Italian Rice Balls

Arancini di Riso, or Italian golden orbs, or simply Italian rice balls, is a dish that is special to Italy. It is a part of authentic Italian cuisine. The preparation method is very simple. Rice balls, as the name suggests, are prepared from boiled rice along with a lot of filling and a thick coat of bread and egg.

This golden-brown dish is savored hot with toppings, salads, wine, and a variety of side dishes. It tastes best when served with hot beverages like coffee and tea. It can also be enjoyed with dips, sauces, and salsa. Given below are some recipes for the same.

Ingredients

• Uncooked brown rice, 1⅓ cups
• Water, 3¾ cups
• Basil (chopped), ¼ cup
• Garlic cloves, 2
• Mozzarella cheese (diced), 4 ounces

• Bread crumbs (dry), 1 cup
• Prosciutto (sliced), 4 ounces
• Vegetable oil, 3 cups
• Bay leaf, 1
• Egg whites, 5
• Salt, ¼ teaspoon
• Parmesan cheese (grated), 3 teaspoons

Preparation

• Cook the rice in boiling water and add the bay leaf, salt, and garlic cloves to it. Simmer it for half an hour and then strain the rice. Remove the bay leaf and garlic.

• Prepare the cheese stuffing by blending the mozzarella cheese with prosciutto and basil. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to this mixture.
• Pour the egg whites onto the rice, add the Parmesan cheese to it, and mix it well. Then, add the cheese-basil mixture to the rice. Slightly moisten the bread crumbs.

• Heat some vegetable oil in a deep-frying pan.
• Beat the remaining egg whites in a bowl. Roll the rice into balls and dip the balls in the egg whites. After that, coat them with the moistened bread crumbs.
• Fry them in hot oil till they turn golden-brown. Keep the heat low so that they are deep-fried.
• Serve hot with cucumber onion salad, salsa, or sauce.

Ingredients
For the Filling

• Pecorino cheese, 100 g
• Bolognese sauce, 150 g
• Green peas, 50 g
• Parsley (chopped), 2 teaspoons
• Onion (finely chopped), 1
• Olive oil, 2 teaspoons
• Salt, 1 teaspoon
• Ground beef, 100 g

For the Rice Balls

• Originario rice, 500 g
• Breadcrumbs, 150 g
• Frying oil, 3 cups
• Butter, 50 g
• Eggs, 4
• Pecorino cheese, 60 g
• Salt, ¼ teaspoon

Preparation

• Boil the rice with salt in water for at least 15 minutes, and then drain the water completely.

• Let the rice cool and then add the pecorino cheese, butter, and egg whites to it to form a smooth composition. Leave it aside and start making the filling.

• Fry the slices of beef, green peas, and onion along with bolognese sauce in a pan. Make a paste with the olive oil, parsley, and Pecorino cheese. Combine these mixtures together to make the filling. Add some salt to it.

• Form round, pocket-like structures with the rice mix. Put the filling in the center and roll the rice into balls.
• Coat the balls with egg whites and bread crumbs and then deep-fry them in vegetable oil on a frying pan or skillet.
• Wrap them with paper towels to soak the oil. Serve hot with your favorite toppings and a glass of red wine.

Ingredients

• Breadcrumbs (dried), 1½ cups
• Mozzarella cheese, ½ cup
• Ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon
• Dried parsley, 1
• Dried basil, 1 teaspoon
• White rice, 1 cup

• Parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup
• Eggs, 2
• Chicken broth, 2¼ cups
• Water, 2¼ cups
• Vegetable oil, 2 cups
• Olive oil, 2 cups
• Salt, 1½ teaspoons

Preparation

• Whisk the eggs in a container and add the parsley, basil, pepper, salt, and Parmesan cheese to it. Refrigerate this mixture while the rice is cooking.
• Add the rice and salt to the chicken broth, and then cook it for 20 minutes. Drain the extra broth after the rice gets cooked.

• Mix the egg whites with the cooked rice and allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Dampen the bread crumbs slightly. Roll the rice mixture into balls, and insert a slice of mozzarella cheese in the center of each ball. Coat them with the bread crumbs.

• Heat some vegetable oil in a frying skillet and deep-fry the balls till they turn dark brown.
• You can top them with grated onion, coriander, and a dip made in marinara sauce.

Italian rice balls are a simple menu and are easy to make. You can improvise the taste by experimenting with the ingredients to get new flavors.