Baked Mushroom Risotto

Preparation Time: 45mins
(+ 30mins to soak the mushrooms + prepare the eggplant)
Serves 4

¼ cup dried mixed or shitake mushrooms
1 cup warm water
1½ cups Arborio rice
2 cups vegetable stock

Sautéed Eggplant
1 large eggplant
2 tbs sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 red chilli, diced
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
pinch of white pepper
4 shallots, finely sliced
250g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Soak the dried mushrooms in the cup of warm water for about 30 minutes.

Dice the eggplant and lay out on a clean tea-towel or absorbent paper, sprinkle over a little salt and allow to sit for about 30 minutes, and then pat dry.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°C

Strain the mushrooms reserving the liquid. Finely dice the mushrooms and combine with the Arborio rice in an oven proof dish.

Combine the stock and reserved liquid from the mushrooms, topping up with a little more stock to make three cups total.

Pour the stock mixture over the rice and mushrooms and place in the pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

{Start to sauté in the last 15-20 minutes of the risotto cooking time.}

Heat the oil in a good sized frypan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the eggplant and toss over a medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes until soft and golden.

Add the rice wine vinegar, fry for a few seconds then add the soy and white pepper, continue to toss, add the shallots and cherry tomatoes and cook for a further few minutes until the cherry tomatoes begin to blister.

Remove from the heat, check seasoning, add a little more soy if need be and toss through the parsley.

Serve immediately piled on top of warm baked mushroom risotto and sprinkled with a little toasted sesame seed. Perfect for a great vegan meal the whole family will enjoy!

From VeggieNumNum