Known for its wholesome appeal and colourful components, the meal-in-one bowl is fast becoming one of the hottest international food trends—from its savoury to sweet avatars. Smart Life brings you a few such bowls from across the country.
By Raul Dias
Almost instantly spelling out the words ‘Comfort Food’ in big, bold alphabets, the one bowl meal has a certain easy-going, pretence-free vibe about it and one that has achieved popularity and hipster-chic credence over the last couple of years. Not only are they a convenient and clever way to mix all of your favourite ingredients together, but for whatever reason food just seems more interesting when served from a bowl!
Be it an Asian-style Buddha bowl, a Korean bibimbap-influenced bowl or a fruit and oats-laden breakfast bowl topped with the very fashionable and au courant sliced avocado and chia seeds, the bowl meal is here to stay.
We’ve compiled a list of a few such bowls here in India that have left us, well…bowled over with their brilliance.
Hot Pot Bowl
At Pra Pra Prank, Gurugram
A hot pot is a classic Mongolian rice dish that is served with various vegetable and meat toppings which come sizzling hot in a stone pot. One gets fantastically browned brunt rice at the bottom of the pot, making this dish extra delicious. In this version of the one bowl meal, wok tossed Schezwan-sauced rice is topped with chicken, water chestnuts, roasted peanuts, sweet corn kernels, chives, mushrooms and fried garlic. What makes this dish even more special is that it gives the diner the unique experience of eating from a sizzling stone bowl into which all the ingredients are mixed in front of them. “I came up with this idea because when we were preparing for our new menu, winter was approaching. And so, I thought that I should present my guests with a memorable experience,” says Chef Aryav, the Executive Chef at Pra Pra Prank. “And I thought that there can be nothing better than a sizzling hot meat and rice dish which stays hot till the last bite!”
Morning Glory Bowl and Tokyo Pork Bowl
At Shibuii, Mumbai
Offering two distinct bowls—one vegetarian and one pork-based—this new Pan-Asian restaurant champions this food trend. To begin with, the morning glory bowl is composed of a serving of morning glory leaves tossed in garlic and chilly and then bathed in yellow bean sauce. This is complimented with steamed aromatic jasmine rice. To complete the meal, the bowl also consists of delicately hand rolled vegetable spring rolls drizzled with a tangy hoisin sauce, which gives the meal that extra something. To add to it, the bowl also includes some starch in the form of finger potatoes in a sweet and spicy sauce.
On the other hand, the Tokyo pork bowl is made up of delicious and succulent chargrilled pork belly slices glazed in a spiced curry broth made with the stock of pork, herbs and vegetables. All this is perfectly paired with steamed jasmine rice with prawn crackers and a hand-rolled spring roll adding some crunch to your meal-in-one bowl.
Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl
At Toast & Tonic Bengaluru
Generally, this Hawaiian-origin one bowl wonder is a delicious concoction where soy- and sesame oil-marinated raw tuna cubes are served atop vinegared sushi rice. Predominantly a lunch dish, poké (pronounced poh-kay) has taken over the world as a healthy, highly nutritious and fun way to eat fish and rice. Dishing out one of the yummiest iterations of the dish in India we’ve had the pleasure of eating, Toast & Tonic in Bengaluru’s Ashok Nagar does things a little differently with their Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl. Here the traditional sushi rice is substituted for the short-grained and sticky Gobindobhog variety from Bengal, with the bowl topped off with a passion fruit and pineapple vinaigrette, a halved, beetroot-pickled boiled egg and fresh avocado cubes. All of this is then sprinkled with micro mustard greens, shards of nori (dried Japanese seaweed), fried onions and a sprinkling of the very fashionable chia seeds.
Hot Stone Bowl
At Molecule Air Bar, New Delhi
Drawing in great inspiration from the classic Korean dish called bibimbap, the super colourful hot stone bowl served here consists of warm jasmine rice accompanied by various ingredients like water chestnuts, broccoli, peanuts, sprouts, tofu, spring onion, peppers, chicken, with a fried egg sitting atop it. One also gets to choose a sauce of your liking. Here all the ingredients are mixed in a heated stone bowl in front of the guest at their table and served piping hot. “This dish has very warm flavours which are just right for the winter season,” says Mohammed Anas Qureshi, the Brand Chef. “And as it is served in a hot bowl, the dish stays warm for a longer period of time. The whole idea of this dish is to serve our guest something which brings warmth to their dining experience this season.”
Kiwi Banana Smoothie Bowl
At The Daily Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai
We’ve truly saved the ‘sweetest’ bowl on this list for last with the fruity, all-day breakfast treat that is the yummy kiwi banana smoothie bowl at Mumbai’s The Daily Bar & Kitchen. This bowl is made by blending fresh kiwis and chopped bananas with yogurt that is perfect for people following a healthy diet. Coconut powder is incorporated into this mixture for added flavour, post which it is kept in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours. The dish is then served in a bowl and topped with slices of both fruits, delicious toasted granola and some chia seeds to add the right amount of texture. “Banana and Kiwi are my favourite fruits and I usually choose these when I am on the go. Being my staples, I decided to incorporate these two in a smoothie bowl allowing my breakfasts to be super healthy and easy to make,” says Liton Bhakta, Head Chef, The Daily Bar & Kitchen. “Since it worked so well, I decided to add this to The Daily’s menu and ever since it has been the most ordered smoothie bowl!”
(A differently edited version of this piece was first published in the March 2020 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)
By Raul Dias
Almost instantly spelling out the words ‘Comfort Food’ in big, bold alphabets, the one bowl meal has a certain easy-going, pretence-free vibe about it and one that has achieved popularity and hipster-chic credence over the last couple of years. Not only are they a convenient and clever way to mix all of your favourite ingredients together, but for whatever reason food just seems more interesting when served from a bowl!
Be it an Asian-style Buddha bowl, a Korean bibimbap-influenced bowl or a fruit and oats-laden breakfast bowl topped with the very fashionable and au courant sliced avocado and chia seeds, the bowl meal is here to stay.
We’ve compiled a list of a few such bowls here in India that have left us, well…bowled over with their brilliance.
Hot Pot Bowl
At Pra Pra Prank, Gurugram
A hot pot is a classic Mongolian rice dish that is served with various vegetable and meat toppings which come sizzling hot in a stone pot. One gets fantastically browned brunt rice at the bottom of the pot, making this dish extra delicious. In this version of the one bowl meal, wok tossed Schezwan-sauced rice is topped with chicken, water chestnuts, roasted peanuts, sweet corn kernels, chives, mushrooms and fried garlic. What makes this dish even more special is that it gives the diner the unique experience of eating from a sizzling stone bowl into which all the ingredients are mixed in front of them. “I came up with this idea because when we were preparing for our new menu, winter was approaching. And so, I thought that I should present my guests with a memorable experience,” says Chef Aryav, the Executive Chef at Pra Pra Prank. “And I thought that there can be nothing better than a sizzling hot meat and rice dish which stays hot till the last bite!”
Morning Glory Bowl and Tokyo Pork Bowl
At Shibuii, Mumbai
Offering two distinct bowls—one vegetarian and one pork-based—this new Pan-Asian restaurant champions this food trend. To begin with, the morning glory bowl is composed of a serving of morning glory leaves tossed in garlic and chilly and then bathed in yellow bean sauce. This is complimented with steamed aromatic jasmine rice. To complete the meal, the bowl also consists of delicately hand rolled vegetable spring rolls drizzled with a tangy hoisin sauce, which gives the meal that extra something. To add to it, the bowl also includes some starch in the form of finger potatoes in a sweet and spicy sauce.
On the other hand, the Tokyo pork bowl is made up of delicious and succulent chargrilled pork belly slices glazed in a spiced curry broth made with the stock of pork, herbs and vegetables. All this is perfectly paired with steamed jasmine rice with prawn crackers and a hand-rolled spring roll adding some crunch to your meal-in-one bowl.
Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl
At Toast & Tonic Bengaluru
Generally, this Hawaiian-origin one bowl wonder is a delicious concoction where soy- and sesame oil-marinated raw tuna cubes are served atop vinegared sushi rice. Predominantly a lunch dish, poké (pronounced poh-kay) has taken over the world as a healthy, highly nutritious and fun way to eat fish and rice. Dishing out one of the yummiest iterations of the dish in India we’ve had the pleasure of eating, Toast & Tonic in Bengaluru’s Ashok Nagar does things a little differently with their Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl. Here the traditional sushi rice is substituted for the short-grained and sticky Gobindobhog variety from Bengal, with the bowl topped off with a passion fruit and pineapple vinaigrette, a halved, beetroot-pickled boiled egg and fresh avocado cubes. All of this is then sprinkled with micro mustard greens, shards of nori (dried Japanese seaweed), fried onions and a sprinkling of the very fashionable chia seeds.
Hot Stone Bowl
At Molecule Air Bar, New Delhi
Drawing in great inspiration from the classic Korean dish called bibimbap, the super colourful hot stone bowl served here consists of warm jasmine rice accompanied by various ingredients like water chestnuts, broccoli, peanuts, sprouts, tofu, spring onion, peppers, chicken, with a fried egg sitting atop it. One also gets to choose a sauce of your liking. Here all the ingredients are mixed in a heated stone bowl in front of the guest at their table and served piping hot. “This dish has very warm flavours which are just right for the winter season,” says Mohammed Anas Qureshi, the Brand Chef. “And as it is served in a hot bowl, the dish stays warm for a longer period of time. The whole idea of this dish is to serve our guest something which brings warmth to their dining experience this season.”
Kiwi Banana Smoothie Bowl
At The Daily Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai
We’ve truly saved the ‘sweetest’ bowl on this list for last with the fruity, all-day breakfast treat that is the yummy kiwi banana smoothie bowl at Mumbai’s The Daily Bar & Kitchen. This bowl is made by blending fresh kiwis and chopped bananas with yogurt that is perfect for people following a healthy diet. Coconut powder is incorporated into this mixture for added flavour, post which it is kept in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours. The dish is then served in a bowl and topped with slices of both fruits, delicious toasted granola and some chia seeds to add the right amount of texture. “Banana and Kiwi are my favourite fruits and I usually choose these when I am on the go. Being my staples, I decided to incorporate these two in a smoothie bowl allowing my breakfasts to be super healthy and easy to make,” says Liton Bhakta, Head Chef, The Daily Bar & Kitchen. “Since it worked so well, I decided to add this to The Daily’s menu and ever since it has been the most ordered smoothie bowl!”
(A differently edited version of this piece was first published in the March 2020 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)
