Can you make risotto with normal rice?

[Me2Me2]

brown rice to be exact. Never made risotto before but have the urge to do so today, without a trip to the shops

Not really. The short grain risotto rice releases the starchy ooze which makes risotto risotto. You can use brown rice for a rice and veg type if stir it all up thing, and it'll be delish but it won't be risotto!

You can make flavoured rice with brown rice, but its not as creamy as risotto. 2 very different beasts, but I like both.

No not really, but you can make a pilaf. It's like a less creamy risotto. Fry onions etc in a wide pan, add rice then hot stock and put on a low heat with the lid on

You could make a lovely savoury pilaff, but it needs to be carnaroli or arborio rice for it to be risotto. These rices have a high starch content, and when you stir the rice the starch is released giving a creamy result. I have used pudding rice before so that would work.

Brown rice would give it the wrong texture

oh right, that's pretty clear then. pilaff will do nicely though.

I make "risotto" all the time with basmati rice, it's not creamy in the same way but it's a lighter meal and very nice in it's own right. I like risottos done properly with arborio but DD and DH are less keen but hoover up a basmati version. Horses for courses. Try it and see if you like it.

Look at 'girl called jack' blog
She is a great cook and uses the cheepo stuff for everything

I wouldn't have thought brown rice would work as it's not starchy enough but the basics/T value/smart price white rice makes perfect risotto every time.

Was going to quote A Girl Called Jack along with roadwalker - there was a video posted on here recently in which she giives cheap alternatives including normal rice for risotto rice, and peanut butter in place of tahini when making houmous

I've used cheapo pudding rice for risotto. It works just as well.

No, with long grain that would be a pilaff IMO.

v happy with the discovery of a girl called jack just read a bit about her. I'm wondering how she got from poverty to performing with billy bragg. She sounds fab

I made a creamy rice something in the end, following AgentProvocateur's instructions with a few extras. It was great, which is lucky as I made a whole cauldron of the stuff

You can use pudding rice, very successfully. I usually do as it is so much cheaper.

Yes, absolutely, I did it loads when I was at uni. It won't be as creamy, but it will still taste lush

Yes, absolutely, I did it loads when I was at uni. It won't be as creamy, but it will still taste lush