• Dice the onions, and roughly chop the fennel.
• Prepare the vegetable stock/broth by mixing boiling water with stock powder.

  TIP: Keep the stock close to simmering in a saucepan on low heat, so it's still nice and hot whenever you add more of it to the rice later.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat and start to fry the onion and fennel for 5 minutes.
• Add the sugar and a splash of water and continue to fry until the fennel and onion are caramelised and light brown.
• Then add the risotto rice. Stirring frequently while frying the rice for 1 minute.
• Next deglaze with soy sauce and lemon juice and stir to combine.
• Now add enough of the prepared vegetable stock to cover the rice. Bring to a simmer.
• Keep the risotto bubbling away on medium heat and gradually add more vegetable stock over the next 20-30 minutes. Let the rice absorb most of the liquid each time before you add more liquid, and stir occasionally.
• If you run out of stock before the rice is done, just add more boiling water instead. When the rice is tender, your risotto is ready. 

Cashews

• While the risotto is cooking, fry the cashews with herbs in olive oil in a small pan.
• Stir frequently until brown.
• Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the garlic powder and salt and stir through.

Pressure Cooker Method

• As an alternative method, you can make the fennel risotto in a pressure cooker.

  To start, fry the onions and fennel in olive oil over medium heat.
• Add brown sugar and a splash of water. Cook until the onions and fennel are light brown and caramelised.
• Next, add the rice, soy sauce, lemon juice, water (1½ cups) and stock powder. Stir well.
• Put on the lid, bring up to pressure and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.