If you’re looking for a healthy, tasty, and satisfying meal, then look no further than the Happy Buddha Bowl! This bowl combines a variety of plant-based ingredients that are rich in protein, fiber, and nutrients, making it a perfect meal to boost your energy and mood.
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📋Origins of the Buddha Bowl
The Buddha Bowl, also known as the Hippie Bowl or the Yogi Bowl, is believed to have originated in the United States in the 1970s. It was named after Lord Buddha, the spiritual leader who believed in mindful and balanced eating. This dish concept became popular in the health and wellness community as a way to pack in a variety of healthy ingredients into one satisfying bowl.
I moved to Thailand in 2018 and as part of a consulting project I was designing a build-your-own bowl concept for Thanyapura, Phuket. Initially, I wanted to incorporate the concept of 'Buddha Bowls'. As I was not sure about the cultural implications of this I decided not to. Thailand is a Buddhist culture and I did not want to offend anyone, so we created a 'Poke Bowl' concept instead.
After five years of living in Thailand and studying Buddhism, I have concluded that the Lord Buddha would approve of my Happy Buddha Bowl concept!
💭Core values of the 'Happy Buddha Bowl' concept
- Balance of nutritional ingredients
- Mindfulness of eating
- Supporting local growers and community farms
- Respect and harm no animals
- Nourish the body
👨🏻🍳How to make a Happy Buddha Bowl
To make the Happy Buddha Bowl, start by cooking the quinoa as per the package instructions. Soak and cook the chickpeas, or use pre-cooked chickpeas. Blanch and refresh the garden peas, peel, dice and cook the sweet potato, and season the avocado with salt and lemon juice.
For the tofu, drain and dice it into medium-sized pieces. Fry it in a little oil and salt, and glaze it with a splash of soy sauce. Lightly toast the cashews in a frying pan until golden brown and allow them to cool.
Assemble the tamarind dressing and vegan kimchi sub-recipes which need to be made in advance.
To assemble, place the cooked quinoa in the bowl as the base. Top it with sweet potato, chickpeas, tofu, avocado, and garden peas. Garnish with mung bean sprouts and toasted cashews. Serve the dressing on the side.
🥬Nutritional content
This Happy Buddha Bowl is a nutritious and well-balanced meal that is perfect for vegans and vegetarians. It contains high-quality protein from chickpeas and tofu, fiber from quinoa and garden peas, and healthy fats from avocado and cashews. It is also rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The tamarind dressing fires up the 'Agni' and helps with digestion.
📖Mindful eating practice
The Happy Buddha Bowl is a delicious and healthy meal that is easy to prepare and packed with nutritious ingredients. This dish is perfect for those who want to nourish their body with a balanced and mindful meal.
Eating meditation is a good practice to embrace. Bring awareness to the flavors, textures, colors, and smells. Offer gratitude to all the people who played a part in providing you with the food you are about to eat. Give thanks to mother nature and the elements that exist to produce our food.
Based on the Buddhist practice of mindfulness, mindful eating is a technique that works to help you enjoy your food while taking the time to appreciate it. Simply setting aside some dedicated time to eat three times a day has been found to improve mood, digestion and even help to reduce anxiety levels.
1. Engage your senses
Before tucking in, note the different scents and colors on your plate. Take a bite and consider the texture, taste, and temperature of the food.
2. Take your time
Chew your food thoroughly. Chewing each mouthful 20-40 times allows the gut to extract the greatest amount of nutrients possible.
3. Listen for your cue
Try to eat when you start to feel hungry rather than when you’re ravenous, then stop eating when you are full as this will allow for normal digestion.
4. Appreciate it
Once you sit down to eat, take a minute to appreciate the food in front of you, acknowledging how it will fuel your body until your next meal.
5. Drop the cutlery
Put down your knife and fork between bites to force yourself to eat more slowly, allowing you to enjoy the meal, chew more, and savor every bite.
6. Food for thought
Take a moment to look at your plate and consider how the food makes you feel. Ask if it’s healthy and nutritious, or bland and unexciting.
🥔Customize your happy Buddha bowl
To make your own Buddha bowl, I suggest playing around with various seasonal combinations and flavors. You cannot go wrong. I’ve put together a list of suggested ingredients for you to choose from to create your own colorful rainbow bowl.
Base: Grains, Pulses, Beans
- Black rice
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Millet
- Buckwheat
- Soba Noodles
- Beans; black, white, red, kidney, etc.
Starch
- Sweet potatoes
- White potatoes
- Purple potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Butternut squash
- Parsnips
- Artichokes
Protein
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- Seitan
- Textured soy protein
- Lentils
- Beans / Chickpeas
Vegetables - Roots (cooked or raw)
- Carrots
- Onions
- Beetroot
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Turnips
- Sweetcorn
Greens (steamed or sautéed):
- Swiss chard
- Kale
- Collards
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Edamame
- Peas
- Broad beans
- Sprouts
- Salad leaves
Fruits
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Avocado
- Pineapple
- Pomelo
- Pomegranate
- Apricot
- Apple
- Pear
Dressings
Garnish
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Nuts: toast and crush
- Seeds: toast and crush
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Seaweeds
Let me know what combination you come up with! I’d love to see your creations...
🥕More recipes to try
🍴Let us know what you think
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📋 Recipe
Happy Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
Equipment
Audrey Jones says
your amazing 👏 🤩 ✨️ ❤️ 💖