Here’s a lovely bowl with basmati rice, asparagus, shrimp, carrots, and cherry tomatoes!
Get your chopsticks ready to enjoy this delicious spring poké bowl with me! A fresh, colorful, healthy, and complete dish, perfect for any season!
But what is poké? It is a traditional Hawaiian dish that, until a few years ago, we didn’t even know existed. In its origin, poké referred to a bowl of boiled rice served with raw fish. Vegetables, fruits, and various sauces were used as accompaniments. Some say it was prepared by fishermen at the end of the day to use up leftover catch.
And what does poké mean? It’s simpler than you might think! It means “cut into cubes“. The hallmark of this dish is to cut the ingredients into cubes (or pieces) and place them in a single bowl, the bowl, where they are enjoyed as a single dish.
This dish has made its way around the world from Hawaii. It has been influenced by Asian cuisine to reach Western cuisine. And even though it started as a humble dish, with everyday ingredients, today we find it in a gourmet version, thanks to the use of sought-after and high-quality raw materials.
It has become so popular that now, for about 10 years, we can enjoy poké almost everywhere, even in Italy! The so-called poké bars have sprung up, allowing this Hawaiian specialty to be appreciated by everyone.
A note: many people (including myself before researching!) incorrectly pronounce poké with an accent on the e. The correct pronunciation is actually “poh-kay” 😉
After some notes on this traditional Hawaiian dish, let’s focus on my spring poké with basmati rice, shrimp, and vegetables created for you!
Preparing a rice poké is not difficult at all, and we can customize it according to our tastes and lifestyles. The seasonality of the products we choose definitely allows us to make this dish suitable at any time of the year.
Using extremely fresh products, especially if choosing a raw poké, is one of the main tips I leave you.
Which rice to choose for making a poké bowl? Besides the typical Japanese sushi rice used in the countries of origin, Basmati rice is certainly excellent for preparing delicious bowls.
For my spring bowl, I chose Curtiriso Basmati, a variety of rice grown in India and Pakistan. In the Hindi language, basmati means ‘Queen of Fragrance’, indicating its typical aroma.
Curtiriso Basmati has a delicate taste and an unmistakable aroma, ideal for accompanying meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. It perfectly matches the ingredients I chose for preparing this bowl. Moreover, it does not overcook and is ready in 10 minutes.
The rice bowl can be considered a healthy and balanced dish in every sense. To ensure this, however, we must pay attention to the choice of ingredients to guarantee such balance. I used rice as the source of carbohydrates, shrimp as the protein part (singular), and then a mix of vegetables (asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and carrots) rich in fiber and vitamins.
As for the protein source, my bowl is fish-based (not raw), but we can also opt for meat or a completely vegetarian or vegan version. At the end of the article, I’ll leave you some ideas for replacing the ingredients I’ve used.
After this flood of words, I would say we can move on to the preparation of the spring bowl with basmati rice, shrimp, and vegetables.
But first, I will leave you some other recipes that might interest you!
Read to the end, you will find tips on executing this recipe, possible variations, and a small gift for you!
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 1 person
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Basmati rice (Curtiriso)
- 3 oz shrimp
- 1 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 oz carrots
- 1 1/2 oz asparagus
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- to taste lemon juice (or lime)
- 1 tsp poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds)
Tools
- Bowl
- Colander
- Saucepans
- Pan
- Grater
Steps
Don’t worry, even though the introduction to this preparation was long, the execution will be quick!
The cooking method will be the healthiest there is! With no use of fats or flavor enhancers, we will boil the ingredients, which, once cold, will make up our poké.
Let’s start with the Basmati Rice.
Take a not too large saucepan, pour in the water, and bring to a boil. Add the Curtiriso Basmati and cook for the time indicated on the package covered with a lid.Once ready, drain, put it in a bowl, and then immerse the bowl in a larger container with ice, or simply cold water. This way, we stop the cooking of the rice. Cool completely.
Let’s move on to the vegetables.
Regarding the carrots, we can choose to leave them raw or, as I did, cut them into slices and boil them. The cooking time is about 10-15 minutes (depends on the thickness of the slices), after having peeled and rinsed them well.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.
Take the asparagus, remove the woody end, and wash them well. Put them in a small pan with boiling water.
Boil them for about 8 minutes. The cooking time varies depending on the size of the asparagus. The bigger they are, the longer it takes. Once done, stop the cooking by immersing the asparagus in ice water and set aside.
Finally, let’s address the shrimp.
We can use either fresh or frozen shrimp. Those preferring to consume raw or marinated shrimp must use only very fresh fish.
For those like me who preferred to boil them, frozen ones are also fine. In this case, I recommend first defrosting them completely and then proceeding with cooking.
Clean the shrimp thoroughly. Cut along the back and, with a knife, remove the intestine by pulling it out. Rinse under water.
Take a saucepan, add water, and bring to a boil. Boil the shrimp for about 5 minutes and then cool completely.
Done!
If you’re wondering why I never mentioned the use of salt, it’s not due to forgetfulness!
I chose to season my poké in an oriental way, using only soy sauce, known for its saltiness. If you prefer to season your poké in a Western style, you can use salt and olive oil, or seed oil.
Let’s move on to composing the spring bowl! Take a bowl large enough to contain all the ingredients.
In the center, arrange the Basmati rice, trying to create a sort of mound and not spread it all over the bottom of the bowl.
All around, arrange the other ingredients by creating heaps for each. On one side all the shrimp, then all the carrots, then the asparagus, and finally the cherry tomatoes.
At this point, all that’s left is to season everything with one or two tablespoons of soy sauce and a generous sprinkle of white sesame seeds and poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds).
A little lemon or lime juice, and your poké bowl with basmati rice, shrimp, and vegetables is ready to be enjoyed, with chopsticks or a fork!
I hope you liked this recipe! Come on… try it yourself! It’s delicious!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I replace asparagus with zucchini?
As mentioned above, you can replace the ingredients I used with those you prefer.
For example, instead of asparagus, you can use zucchini, which you can boil or grill. Or eggplants, peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts.
For a completely raw version, cucumbers, fennel, radishes, corn, olives.
We can also enrich our bowls with nuts (almonds, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts) and fresh fruit (mango, avocado, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, pomegranate).What can I use instead of shrimp?
For a fish-based poké, we can use raw fish (in this case, it must be very fresh), as the original dish requires, or cooked (frozen is fine in this case) or marinated (with very fresh fish).
You can choose salmon, tuna, octopus, or surimi.How can I make a vegetarian bowl?
For a vegetarian version, we can use beans, chickpeas, lentils, broad beans, soy, eggs, as a protein base, or feta or other cheeses (like primo sale) for those following a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. Plus vegetables and fruits to taste.
What do you recommend for a vegan version?
Even those who are vegan can enjoy fantastic bowls. For example, with tofu (or seitan), avocado, corn, and cucumbers (or with the vegetables/fruits) we like best.
How do you store a poké bowl?
After preparing it, we can store it in the fridge for one day.
How many times a week can we eat a poké?
For the version with crustaceans, fish, or meat, about 2-3 times a week. If we choose the one with tofu or cheese, once a week. Egg-based, 2 times a week.
