What is a Buddha Bowl?

Buddha Bowl is a newly coined term? Buddha Bowl is a rage at pinterest and social media? Buddha Bowl is a meal which is just served in a bowl? A meal which Buddha ate? Or A healthy way of getting a balanced meal or a Buddhist term for Food which is clean?

What does it mean after all?

I was curious and I searched everywhere to find the first trace of it in history. When did we first discover this term. If you observe closely, the very idea of it is clean eating and a meal in itself. A bowl filled with all the must have’s for a good satisfying and healthy meal. Mostly raw and vegetarian but a little deviation is OK as per preference.

If you are as curious as I am, then you are most likely interested to know, why is the name “Buddha” attached with meal bowl. Did Buddha eat food like this? I explored and found a few interesting facts.

Buddha never cared about what he ate, as much as when he ate. This is what he preached as well. His main rule around food for his followers was that they should eat only during certain hours.

Buddha woke up early before dawn every morning and went around the city with a bowl in his hands. Local people would place food in his bowl according to their wish as charity/donation. And he would eat what got for the day. This was an expression of establishing a connection with the community. The giving of food is taken as “ giving up one’s Ego and accepting Food as per the others wishes is seen as “ Giving up your choice” of selecting what to eat. How beautiful!

So the bowl Buddha used to collect his meals in became the Buddha Bowl.

And the collection was a mixed meal consisting raw veggies, grains, cooked and uncooked rice etc. But definitely not a processed food.

This is the whole idea behind a Buddha Bowl.

How do you make it?

You begin with a bed of greens, fill in some proteins. Then add fat and complex starch or healthy carbs for energy and top it with a dressing of your choice.

Whether or not you add meat and chicken is optional as per your preference. Also a Buddha Bowl can be made vegan and gluten free.

This Buddha Bowl Recipe

This is a very simple and near to authentic Buddha bowl recipe. With a few greens, grains, veggies but the star of the dish is the Green mint and hung curd dressing. I just love this dressing. And it truly brings all the ingredients together into a satisfying meal. It compliments each flavor and enhances the combined flavor of the bowl altogether.

With many variation of fruits and vegetable, the Buddha Bowl is a complete healthy Meal.

You may find the Buddha Bowl Dressing recipe here at this link:



