No! Just make sure you keep the temperature low enough that the risotto doesn't burn, and you will be fine. If you're worried about burning, go ahead and stir it - gently - a few times while cooking, but do not stir it all the time or every 30 seconds. Stirring the risotto too much while cooking risks destroying the texture of your risotto: 1. The grains can break , which makes for a grainy risotto 2. The texture can become gluey or mushy rather than creamy Stirring the risotto does release starches, which makes it creamy, but it's enough to stir it at the beginning (when adding the stock) and at the end (when adding seasoning and other add-ins).