This vegetarian Masala Barley Buddha Bowl screams balanced nutrition. It is loaded with pearl barley pulao for complex carbs, lots of veggies, spicy tawa paneer, and a generous dollop of chilled yogurt for protein. A healthy Indian meal that you will want to eat every day!
On the days I don’t feel like rolling out Rotis, I lean on quick and easy recipes like this nourishing food bowl that I am sharing today, savory pancakes, or mixed lentil dosas like these. In my opinion, every meal should have a little bit of everything. More veggies, then the protein, and the last is the carbs. When you make a whole-grain bowl like the recipe that I am sharing with you today, you will have it all.
What exactly is a Buddha Bowl?
A Buddha bowl is a vegetarian nourishing bowl with nutrient-dense components like whole grains, protein, veggies, some kind of sauce, or a drizzle. It is a delicious way to eat your food and get balanced nutrition. You can easily customize your bowls every time to avoid them being boring!
What is Pearl Barley?
Pearl Barley is a whole grain that is high in fiber and calcium. As it is a whole grain and complex carb it is rich in vitamins and minerals as well. It is a better choice for you when it comes to eating carbs. It is an oval-shaped grain that when cooked has a nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Is Barley high in carbs?
Yes, it is true that barley is high in carbs. This is a reason I like to add it to a soup or warm bowl like this in a reasonable quantity. Always have a side of salad and protein in your meal so that you do not indulge in the carbs a lot and you will feel full before you know.
Gluten-free option
Pearl Barley isn’t gluten-free. However, you can use this recipe as an inspiration and swap it with brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, buckwheat, or polenta instead. The cooking times for each of these are different. Please check the package and cook accordingly.
4 parts to this Masala Barley Buddha Bowl
Making the barley pulao
You may cook barley according to the package on the stovetop or use a pressure cooker for more convenience. After the barley is cooked all you have to do is sautee it with some veggies and spices to make it tasty. I love how this Indian-style barley recipe tastes!!!
Seasoned paneer for protein
I can’t stress enough; how important it is to include protein in every meal you have. It makes you feel fuller without a lot of carb intake. Having a protein-rich meal is a successful step to weight management. This time I have paired this barley bowl with some pan-fried paneer that I marinated in yogurt and spices.
Some greens as a salad on the side.
I like to include some spring mix, cherry tomatoes, and sometimes cucumber for some more crunch. Adding some salad to your diet will definitely make you feel full and reduce the urge to overeat carbs.
Chilled seasoned yogurt
I love to top my buddha bowl with some kind of sauce or a dip. It just pulls the entire bowl together adding more taste and increasing my desire to eat it again. This time I am eating barley with chilled yogurt seasoned with paprika, cumin, and rock salt.
Easy customization to the buddha bowl!
- It is so easy to customize this recipe to your taste. Use veggies of your choice. You can use only one or maybe five veggies for more color and nutrition. Add a side of greens as a salad or add more veggies to the barley pulao itself.
- On the protein front, you can swap the paneer and add tofu instead. Instead of cooking it on the side, you can add chopped paneer to the pulao itself. You can totally skip it and add more yogurt to your diet or eat a cup of lentils. With so many options how amazing it is to make this warm salad bowl!!!!
Cooking Barley using an Instant Pot
- Cooking barley is as easy as cooking rice if you have a pressure cooker. I like to cook a big batch of barley in an Instant Pot by adding some salt. Just rinse, add to the pot, fill with water. Then close the lid and forget it. Let the pot do its job.
- I don’t have to babysit the cooking process and the barley is cooked efficiently. Once done it will beep. Now let the pressure release naturally. Next, open the pot and fluff up the barley. Then use it in the recipes as needed. Think pulao, soup, and salads.
Important tips to keep in mind!
- You can add or reduce spice to your taste.
- Do not cook barley with veggies directly in the Instant Pot as the veggies will turn mushy.
- Do not forget to squeeze a lemon on the pulao just before eating.
Possible substitutes that work great!
- Swap paneer for pressed firm tofu and yogurt for dairy-free one.
- Add veggies of your choice to the pulao. Cabbage, celery, mushrooms, spinach, peas, sweet corn work well.
- If you do not want a side of paneer add it in the pulao itself and adjust seasoning accordingly.
Storage and shelf life.
- You can boil a big batch of barley and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Use as needed in salads, soups, or stew.
- This recipe makes great leftovers. Cooked pulao will stay good in the fridge for 3 days.
- Leftover Tawa Paneer can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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Indian Vegetarian Mulligatawny Soup
Masala Barley Buddha Bowl Recipe
Masala Barley Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
For cooking barley in an Instant Pot
- ½ cup Pearl Barley
- 1¼ cup water
- Pinch of salt
For making Barley Pulao
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ¼ cup carrots chopped
- ¼ cup bell peppers chopped
- 1 Roma tomato, finely chopped.
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or grated
- 2 teaspoons garlic grated or paste.
Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or finely chopped green chillies
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala OR garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 1 fresh lemon
- Chopped cilantro optional
For pan-fried paneer
- 16 rectangular pieces of paneer 1-2” long
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil or of choice
For marinating paneer
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- 1.5 teaspoon roasted besan
- ½ teaspoon grated garlic
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- Pinch of turmeric
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- Salt to taste only if needed
For salad on the side
- 3 cup packed Spring mix
- 12-16 Cherry Tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- Squeeze of lemon juice
For yogurt
- 1 cup yogurt or more if desired
- Pinch of paprika
- Pinch of rock salt
- Pinch of cumin
Instructions
Cooking Pearl Barley
- Rinse barley in a fine mesh colander with water.
- Add it to the inner pot of the instant pot. Now add 1 cup of water to it.
- Secure the lid with the knob on sealing position.
- Press Manual, High Pressure cook time 18 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally which will take more 15 minutes. Once the pin drops down, open up the lid and fluff the barley. If you suspect any water, it will soak up in minutes.
- Keep aside to cool and use as needed.
Making the barley pulao.
- Heat up oil in a pan. Once warm add in cumin seeds. When they splutter add in the veggies, ginger garlic paste and sautee couple of times. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally in between.
- Toss in the tomatoes. Add in masalas and salt and cook until tender. Add in few tablespoons of water if needed. Cover up with a lid and cook to speed up the process. Now add in the cooked barley and stir well to coat. Cook for a minute.
- Taste the pulao and adjust seasoning if needed. Top it with cilantro and add a squeeze of fresh lemon.
For making tawa paneer
- Marinate paneer in yogurt spice mix for at least 20 minutes up to 2 days in the fridge.
- Heat mustard oil in a non-stick pan. Now cook the pieces of paneer in a single layer on high heat, turning it mid-way and cooking on another side until golden brown. Remove the pieces from the pan and leave behind excess oil if any.
For the salad side
- Toss the salad with seasoning and lemon juice.
For the yogurt.
- Add the seasoning to the yogurt and mix well.
Assemble the Buddha Bowl
- Add a bit of everything above components to the bowl. Enjoy the barley pulao warm with chilled yogurt, tawa paneer and salad.
Step by Step video of the recipe –
Notes
Important tips
- You can add or reduce spice to your taste.
- I have used pearl barley not hulled barley.
- Do not cook barley with veggies directly in the Instant Pot as the veggies will turn mushy.
- Do not forget to squeeze a lemon on the pulao just before eating.
Possible substitutes
- Swap paneer for pressed firm tofu and yogurt for dairy-free one.
- Add veggies of your choice to the pulao. Cabbage, celery, mushrooms, peas, sweet corn, spinach work well.
- If you do not want a side of paneer add it in the pulao itself and adjust seasoning accordingly.
Storage and shelf life.
- You can boil a big batch of barley and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Use as needed in salads, soups, or stew.
- This recipe makes great leftovers. Cooked pulao will stay good in the fridge for 3 days.
- Leftover tawa paneer can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Hi, what type and how much tomatoes to add to barley pulao? I don’t see tomatoes listed in the ingredients, but tomatoes are mentioned in the instructions. Thanks.
Thank you Nadine for pointing out, you can use one Roma tomato finely chopped. I will update the ingredient list.