Arancini di Riso or Sicilian Rice balls are crisp cheese filled risotto croquettes, that are easy make-ahead hors d’oeuvre!
“Arancini” in Italian means “little oranges” since the fried balls resemble little oranges ? These Rice balls hail from Sicily, where they are commonly served as bar snacks.
So what’s it made of?
Arancini are made by forming plain risotto into either conical, or round shapes, with mozzarella in the center. Alternatively, mozzarella, peas and tomato sauce are hidden in the center of other types of arancini. They are then dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried.
The croquettes are great on their own or you could also serve with Homemade marinara sauce or tomato sauce.
My Story…
I love making pastas, lasagna, pizzas and risotto. Recently I made risotto in excess and wanted to recycle it into something fun. That’s when I learnt about these delicious and delectable Sicilian Rice balls, “Arancini di Riso”.
These crispy from outside and soft from inside balls are something I strongly recommend as an appetizer for your next party. When you break a ball and pull them apart, the mozzarella cheese center forms long string (like a telephone line, hence it’s also called “Arancini di riso al Telefono”). ?
In real-time, I had left over risotto which I used. But in case you don’t, make it a day ahead and refrigerate. This will make the rice balls stick together easily. The key to delicious and perfect rice balls is perfectly cooked risotto. Don’t try to use regular rice, or boiled or steamed rice as it will not stay together when you try to form a ball. Use Arborio rice or short grained white rice or packaged pre-cooked risotto.
I have also included the recipe to make risotto which might come handy.
Hope you get to make it and enjoy them as much as I did! ???
Arancini di Riso
Ingredients
Arancini di Riso
- 2 cups Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas Recipe follows
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 1/2 cups Bread crumbs or Italian style bread crumbs
- 2 oz Mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- Salt to taste
- cooking oil for frying
Mushroom Risotto with Peas
- 1 cup Arborio rice or short-grain white rice
- 1/4 cup butter or unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 1/2 cup Red Onion chopped
- 10 oz White Button Mushrooms finely chopped
- 5 oz Cremini Mushrooms finely chopped. Or Portobello. Shiitake or Porcini mushrooms can also be used for smoky flavor
- 3/4 cup Green Peas frozen. Thaw before use.
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder freshly ground
- Salt to taste
- 6-8 cups Water as required Chicken broth or Vegetable stock can also be used
Instructions
Mushroom Risotto with Peas
- Lets begin with the risotto!
- Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent and pink.
- Next add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until the raw aroma of garlic disappears.
- Now add both the chopped mushrooms to the pan and sauté until they are tender and juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, measure Arborio rice in a bowl and rinse with water.
- Add the washed rice to the pan and sauté for a few minutes. Next add a cup of water and cook until it's absorbed. Stir often. This would take around 2-3 minutes.
- On a medium-high flame, add another cup of water and cook until it's absorbed. Stir often. This would again take around 2-3 minutes.
- Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more water and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of water).
- Water can be replaced by chicken broth or vegetable stock. This is optional.
- Now stir in the thawed peas and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove it to a serving/ storage dish. Your risotto is ready. Let it cool and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, before using it to make "Arancini di Riso".
Arancini di Riso
- With the risotto ready, making these balls is a cake walk! Trust me.
- Heat sufficient oil for frying in a heavy saucepan.
- Combine eggs, risotto, Parmesan, salt and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
- Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a separate medium sized bowl.
- Using the risotto mixture, form 1 inch diameter balls.
- Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball.
- Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.
- Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot oil and cook until brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain.
- Serve hot. Alternatively, serve with a dip of Homemade marinara sauce/ tomato sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- To add a nutty flavor to your risotto, Porcini or Shiitake mushrooms can be used instead of Cremini.
- Porcini mushrooms are generally available in dehydrated form in groceries. Shiitake can be used instead of Porcini.
- I used water to make Risotto. But you can always use chicken broth or vegetable stock instead.
- Try adding 2/3 rd cup white wine for extra flavor. If using wine, add it initially, after sautéing rice.
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