I love a big Buddha Bowl. This is partly due to the fact that they are easy to make and pack for lunches, and partly due to how creative I can be with them.I love trying unique seasonings, fun sauces, and different gluten free grains. This recipe is one I whipped up a couple weeks ago for the first time and have since fallen in love with.
My root veggie buddha bowl has a bunch of my favorite winter veggies along with brown rice and chickpeas for added protein. For a long time, I didn’t like beets very much, possibly because of the way they were cooked, or maybe they weren’t seasoned right. Anyways, I absolutely love the color of them and have wanted to enjoy eating them more, so I started experimenting. The beets in this recipe are mild, and blend so perfectly with the rich spices. They are also a soft, but not mushy, texture.
Finally, the spices in this dish really make it what it is. garam masala is a traditional Indian spice. It is rich and adds a ton of depth to veggies. garam masala can be found in most large grocery stores – such as Wegmans or Whole Foods, in the Middle Eastern food, or specialty spice section. If you cannot find it, no worries, this dish will be lovely without it. The turmeric in the sauce also adds a lovely color and enhances the other spices that coat the veggies.
Give this easy and versatile recipe a try and let me know what you think!
- bowl:
- 1 cup brown long grain rice
- 2 beets, diced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 large turnip, diced
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- sauce:
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. tahini
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp dried turmeric
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- black pepper, to taste
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine all of the sauce ingredients Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add extra water, 1 tsp at a time if the sauce is too thick. Scrape sauce into a small bowl and store in fridge until ready to serve – it will thicken a bit.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. One the first baking sheet, spread the diced beets and half of the chickpeas. Spread the remainder of chickpeas, cauliflower, carrots, and turnip on the other. Drizzle all veggies with melted coconut oil and toss with garam masala, salt, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and corridor.
- Roast for about 35 minutes or until a fork can be inserted into the beets easily. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- Serve veggies immediately over rice with sauce drizzled on top.
- Veggies and rice will keep for about 3 days in the fridge. Sauce will last in an airtight jar in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
