Buddha bowl with roasted vegetables, quinoa, chickpeas

Vegan, gluten free buddha bowl recipe with roasted vegetables, quinoa and chickpeas

Buddha bowls are so good. They can be customized in so many different ways. They are not difficult to prep, which makes me wonder why I don’t make them more often. And since 2017 is the year of Buddha bowl, its only fair now when half the year is over, I share my first buddha bowl recipe today. I am sharing the recipe for this vegan and gluten free buddha bowl with roasted vegetables, quinoa and chickpeas and a cashew cream sauce.

I have always wondered, how the Buddha bowl got its name. This article on Epicurious is a great read to know more about the history behind buddha bowls.

The article in Epicurious explains the origins in the following excerpt:

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,” explains Zigmond. “So that was the original Buddha Bowl: a big bowl of whatever food villagers had available and could afford to share. It was probably pretty healthy, since Buddha lived before the age of cheap processed food, but it was also probably pretty simple, maybe rice and a simple curry.

Since most buddha bowls are bowls overflowing with vibrant food, some also say the reason why its called a Buddha bowl, since it resembles Buddha’s belly. Whatever the origin, buddha bowls are nourishing meals with little bites of everything, arranged in a pretty and artful way- making them an instant instagram success.

Buddha bowls are generally vegan, though they can be non vegan too. They comprise of a protein, some whole grains, veggies, a sauce and any extras you would like to add. While veggies and the grains will be naturally vegan, the protein and sauce could be non vegan. There are some variations where people put meat, so if somebody who isn’t particularly vegan can look into those options. And if you are not vegan, you can play around with the dressing too- choose a pesto or a yogurt based dressing, or some sour cream. You can also add some feta cheese for a greek inspired buddha bowl.

Since I wanted this to be completely vegan I chose a cashew based roasted garlic sauce for the dressing. Cashews lend creaminess in dressings and sauces and is a good way for vegans to get that creamy taste.

Buddha bowls are perfect to pack with you to office, they are also perfect after a good weekend binge, which is how the weekend that went was for me. If you try this recipe out, do let me know how it was.

Also, last month I did a post for A Bloggers Inspiration where I talk about blogging, photography and my journey in the blogosphere. Do check it out.

Vegan Buddha Bowl with roasted vegetables, quinoa, chickpeas

Ingredients

2-3 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, cooked with salted water and drained
1 large potato
1 large onion
2 zucchinis
1 red bell pepper
1 head of broccoli
2 tbsp herb oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp red chilli flakes
½ tsp sumac
1 avocado
lettuce
shredded carrot, for garnish
flaked almonds, for garnish
splash of lemon
For the roasted garlic cream Sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked at least 4 hours, drained and rinsed
½ cup water or vegetable broth (you might need more)
4 cloves roasted garlic
½ tsp salt
cracked pepper, generous pinch
½ tsp red chilli flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 C.
Chop the potato, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper and broccoli into bite sized pieces. Spread the vegetables on a baking tray. Drizzle with the herb oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and red chilli flakes. In case you do not have herb oil, use olive oil and 1 tsp of mixed dried herbs. Toss to evenly coat the vegetables.
On another baking tray, add the cooked chickpeas. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp sumac.
Put both the chickpea tray and vegetable tray in the oven and let bake. Roast the chickpeas for 15 minutes, removing once in between and shaking it so that the chickpeas are evenly roasted. Roast the vegetables for 30-35 minutes, removing the tray once to toss the vegetable around for an even roast. Once the vegetables are roasted and you have removed the tray from the oven, you can squeeze a little lemon juice on top.
Prepare sauce by placing soaked cashews in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the water, roasted garlic cloves, and salt. Puree until very smooth. Thin out with more water to desired consistency. Store in fridge for 3-4 days or freeze.
To serve, divide quinoa, chickpeas, and roasted vegetables between serving bowls. Add some avocado slices, lettuce and top with the roasted garlic sauce. Garnish with shredded carrots and almond flakes. Add a splash of fresh lemon juice for more flavor.

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