What on earth is a Buddha bowl, you may ask? Well, while these bowls of goodness have many different names, thanks to the power of the internet, this is the most likely origin for the name:
“Buddha woke up before dawn every morning and carried his bowl through the roads or paths wherever he was staying. Local people would place food in the bowl as a donation, and at the end, he would eat whatever he had been given,” according to Dan Zigmond.

Whatever you want to call these bowls, just know that they’re part of my favourite type of food: the “add whatever you want to make it your own” food group. Buddha bowls don’t need to be vegan or vegetarian, although most of the time these days that’s what we tend to find.

This recipe is vegan too, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add meat to it. I was simply trying to use up ingredients that I already had at home, but believe me, fish or chicken would have been thrown in if I’d had it ready.

But before I continue… HAPPY NEW YEAR (if you follow the Gregorian Calendar). I can’t believe 2018 is over. So much has happened. There have been some incredible lows, followed by some wonderful highs. Like every year, it’s been testing and I like to think I’ve come out of it triumphant, but one never really knows.

2019 is going to be another crazy year, that’s for sure. Besides the expected (a couple weddings to attend, and hopefully the end/passing of my PGCE), who knows what else will come along. All I know is I’m looking forward to it, and hope to continue the blog and my food journey with you all through the next 365 days.

Which brings us back to the Buddha bowls. These bowls (also known as macro bowls) are full of protein, healthy fats, fibre, and complex carbohydrates. You just need to make sure the balance of spicy, sweet, crunchy and soft is there. It’s easy, you just throw it all in a bowl, chuck a great sauce on top and off you go. Below is my version, but have a go at your own and let me know about it.

Ingredients

1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt
pepper
1 1/2 cup brown (or mixed) rice, cooked
4 handfuls baby spinach
1 ripe avocado
broccoli, cooked to taste
beetroot, roasted and sprinkled with dukkah
sesame seeds
spring onions
chilli sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix the chickpeas with the olive oil and spices. Lay in a single layer on the baking tray and roast in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes (or until browned to liking). Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
3. Add rice to two bowls, filling up one side. Add the spinach to the other side of each bowl.
4. Add the broccoli, beetroot, and avocado. Add half of the chickpeas to each bowl.
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions.
6. Drizzle with chilli sauce of choice.