Aubergine Buddha Bowl with Tamari Nuts

I must admit that I was late to the Buddha Bowl party.  I thought they would be trendy, tasteless and a bit pointless.  But I’ve had to eat my words along with my Buddah Bowl.  Mention aubergine and avocado to me and you’ve got me in a fabulous place.

I can’t claim this recipe for my own; it’s from a recipe box.  I tried out the boxes when I had surgery to see if my husband would cook from them while I was laid up.  No success at all there; it’s a completely lost cause, but since then I’ve become rather fond of recipe boxes, as they encourage me to try out new ideas, not least this Buddah bowl. The original recipe contained grated carrot, but I’m not fond of that, so I’ve substituted shredded red pepper here.  Feel free to put the carrot back if you enjoy it.

Buy miso paste and Tamari in an Oriental supermarket; it’s often much more affordable than a regular supermarket.  You don’t need much miso for this recipe, but it keeps.  Make up a dressing with some of the rest and drizzle over chicken or grilled veggies.

For 2 people:

20g Cashew nuts

1 Aubergine

1 Avocado

1tbls Maple Syrup

1bls Sesame oil

1 Red Pepper

2 Spring onions

2tbls sweet white Miso

2tbls Tamari or soy sauce

2tsp white Sesame Seeds

80g Brown Rice

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and boil a kettle.  Rinse the brown rice nd add to a saucepan with 400ml boling water. Simmer for 20-25 minutes then drain.
  2. Meanwhile, cut the aubergine into 2cm cubes.  Place it on a baking tray and drizzle it with half the sesame oil.  Place in the preheated oven on the top or middle shelf for 10 minutes.
  3. Thinly slice the spring onions.  In a bowl, mix the miso paste, maple syrup and remaining sesame oil.  Add the spring onions and the half-cooked aubergine.  Mix well to coat the vegetables.  Spread the mixture over half the baking tray and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
  4. Wash the red pepper and remove the stalk and seeds.  Shred the flesh thinly and set aside.
  5. In a bowl, mix the tamari and cashew nuts.  Spread them on the vacant half of the baking tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes.
  6. Peel and de-stone the avocado and slice it thinly.
  7. Spoon the brown rice into two bowls and top with the miso aubergine, pepper, avocado and nuts.  Sprinkle the avocado with sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.