BUDDHA BOWL (Vegan)

Last year around this time, I starkly remember, inspite of constant news flashing on the TV of what the world is experiencing, I was in this weird denial mode.

I kept telling myself it’s just a passing phase and things will get normal soon. Because from the past almost 3 years I was waiting for and looking forward to the year 2020 to go all-out with my plans.  So, how could something like this happen now .  WHY NOW  ???

Through all this I kept reassuring myself it will all go away within a month or two, life will be back to normal and there was nothing to worry about.   But the pandemic burst my bubble.

Little did I know that, what would follow would hit me like a bag of bricks.  And it did.  I was completely lost.  Every time, I heard lockdown was being extended I was losing my hope.

I was experiencing all sorts of emotions – angry, sad, anxious, ambivalent – at the same time fighting hard to accept the reality and trying to get past each day with decent amount of sanity.  (of whatever LITTLE was left in me)

Now when I look back, I dread those days and pray that humanity may never experience anything like that ever again.

This year thankfully a lot has changed and I feel everything that happened has left me with a feeling of GRATITUDE.   Because when things are out of our control, all we have left with us is our attitude.  So that’s when I realized, harnessing the attitude of gratitude, is the best way to look at life.

Thankfully the ONE thing that kept me in the right frame of mind throughout this phase, was my passion for food.

Honestly even now, things are not that great, there is a constant fear luring over us.  But vis-à-vis last year feeling more hopeful this time.

And how are you doing ?

I know people are experiencing hard times and are trying to cope.  So, to bring some joy into your days,  I  try to share some positivity and cheer through this platform.

So friends, do stay happy and come along the food journey, because we have just got started 😃😃

Coming back to the topic.

We are almost at the end of this month’s concept of #detoxInSpring, and I have tried to feature another fun way of healthy eating.

These days the markets are bountiful with fresh produce, so why not incorporate these fruits and veggies on our plate in a creative way.

In this post we will see how to build a Buddha bowl.

What is a Buddha Bowl ?

The name refers to the big round Buddha shape belly.   Buddha bowl is essentially a simple, ONE DISH MEAL.    Typically vegetarian or vegan that includes rice, legumes, fresh vegetables, and plant proteins. Often they are served cold, but some versions are served with a warm base.

These bowls are a great example of the ‘Healthy Eating Plate’ model developed at Harvard.

Half the bowl is made up of vegetables, a quarter of carbohydrates and a quarter of protein, making it a healthy, balanced meal.

The arrangement is done in a very pretty manner and it quite appeals the eye.

So here’s the list of things I have combined :

• Cooked quinoa
• Blanched Spinach
• Soya & chilli tossed baby corn
• Red bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper
• Iceberg lettuce
• Half ripened mango (for the sweet and tangy taste)

Drizzle over the bowl this dressing bursting with flavours :

• English mustard,
• olive oil,
• tomato ketchup,
• mixed dried herbs,
• a slight squeeze of lemon juice and
• a pinch of salt.

All the above ingredients can be added in proportions as desired by you.  There is no hard and fast rule. Everything depends upon your personal taste.

The bowl can be made ahead of time and kept waiting in the fridge, so that when you are famished you can drizzle the dressing over it and simply eat it.

Always a great option, in case you are busy multi-tasking or running errands.