Vegetable Paella

Paella is a spanish rice dish. I had it for the first time when we went to a restaurant La Tasca, here in UK. We liked it, it reminded us a lot of tomato rice. I got this recipe in a Vegan cookbook that I borrowed from the library. We loved it. The only flip side was that we felt it was closer in taste to risotto than to paella, tasty nevertheless.



Ingredients

Arborio risotto rice 1.5 cups
Saffron a large pinch
Cherry Tomatoes about 20
Peas 1 cup
Green beans about 20
Zucchini 1
Garlic 2 pods
Rosemary 2 sprigs
Water 3.5 cups

Oil 1/3 cup

Method of Preparation

1. Warm 1/2 cup of water and add saffron to it. Let it infuse.

2. In a pan heat, half the oil. Add the chopped zucchini and green beans. Saute for a few minutes till it is almost cooked. Keep aside.

3. Add the peas and saute for a couple of minutes. Add to the other vegetables.

4. Add tomotoes and saute till the skin starts to peal and juices come out. Add to the other vegetables.

5. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add chopped garlic and rosemary. Cook in low heat for a minute to infuse the flavours into the oil.

6. Add rice and saute for a couple of minutes.

7. Add the saffron water and the rest of the water (you can use veggie stock) and bring to boil.

8. Simmer and cook till the rice is cooked and the water is almost evaporated.

9. Add the veggies and cook in very low heat for 5 more minutes.