Nina says: “Around since the 1970s, dragon bowls were one of the original veggie bowls, together with buddha bowls. Dragon bowls popped up at a time when macrobiotic philosophy was fashionable with vegetarians.

Making a dragon bowl is more about attitude than sticking to a set of specific ingredients. It’s about putting together whatever seasonal legumes, grains and veggies you have at home. My dragon bowl is crowned with shredded nori to stay on theme. So far, all the dragon bowls I’ve tasted on my travels have been topped with a seaweed and served with a soy-based dressing, a nod to the birth country of macrobiotics: Japan.

This dragon bowl has a mix of flavours that complement each other well: curried cauliflower, beetroot dip, sautéed kale and wholegrain rice.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

200g brown, red or black rice (or a mix of them all)
2 carrots, grated
2 tablespoons toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds
¼ sheet nori, cut into thin strips

For the curried cauliflower:

1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon garam masala
⅓ teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small cauliflower head, chopped into chunks

For the beetroot dip:

2 medium beetroot, trimmed and greens reserved for frying with the kale
70g cannellini beans
½ teaspoon tahini
1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the tamari and almond dressing:

2 tablespoons shoyu or tamari
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon grated fresh root ginger
1 tablespoon almond or cashew butter
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the sauteed kale:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red or brown miso paste
70g kale, hard stems removed, chopped
2 pinches of shichimi togarashi or red chilli flakes

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, and line a baking tray with baking paper. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

Make the curried cauliflower and beetroot dip. Mix the salt, the turmeric, garam masala and chilli powder with the olive oil in a bowl. Add the chopped cauliflower and toss to coat. Arrange on the baking tray. Place the beetroot in a separate small ovenproof dish (so that it doesn’t discolour the cauliflower) and place it on the tray.

Bake for 25 minutes, turning the cauliflower and the beetroot after 15 minutes.

Blend the dressing ingredients together to make a smooth dressing. Taste and add more shoyu or tamari and/or lemon or lime juice if needed. Set aside.

For the sautéed kale, mix the olive oil with the miso paste. Heat a frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the olive oil and miso mixture. Add the kale and sauté until wilted. Sprinkle with the shichimi togarashi or red chilli flakes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

To finish the beetroot dip, blend the cooked beetroot with the white beans, tahini and lemon juice. Taste and add salt if needed.

Compose the bowls with the rice and wilted kale. Top with the curried cauliflower and carrots and add a dollop of the beetroot dip. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, top with the nori and drizzle with the dressing.

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