Baked Chocolate and orange Marmalade Fudge Cake (Gluten Free)
Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Haloumi and Chilli
Recipe by Hariranjan Venkatesan, Chef at Jonah’s Meets Chef Willi, Chennai
Prep Time : 40 Minutes
Cook Time : 25 Minutes
Serves : 6
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Cubed Pumpkin | 3 Cups |
| Olive Oil | 2 Tbsp |
| Salt | to taste |
| For the Risotto | |
| Onion | 1, Finely Chopped |
| Garlic | 2 cloves, Thinly Sliced |
| Arborio Rice | 500 gms |
| White Wine | 1 Cup |
| Vegetable Stock | 1 Cup w/ Thyme, Rosemary and Bat Leaf |
| Pumpkin Puree | |
| Roasted Pumpkin Cubes | |
| Butter | 1 Tbsp |
| Salt & Pepper | To Taste |
| Grated Parmesan Cheese | 50 gms |
| Fresh Red Chilli | 1 |
| Fried Haloumi | |
| Haloumi Cheese | 150 gms |
| Oil | For Frying |
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°c and place the pumpkin on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and place in the oven. Allow to roast for 30-40 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked and is starting to caramelize.
- Remove then puree half of the pumpkin. Set aside.
- To make the risotto, fry the onion in a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan.
- When the onion is soft, add the garlic and fry for another 20 seconds or so then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oil and aromatics then add the wine. Allow the wine to reduce then stir in the stock, ladle by ladle. Allow the rice to absorb the stock before adding more and stir continuously. It is this continuous stirring that creates the creaminess risotto is known for.
- When the risotto has absorbed approximately half of the liquid, start tasting it regularly as a good risotto can quickly be ruined by over cooking. Your risotto might also not need all the stock or it might need more, it all depends on the rice’s absorbency.
- Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan and fry the haloumi until golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
- When the risotto is done to your preference, beat in the butter and Parmesan and season to taste. Stir in the reserved cubes of pumpkin.Serve the risotto sprinkled thin sliced chilli red and topped with a few fried haloumi cubes. Finish with an extra grating of Parmesan cheese.
Harirajan Venkatesan, Chef at Jonah’s Meets Chef Willi, Chennai
Chef Harirajan has been a full time chef since the age of 26, but his food inspiration came from much earlier. He grew up in a suburb in Chennai city and with a mother who was a fabulous home cook. He finished his culinary course in Institute of Hotel Management in Chennai, then started his career at The Park star hotel which made him a great base for his exposure by well-known celebrity Chef Willi Wilson, continued his experience at the United States cruise lines and followed by specialty restaurants at Chennai now. Chef Hari brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the culinary world. He is well versed in exotic food preparation, but equally comfortable with simple, straightforward cooking with passion and respect for quality, wholesome ingredients.
