Ayurvedic 6 Tastes Bowl Recipe

I never really thought of myself of being a fan of quinoa, or beetroot, but this easy buddha bowl is one of my favourite recipes yet – and is on high rotation in my weekly meal prep roster!

But first, you may have already heard of buddha bowls, but…

What is an Ayurvedic 6 Taste Bowl?

Ayurveda is a growing interest of mine, with popularity also growing worldwide, and is considered the world’s oldest medical system which originated in India (I’ll share more on this later). The practice is truly based on a holistic approach to health, focusing on balancing mind, body and spirit, and so food and nutrition is a huge part of this practice.

Digestion is also key to physical health, according to Ayurveda (and in most circles now worldwide), and so we need to look after our digestive fire, or “agni” in sanskrit. It’s believed that when we have low agni both our mental and physical health declines, and first results in symptoms such as low energy and mood. So it’s important to fuel our bodies with the right foods (which will vary based on the individual) which will keep us nourished and satisfied.

Ayurveda describes 6 different tastes, all of which we need in varying degrees, which are:

  1. Sweet (Madhura): eg naturally sweet foods such sweet potato, dates, pumpkin and basil
  2. Sour (Amla): eg lemon, lime and apple cider vinegar
  3. Salty (Lavana): eg salt, sea vegetabls, celery, coconut aminos
  4. Bitter (Tikta): eg leafy greens such as spinach, rocket and kale, sesame seeds, coffee, turmeric
  5. Astringent (Kashaya): eg legumes, chickpeas, pomegranate
  6. Pungent (Katu): eg garlic, ginger and onions

How do I build a 6 Taste Bowl?

Select your favourite ingredients, and ones which are best suited to your Ayurvedic Dosha (Vata, Pitta or Kapha).

To balance Vata:

Enjoy more: sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
Eat less: bitter, pungent and astringent tastes.

To balance Pitta:

Enjoy more: sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes.
Eat less: sour, salty, and pungent tastes.

To balance Kapha:

Enjoy more: bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes.
Eat less: sweet, sour, and salty tastes.

Then, bring together the following components:

  • a hearty base
  • lots of veggies
  • protein of your choice (Ayurveda is plant based, but this will depend on your own diet)
  • healthy fats
  • pungent spices
  • fresh herbs & garnishes

6 Tastes Buddha Bowl Recipe

Now for the fun part! Of course, you can easily select the ingredients which you prefer, and are best suited for you, but this combo is also definitely tried and tested! It’s also vegan friendly.

As this is the amount I make for meal prep lunches, this recipe makes about 5 servings.

Ingredients
  • 500g sweet potato
  • 2 cups (uncooked) quinoa
  • vegetable stock cube
  • 1 punnet baby tomatoes (I love the perino ones)
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 onion (optional)
  • 4 baby beetroot
  • hommus, to taste
  • tahini, to taste
  • flax seed oil (optional)
  • Fresh lime
  • Fresh coriander
To make
  1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius & boil some water
  2. Prepare and cube the sweet potato (skin on or off is up to you) and spread out on a baking tray, lightly coat in oil and put in the oven.
  3. Next drain the chickpeas and spread out on another baking tray. Dice the onion and also place on the tray (if you’re including). Pop them n the oven too.
  4. While they are cooking, add the quinoa to the boiling water along with a vegetable stock cube for extra flavour
  5. Once they are all cooked, you can then store them for easy lunch access throughout the week, and if you’re read to serve now:
  6. Simply chop the tomatoes and baby beetroots (I buy pre-cooked from the fresh vegetable section), place in the bowl with the cooked quinoa, sweet potato, chickpea and onions, then top with a dollop of hommus, drizzle of tahini, tsp of flaxseed oil and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and coriander. Enjoy!

 

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Ayurveda 6 Tastes Bowl Recipe

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Author

Sophie is the owner and creator of The Beautiful Existence. A Melbourne based self proclaimed nerd, gym junkie and lover of all things creative, tasty and well designed!

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