Risotto Cakes

5 from 1 vote

Transform this tasty vegan risotto recipe into crispy risotto cakes. Two recipes in one; eat the risotto or make the risotto cake recipe; the choice is yours. Both are so yummy!

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Course: Entrees, sides

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 99kcal

Author: Kathy Carmichael

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into equal-sized ½ inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup unrinsed, uncooked Arborio rice
1 Tablespoon Fresh sage, chopped finely
¼ cup dry white wine I used Chardonnay
4 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup nutritional yeast
⅛ cup parsley, chopped finely
1 lemon zested and juiced

Curry Sauce

1 large shallot
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 pinch salt
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 Tablespoon red chili paste

Instructions

Risotto

Saute the garlic and onion in a large skillet until onions are translucent.
Add the butternut squash cubes and season with salt and pepper.
Stir occasionally until the squash is tender but not cooked all the way through (about 5 minutes).
Add the Arborio rice and sage. Stir to combine, then add wine and cook 1 minute longer.
Add 2 cups of broth and bring to a simmer.
Stir slightly; do not over-stir. Cook until the liquid evaporates(about 5 minutes).
Then, add 1 cup of vegetable broth at a time and cook the same way until the rice is cooked and the fluid is absorbed.
Continue to add the vegetable broth, 1 cup at a time, until all the vegetable broth is gone.
Again, cook the mixture down until the liquid is absorbed. Do not over-stir the mixture. This process should take 10-15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir in parsley.
Now, eat the risotto as is, or go to teh next step to make the risotto cakes.

Risotto Cakes

To make the risotto cakes, spread the rice mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet, prepared with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Cover with plastic wrap or another cover of your choice.
Allow cooling completely, then transfer to the refrigerator.
For the best results, refrigerate the risotto on the pan overnight or for at least 2 hours.
Remove the chilled risotto from the refrigerator.
Form small risotto cakes using a small burger press, or you can prepare risotto balls.
Another option is to make large risotto cakes using the larger-sized mold to form 6.
Or, use your hands to form 12 equal-sized cakes.

Air Frying

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees.
Place the risotto cakes in a single layer on the air fry pan.
If batch cooking, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 325 degrees to keep the risotto cakes warm while cooking the remaining risotto cakes.
Cook for 8 minutes until crispy.
If making larger cakes, increase the time to 15 minutes.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cook for 20 minutes.
If cooking larger cakes, cook for 35 minutes.

Curry Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine grated ginger and shallots and saute until the shallots are translucent.
Add the lime juice and zest from one lime and a pinch of salt.
Add the lime juice and zest from one lime and a pinch of salt.
Stir, and then add coconut milk and red chili paste.
The sauce thickens as it heats.

Notes

Use short-grain rice. Short-grain rice "is built for" risotto.
Know the texture you prefer. You don't want the rice gummy.
Avoid overcooking.
Don't rinse your rice! Risotto cooks better when the rice is not rinsed.
Keep an eye on the temperature, and do not over-stir or overwork the rice.
Stirring the rice constantly will add air to the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey. But the rice will stick to the bottom and burn if you don't stir enough. Agitating the rice is essential because risotto's creaminess comes from the starch generated when grains of rice rub against each other.

Nutrition