parmesan) 

Method: 

1. add the olive oil and butter to a saucepan and heat it on medium heat. Now add the garlic and stir till it is lightly fragrant, next add the chopped onions and cook them until they are translucent. 
2. Next add the thyme, mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook everything together for 1-2 minutes, as sliced mushrooms do not take long to cook. 
3. Once the mushrooms have cooked and the excess water has evaporated, add the buckwheat and cook for about a minute. 
4. After 1 minute, add about 2 cups of water, but add only ½ a cup at a time. You can even use vegetable broth if you have one, in place of water. 
5. Lower the heat and let the buckwheat cook on a simmer for at least 10-12 minutes. 
6. The buckwheat should be al-dente but not too tough to eat. 
7. Now add the fresh cream and mix everything well. Finally, top it with cheese, and cover for a minute for the cheese to melt. 
8. Transfer the dish to a serving plate and garnish with some fresh thyme and cheese.