Recipe contributed by Roxanne Bamboat, author of The Tiny Taster
If you follow food trends, you’ll know that the most talked about dish currently is the Buddha Bowl. Funnily enough it has nothing to do with Buddha and isn’t ever the same. The beauty about these bowls is that they can be custom-made to include your favourite ingredients. The only catch is that these are vegetarian bowls.
Truth be told I’ve made plenty bowls for my meals. My versions basically have a little bit of this and a little bit of that – usually whatever is in my pantry. However, to make a correct Buddha Bowl you need to have some specific types of ingredients. The bowl must include –
Fresh greens – Lettuce, Kale, Spinach
Grains – Brown rice, Quinoa, Couscous, Buckwheat, Barley
Plant Protein – Chickpeas, Beans, Lentils, Tofu, Edamame
Vegetables – Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumber
Healthy Fats – Avocado, Tahini, Sesame seeds, Almond Butter, Cashews
Something Extra – Basil, Chili flakes, Garlic, Hummus
B for Bamboat’s Buddha Bowl by Roxanne Bamboat
This is your basic foundation for a Buddha Bowl and then you mix it up to make it according to your preference. This particular recipe is my own little Parsi version of this veggie craze because let’s be honest, the minute I said it’s a vegetarian bowl most Parsi food lovers lost interest. I’ve tried to stick to the traditional format of how these bowls are made but of course sneakily included a few meatier favourites.
And of course, I’ve followed the time-tested Parsi cooking principle of adding an egg to just about anything so my signature Bamboat’s Buddha Bowl actually comes topped with a full fried egg. Also, if it’s bawa it must be king-sized and so I actually gave the bowl a skip and served mine in plate. Forgive me Buddha Bowl lovers!
Bamboat's Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
- 0.5 cup quinoa
- 8 sliced mushrooms
- 5 leaves lettuce
- 6 stalks of asparagus
- 1 egg
- 4 strips bacon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chill flakes to taste
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
Instructions
- To a pot add half a cup of quinoa and the equal amount of water. Add salt pepper and cook for 10 mins or till the water gets absorbed. It is exactly like cooking rice
- Cut up the strips of bacon into smaller bits and render it in a pan. You don't need to add any oil as the bacon will release its own fat and cook till it's crispy. Remove and set it aside on a paper towel
- In the same pan with all the bacon fat add chopped garlic, chili flakes and the sliced mushrooms. Keep tossing them on a high flame so they cook completely. If the mushrooms start to release water just keep cooking till the water burns off and they are sautéed well. Add salt and pepper to season them. Set aside till needed
- In the same pan, sauté the chopped asparagus till it gets slightly charred and cooked. Season with salt and pepper
- In a smaller bowl prepare the salad dressing by adding olive oil, salt pepper and vinegar, mix well and keep aside
- In a frying pan add a little bit of butter and fry one egg. You can make this a sunny side up or a double fried egg, whatever your preference. Season with salt and pepper and set it aside till needed
- It is now time to build the bowl. If you have a large bowl then that is ideal but if not you can assemble it in a plate as well
- Place the chopped lettuce leaves on one side of the bowl. Add the dressing on top of the leaves
- Next to the lettuce, place the mushrooms and the asparagus. Next to that place your quinoa and if there is place in the middle add the bacon bits
- Place the fried egg on top in the centre and sprinkle a little of the toasted sesame seeds and leftover bacon bits as garnish. Voila! Your Bamboat's Buddha Bowl is ready!
This post is part of my ongoing series on the blog, the A to Z of Parsi Food which has been curated in collaboration with Parsi food enthusiasts globally. For more interesting recipes follow the hashtag #AtoZChallenge mentioned below.