Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed and chopped)
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin of mixed beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- Fresh chilli (preferred amount to taste, seeded & chopped)
- 200g risotto rice
- 80g breadcrumbs
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to season
Method
- In a large pan sweat the onion, garlic & thyme with olive oil. Once the onion is soft add the paprika, chilli, coriander, beans and spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted slightly. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to help.
- Add the tomatoes, stock cube & sugar. Fill the empty tomato tin with water and add to the pan.
- Cook for 10 minutes then add the rice. Bring them an to the boil and reduce to simmer until the rice is al dente (a slight bite). Season and allow to cool, the rice should be soft & firm once cooled.
- Shape the cooled rice into balls.
- Put the breadcrumbs into a small bowl and roll your risotto balls in breadcrumbs so that they are evenly coated. The breadcrumbs should stick easily to the rice. Continue to the roll the balls in you hands until they are evenly shaped. Refrigerate for ten minutes.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 180C then remove from the oven. Drizzle olive oil over the balls and turn them over. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until the risotto balls are golden brown. Remove and serve with a fresh side salad and a dipping sauce of your choice.
Recipe courtesy of The Food Rhino.