Tandoori Roasted Chickpea Squash Buddha Bowl

This tandoori roasted chickpea & squash Buddha bowl is the best thing I’ve made myself for lunch in a long while.

What is a Buddha Bowl?

Basically they’re bowls containing a cooked grain, leafy greens, vegetables (or fruits), nuts and seeds. A plethora of wholesome and healthy goodness in one filling and satisfying bowl.

I have become ridiculously obsessed with these Buddha Bowls. Like it’s all I think about. All I crave. I’m already thinking of my next bowl recipe.

In this bowl I decided to put together a few of my favorite things starting with; roasted chickpeas and squash, avocado, raisins and couscous to name a few. Staying in the green and gold tones. Not that I planned that.

This bowl is soul gratifying in not only flavor but also in the textural department. It covers crisp, creamy, crunchy and chewy. It’s a party. A pretty darn delicious party.

I started by roasting the chickpeas. Roasted chickpeas are one of my all time favorite things. It amazes me how these little beans can crisp up how they do. Once roasted I toss them in homemade tandoori seasoning which will add a ton of flavor to the bowl. However these can be eaten on their own as a snack.

When the chickpeas are halfway through roasting I slide in the pan with the squash. Sliced delicata (tossed in olive oil and salt) only needs 20-ish minutes to roast, so it’s just a quick trip in the oven. While those are two are roasting, I whip up the couscous and tahini dressing and then it’s time to build the bowls.

Obviously I have OCD when it comes to food styling and arranging, especially when bowls of food are involved. We’ve discussed this.

You just want to add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of couscous to a bowl and then divide the squash, greens (I’m using an organic baby kale blend), sliced avocado, some raisins, chopped pistachios and roasted chickpeas all around it.

It doesn’t have to be perfect or anything, unless you’re a virgo and completely obsessive (that’s me) about the arranging of food.

I usually give my bowl a little sprinkle of smoked sea salt before digging in.

Once I drizzle the dressing over top of everything, I go at it with my fork. Mix, mash and inhale. The dressing mixes with the spices from those crunchy chickpeas and it’s amazing! The avocado ups the creamy factor, raisins add a subtle sweetness and the squash is the main sustenance by adding this delicious butternut squash-esque flavor just without all the prep work. P.s. you can totally eat the squash skin, it’s tough but totally edible. In the real world, I usually peel it off before adding it to my bowl, it’s just that I really isn’t as pretty to photograph with it off, so that’s why I left it on in these shots.

So basically this was my lunch for a few days. I never got sick of it. I actually looked forward to eating this glorious tandoori roasted chickpea & squash Buddha bowl each day and was a little sad when it was gone. because it was that GOOD.

Enjoy! And if you give this tandoori roasted chickpea & squash buddha bowl recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Tandoori Roasted Chickpea Squash Buddha Bowl

A healthy bowl of greens, grains and vegetables! Dressed in a easy and delicious tahini dressing. Healthy and satisfying!

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

FOR THE TANDOORI CHICKPEAS:

• 15 ounces canned chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons homemade tandoori spice blend

FOR THE BUDDHA BOWL:

• 2 delicata squash, seeded and sliced into 1/4 to 1/2-inch rings
• 2½ cups prepared couscous, about 1 cup dry- follow package directions to prepare
• 5 ounces baby kale blend
• 1 avocados, halved, pitted, sliced and remove from skins
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 4 teaspoons chia seeds

FOR THE TAHINI DRESSING:

• 1 clove garlic, grated (about 1 teaspoon)
• 5 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 4 tablespoons warm water, to thin out the dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions 

FOR THE TANDOOR ROASTED CHICKPEAS:

• Preheat your oven to 400℉ (or 200℃) and line a rimmed sheet pan with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Drain, rinsed and pat the chickpeas dry with a kitchen towel.
• Transfer chickpeas to the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until crispy. Remove and add the roasted chickpeas into a bowl with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the tandoori spice. Toss to coat.

FOR THE BUDDHA BOWL:

• Place the squash rings onto a rimmed, metal baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
• When there is 20 minutes left on the chickpeas, I will slide in the delicate squash. Roast the squash in the lower third of your oven for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully turn the squash rings. Rotate the pan and continue to roast for an additional 10 minutes.
• Add about 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of couscous into four large pasta bowls. Then divide the squash, kale blend, roasted chickpeas and avocado halves. Garnish with chia seeds, chopped pistachios and raisins.
• Drizzle the tahini dressing over top and season the Buddha bowl with more salt to your taste.

FOR THE TAHINI DRESSING:

• In a small bowl combine the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and warm water. Season with salt and smoked paprika. Whisk until smooth.

Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 614kcal, Carbohydrates: 74g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 336mg, Potassium: 1630mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 6883IU, Vitamin C: 84mg, Calcium: 206mg, Iron: 5mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: buddha bowls

Cuisine: American, Indian