If you ask me what are my favourite kind of meals to cook, the answer will always be bowl meals. I don’t know what it is about a meal in a bowl that makes it taste so much more satisfying and delicious! Maybe it’s the fact that you get a generous serving of veggies and fruit in one single recipe, or that you can customise your bowl based on your mood or whatever you have at home. I recently made this veggie rice bowl that I can’t get enough of.
For this veggie rice bowl, I went with a base of white short-grain rice, and fresh veggies that I had at home — carrot ribbons and sautéd broccoli. I added a handful of chopped arugula (rocket leaves) to each bowl to get in some fresh greens, but kale or baby spinach would taste delicious too. I topped the bowls with pomegranate and mint for some freshness and mango chunks for sweetness. But really, only use these as a guideline. Customise your bowls with whatever veggies you have at home — keep some raw, steam some, or sauté some. I’ve tried these bowls with raw mango, broccoli, pak choy, and avocado too, and they taste as good. You can also add in a protein of your choice, and I’m partial to crispy baked tofu cubes.
Though bowl meals are quick and easy to put together, the key thing that brings it together is the dressing — and this recipe is no exception. A simple 5 ingredient Asian inspired chilli citrus dressing, this zingy sauce is a flavour bomb. The formula is simple — orange juice for sweetness, sambal for heat, soy sauce for saltiness, rice vinegar for acidity, and sesame oil as the fat. If you don’t have any of these on hand, feel free to substitute (use any neutral oil, any vinegar, and any chilli paste or dried chilli flakes). Whisk it all together and dress your bowls generously!
- 6 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 teaspoons sambal or Sriracha (or any chilli paste)
- 3 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2-3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 teaspoons rice vinegar (or any other vinegar)
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon butter / oil (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups carrot ribbons
- 1 pomegranate, deseeded
- 1 mango, cut into chunks
- 2 cups chopped arugula or kale
- 1 cup mint leaves or micro greens
- 4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together orange juice, sambal, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar to make the dressing.
- Heat butter or oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add the cooked rice and season with salt. Toss to combine and place aside.
- Sauté the broccoli florets over medium-high heat in any neutral oil until lightly charred, and season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the bowls: Divide rice into individual bowls. Add the broccoli florets, carrot ribbons, mango chunks, pomegranate seeds, and salad greens like arugula or kale. Garnish with herbs/micro greens and toasted sesame seeds. Spoon dressing generously over bowls and serve.
