Easy Buddha Bowl

Buddha Bowls are my favourite kind of dinners. They come together quickly and are very meal prep friendly. If you are bored of the usual dinner meals, this is quick and easy to put together. If you are in-charge of cooking at home, this will be a crowd pleaser for sure as you can easily customise it according to everyone's preferences.

I think Buddha Bowls are like salads but are a little more balanced in terms of macronutrients than the usual salads which are usually low calories.

Ingredients

• 150g chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks (or 200g tofu/low-fat paneer cubes)

• 100g baby spinach, washed

• 100g broccoli florets

• 1 medium sweet potato

• 1 medium carrot, julienned

• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 100g quinoa

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

• 1 tsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• 2-3 tbsp water

• 1 tsp hot sauce, optional

Method

1. Cook quinoa in 250ml water until its soft to touch and does not have any bite to it.

2. Add some olive oil, salt and garlic powder to the chicken or tofu. Bake or air-fry the chicken, tofu or paneer. You can even cook it in a pan till the chicken or tofu is cooked. Air-fry the chicken at 180° for 15 minutes. If using tofu or paneer, 5-10 minutes should suffice. If cooking in a pan, 10 minutes at medium heat should be good for the chicken and 5 minutes for tofu/paneer.

3. Cut the sweet potato into small cubes, add 1 tsp olive oil, salt, and chilli powder. Air-fry at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.

4. In the same pan or a separate pan, add the garlic cloves. Immediately add broccoli and carrots. Additionally, you can add Green Beans or edamame here for variety. Cook till the vegetables are done but still slightly crunchy.

5. Add all the ingredients mentioned for the sauce in a jar. Shake till it is creamy.

6. It is time to assemble. Add quinoa at the bottom, add chicken/tofu/paneer. Place a handful of fresh spinach leaves, the cooked vegetables and sweet potatoes at the top. Add the sauce.

7. Optional. Add roasted flax seeds or sesame seeds for that extra crunchy element.

Chicken Buddha Bowl in Peanut Sauce

Chicken Buddha Bowl in Peanut Sauce with Toasted Flax Seeds

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