How to make Masala chickpea vegetarian buddha bowl

Robin Donovan

Recipe Developer

The best Buddha bowls combine color, texture, and flavor for a one-dish meal that will fully satisfy even the largest appetites. The recipe below starts with a layer of brown rice, which gets topped with a saucy and protein-full chickpea curry and a handful of raw veggies that offer varying textures and plenty of vibrant color.
If you’re looking to add more healthy fats to your diet, add ¼ to ½ cup of full-fat coconut milk to the masala curry (add it along with the tomatoes). It’ll add creamy richness and a nice touch of sweetness to the spicy curry. Between that and the avocado, you’ll get plenty of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Cooktop Cove

Masala Chickpea Buddha Bowls

15 minutes

30 minutes

45 minutes

For the bowls

1 ½ cups brown rice, cooked according to package directions

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 small onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Juice of ½ lime

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon water

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon sugar

Toppings

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

2 carrots, grated

4 lime wedges

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Pro-tip: 1 thinly sliced avocado

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, a about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, garam masala, cayenne, and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, water, salt, pepper, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the jalapeño and lime juice.

To serve, divide the rice among 4 serving bowls. Top with the chickpeas and sauce, cabbage, carrots, lime wedges, and cilantro, dividing equally.

Pro-tip: Garnish with sliced avocado.

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