essential nutrients that look and taste good

A whole stash of essential nutrients that look and taste good

Move over Mason jar lunches. The Buddha bowl is claiming lunch and dinner menus in restaurants and cafes world over, and is being lapped up and marketed as a fabulous ‘new’ way to eat. The concept is not altogether new.

Everything from Burmese khow suey to Hawaiian poke and Indian khichri is really a meal in a bowl.

So what’s so hot about the Buddha bowl? The fact that it conserves resources by minimising food waste as well as fuel. People are more likely to put a healthy mix of grain, fruit and veg in a bowl than fried chicken, which would stick out like a sore thumb! Plus, it’s the perfect makeover for leftover food.

But there’s more.

You eat just the right amount. If the idea doesn’t grab you instantly, give over at least two meals in your week to this way of eating. They offer your whole family an opportunity to get creative and explore the kitchen; they also help you discover tastes, as you mix a little of this and a little of that. Boiled chickpeas get interesting with roasted red pepper and crumbled feta.

Exploit the variety. Most chefs love bowl meals, as they are customisable and versatile enough to eat every day. Not only do they offer variety and a chance to use interesting (exotic) ingredients in small quantities, but they are also a great way to blend multiple flavours in a single dish: think roast chicken over red rice with plum sauce, sesame seeds and fresh red chilli. Plus, they can be tailored to individual preferences — skip the plum sauce and drizzle with stock, for a child who doesn’t like the clumpi-ness of the plum.

Build a bowl. They are quick and easy to cook. Choose a grain, a green and a bean (or a meat). You can do them as a salad with a dressing or as a meal with a gravy. For a salad, start with a base of vegetables (any mix), add a protein (cheese, legumes, chicken), then add a dressing and seasoning.

It’s perfect office fare. For dinner, layer ingredients in a bake-proof bowl and bung it in the oven for an hour until you’re ready. Try mashed potato, crumbled paneer seasoned with garlic powder, and topped with thin brinjal slices. Once it’s out, add a dollop of salsa.

Balance the meal. A bowl is a great way of getting your proteins, carbs, fibre and nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in the right proportion. Even if you’re doing a snack in a bowl, with roasted beaten or puffed rice, you could add in a little shredded carrot, some peanuts and a green chutney, and so up the nutrient quotient. Or a breakfast bowl: muesli, yoghurt, fruit and honey.

The good thing is that if you feel you’re missing out on a nutrient, you can simply plop it in. For instance, if you’ve got corn, tomato, onion, olive oil and lime juice in, and you feel you’re missing a protein, boil an egg and toss it in. Want a sweet element instead? Throw in some raisins.

Try out something new. Since you’re experimenting, go the whole way, by introducing something from another culture. Gujarati Undhiyu is a one-pot delicious hearty meal, mostly cooked in winter. A combination of root vegetables like yam, sweet potato and potato, it sometimes has brinjal, gourds and peas too. It’s all cooked in a coconut-based curry in an earthen pot, sealed and placed upside down in a fire pit. You could try the kitchen version to pour over rice. Another idea: cooked amaranth and veggies with tofu and tahini.

The writer is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People