Gerome Drypond
Pretty good-looking Poke Bowl for your Instagram, huh?
Besides being popular on social media, the Poke Bowl is super easy to cook and brings amazing health benefits.
Do you think that it’s an ordinary salad with rice?
If yes, you are wrong.
The mix between the sweet rice-base, the crunchy fresh veggies, and the savory umami-sauces makes the dish incredibly flavorful!
Here’s more about this lazy craze, perfect to enjoy during the summer on a sunny terrace.
What is a Poke Bowl?
A classic Poke Bowl starts with a base layer of sticky rice topped with raw fish, fresh veggies, and umami-packed seasonings. Yes, it’s like a deconstructed sushi!
But guess where it’s from?
Hawaii!
Originally, “Poke” means “to slice”. It refers to the Hawaiian fishermen who were seasoning the cut-offs of their catch to serve as a snack.
Even if the dish is regional from Hawaii, the seasonings are heavily influenced by the Japanese cuisine. The classic sauce is made of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and fresh lime juice.
The last decade, the healthy recipe became super popular. With its clean appeal and vibrant colors, it’s the perfect meal for a selfie on Instagram. Additionally, it’s very easy to cook and to eat on the go.
Poke Bowl health benefits
This superfood meal is light but packed with nutrient-rich ingredients. The rice base brings a lot of fibers and carbs. The raw fish or the vegan/vegetarian alternative provides a good portion of proteins. And the topped fresh veggies will complete your daily needs of vitamins.
Also, it’s a joy for your dietary preferences! You can make it carb-free, gluten-free, or plant-based.
How to make a Poke Bowl?
The magic of a Poke Bowl is in the variations you can create. There is no specific recipe. It’s up to your preferences! You just need a soft base, a layer of protein, and a topping with veggies and sauces.
For example, make it your own with avocado, mango, sesame seeds, crispy onions, seaweed,… the variations are endless.
Here’s my favorite vegan recipe with local veggies from the market:
Recipe's specifics
Time: 40-minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Price: Cheap
Extra: Infinite variations
Ingredients for 4 portions
⌀ = Ingredient easy to find without packaging.
Rice base:
- 2 cups of rice ⌀
- 2 tbs of coconut oil ⌀
- Black sesame seeds ⌀
- 2 tbs fo rice vinegar
Toppings:
- 3 cups of dry Chickpeas ⌀
- 2 big tomatoes ⌀
- 3 small cucumber ⌀
- 2 carrots ⌀
- 1 bunch of radishes ⌀
- 8 Spring onions ⌀
Seasoning:
- Soy Sauce ⌀
- Sesame oil
- White sesame seeds ⌀
- Coriander ⌀
- Salt, Pepper and Hot chilly ⌀
Utensils:
- 1 pot for the rice
- 1 pot for the chickpeas
- Chopsticks
Recipe step-by-step
1. Soak the dry chickpeas for 12h and let them boil for 40 min.
2. Chop all the veggies in thin slices and put them in a salad bowl without mixing them.
3. Cook the rice.
4. When the rice is cooked mix it with the coconut oil, the rice vinegar and the black sesame seeds.
5. Serve the rice in a plate.
6. Toss the chickpeas and the veggies on the top.
7. Add the white sesame seeds, the sesame oil, the soy sauce and the seasoning. Add coriander if you like it.
8. Take the challenge! Eat your vegan Poke Bowl with chopsticks.
