At a Glance

This buddha bowl features 9 components that are inspired by popular flavors from all over Asia. What's so amazing about this Asian Fusion Bowl is that some of the most flavorful elements are the easiest ones to make.

1 | Fusion Fried Rice

2 | Roasted Purple Cabbage with Nira

3 | Classic Steamed Snow Peas

4 | Triple-S Bok Choy

5 | Yellow Coconut Tofu Curry

6 | Sesame-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

7 | Spicy Peanut Sauce

8 | Crunchy Cayenne-Toasted Almonds

9 | Raw Sesame Seeds

What I love about buddha bowls is the room for improvisation! Feel free to make substitutions based on what you have on hand. As long as you have some grains, seasoned veggies, and protein in your bowl, you're in for a delicious meal. Read on to learn how I created this bowl.

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Recipes, part by part

1 | Fusion Fried Rice

Ingredients

2 cups glutinous rice
1 yellow onion, diced
1-inch block of ginger, grated
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup fresh peas, or frozen peas thawed at room temperature
1/2 cup yellow corn
(optional) 1/4 cup lima beans
1 16-oz block extra firm tofu
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp five spice powder (can substitute with a bit of powdered cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise)
3/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vinegar
(optional) 1/4 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Directions

1. Soak the rice in water overnight. The next day, drain the liquid and steam the rice.
2. Let the rice cool as you prep the remaining ingredients.
3. Pat your block of tofu with some kitchen towels, and then cube it into 1-cm cubes. Pat the cubes as dry as you can.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a skillet and pan-fry the cubes of tofu, turning them until most of the sides turn golden-brown and crispy. Add in a dash of salt and five spice about halfway through the cooking process to slightly season the tofu.
5. Remove the tofu from the pan and add in the rest of the coconut oil.
6. Next, add the diced onion and ginger. Sauté for about 2 minutes.
7. Right as the onions just start to get translucent, add in the diced carrots. Cook for about 2 minutes, and then add in the lima beans, corn, and peas in 2-minute increments.
8. Add in the turmeric powder, five spice powder, fried tofu, soy sauce, vinegar, and optional sugar.
9. In three increments, mix in the cooked and cooled sticky rice. Try to mix everything together so that the grains of rice are well-integrated with the seasoned veggies.
10. Adjust the seasoning by adding more spices, soy sauce, or salt as needed.

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2 | Roasted Purple Cabbage with Nira

Ingredients

1 head of purple cabbage, shredded
7 stalks of nira (can substitute with 5 stalks of green onions), finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet.
2. Add in the nira or green onions and sauté them for about 2 minutes.
3. Add in the shredded purple cabbage, soy sauce, and vinegar. Cover the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.

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3 | Classic Steamed Snow Peas

Minimally seasoned and true to their natural flavors, these snow peas are delicious and a perfect foil to the spicy elements around them.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole snow peas
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. In a large glass bowl add in all of the ingredients and give them a toss.
2. Cover and microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Believe it or not, they're ready!

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4 | Triple-S Bok Choy

The three S's in the title of this recipe stand for soy sauce, sriracha, and steam — the trio of ingredients that make this bok choy so good.

Ingredients

4 cups bok choy, rinsed
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha

Directions

1. In a large glass bowl add in all of the ingredients and give them a toss.
2. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes. Believe it or not, they're ready!

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5 | Yellow Coconut Tofu Curry

Ingredients

2 16-oz blocks of firm tofu, cut into 1"x1.5" rectangles of shape of choice
1 yellow onion, sliced
2-inch piece of ginger, grated
1 large green bell pepper, diced into 1-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, diced into 1-inch pieces
1/3 large head of cabbage, roughly chopped
1/2 head of broccoli, broken into medium-sized pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut diagonally into medium-sized pieces
2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 tsp five-spice
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 cans coconut milk
3-5 tbsp olive oil
(optional) 1 tbsp flour
1 salt to taste

Directions

1. (optional) Heat 1 tbsp of olive in a large saucepan and pan-fry the pieces of tofu, turning them until at least two sides turn light golden-brown. Remove the pieces of tofu from the saucepan for now, since you'll need to add them back into the curry later.
2. In the same saucepan, add in the remaining olive oil. Add in the onions and sauté them for about 2 minutes.
3. Add in the grated ginger and let it sit for about 30 seconds. In 1 to 2 minute increments, add in the rest of the prepared vegetables in the following order: carrots, bell peppers, celery, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage.
4. Add in the soy sauce, five spice, turmeric powder, cayenne, and salt to taste.
5. (optional) If you like your curry sauce on the thicker side, then you can do this step! In a separate smaller saucepan or pan, heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Stir in 1 tbsp flour. Let this roux bubble as you stir continuously for about 2 minutes, or until it turns light beige.
6. In the large saucepan with all of the vegetables, add in the coconut milk and optional roux. If the curry is too thick, add in a splash of water.
7. Stir in the pieces of optionally pan-fried tofu. (This recipe works just as well with raw tofu as it does with pan-fried tofu!)
8. Let the curry simmer uncovered for 2 minutes as you adjust the seasoning, and you're done!

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6 | Sesame-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

20 brussels sprouts, halved
1 tbsp sesame seeds
zest from 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp sesame oil
salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan.
2. Add in the brussels sprouts and let them cook for about 10-15 minutes. Flip them once in a while to allow the brussels sprouts to form a golden-brown exterior.
3. Add in the the sesame seeds about 3 minutes before the brussels sprouts are cooked through.
4. Toss in the lemon zest and lemon juice, and mix well. Turn off the heat, and the brussels sprouts are ready!

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7 | Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sriracha sauce

Directions

1. Stir together all of the ingredients, and make minor adjustments based on your preference.

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8 | Crunchy Cayenne-Toasted Almonds

Ingredients

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Heat a small pan on a medium flame, and add in the sliced almonds.
2. As you stir continuously, sprinkle in the sugar and drizzle in the olive oil.
3. As you hear the almonds starting to sizzle, toss in the cayenne. Keep the almonds moving to allow them to toast evenly.
4. When the almonds are just starting to turn light golden, turn off the heat and let them cool before tasting or serving.

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9 | Raw Sesame Seeds

Ingredients

handful of white or brown sesame seeds
handful of black sesame seeds or raw onion seeds

Directions

1. (optional) You can toast the seeds if you prefer, but they're delicious raw.

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Assembly

The portions listed above should make enough for about 6 bowls plus some extra for leftovers! Start plating each bowl with the roasted purple cabbage. Next to it, place in a generous serving of the fusion fried rice. On the other side of the fried rice, serve a few delicious heaping spoonfuls of the classic yellow coconut tofu curry. The cozy flavors of the curry paired with the wholesome fried rice is a divine combination that you'll love. Next to the purple cabbage, place in a serving of the steamed snow peas. Front and center, add in some of those sesame-roasted brussels sprouts, and then round out the plate with a few pieces of my favorite triple-s bok choy. Toss on some of the crunchy cayenne-toasted almonds, drizzle on the spicy peanut sauce, and sprinkle over the sesame seed blend for a pop of textures and flavors that will keep you going in for another bite.