Brown Rice Roasted Veg Bowl
There is a version of this bowl that exists in approximately every healthy eating photograph ever taken. It looks beautiful. It always has tahini drizzled artfully over the top. I have tried many versions of it and most of them were fine but slightly disappointing — until I realised the tahini dressing was doing almost nothing because I kept following recipes that called for maple syrup as a sweetener, which was wiping out the nutty flavour I actually wanted.
Swapping the maple syrup for monk fruit in the dressing was the fix. The tahini comes forward, the lemon brightens everything, and you get a bowl that actually tastes like it looks. The crispy chickpeas are not optional. I have made this without them. It is less good.
*Per USDA FoodData Central
The Swap Snapshot
| Typical Version | The Sugar Swap Version | Sugar per serving* |
|---|---|---|
| Buddha Bowl with Maple Tahini Dressing Maple syrup in the dressing adds 10–12g sugar before the bowl even comes together | Brown Rice Bowl with Monk Fruit Tahini Monk fruit drops replace maple syrup in the dressing — all the balance, no added sugar | 16g→3g |
*Based on USDA FoodData Central values. The Sugar Swap is not medical or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
Serves 3 · Scale as needed
- 1½ cups cooked brown rice
- 2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1 bundle broccolini or broccoli, chopped
- ½ red onion, in wedges
- 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- black sesame seeds & microgreens to serve
- Monk Fruit Tahini Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tbsp ⇄ monk fruit liquid drops ⇄ the sweetener swap
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2–4 tbsp hot water, to thin
- salt to taste
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss sweet potato and red onion with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking tray. Roast 10 minutes.
- 2
Flip sweet potato, add broccolini to the tray, drizzle with another tablespoon of oil. Roast a further 10–12 minutes until everything is golden and tender.
- 3
Meanwhile, toss dried chickpeas with the remaining oil, cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. Sauté in a hot frying pan for 10 minutes, stirring often, until crispy and browned.
- 4
Make the dressing: whisk together tahini, monk fruit drops, lemon juice, and hot water until smooth and pourable. Season with salt. Add more water if too thick.
⇄ Swap NoteMonk fruit liquid drops replace maple syrup in the dressing exactly — they balance the bitterness of the tahini without adding sugar. The dressing should taste nutty, sharp, and just gently sweet. Start with 2 tablespoons of drops and taste before adding more.
- 5
Assemble: brown rice base, roasted vegetables, crispy chickpeas, sliced avocado. Drizzle generously with dressing. Finish with black sesame seeds and microgreens.
Why I Made This Swap
Classic tahini dressings use maple syrup or honey to balance the bitterness of tahini — which works flavour-wise but adds a significant amount of sugar to what is otherwise a genuinely nutritious bowl. Swapping to monk fruit liquid drops provides the same balancing sweetness with no added sugar. The tahini’s own nutty, slightly bitter flavour comes forward more clearly, and the lemon does the brightening it was always meant to do.
Common Mistakes
- Not drying the chickpeas properly. Wet chickpeas steam instead of crisp. Pat them very dry with a kitchen towel before they go in the pan — this is the difference between crispy and sad.
- Making the dressing too thick. Tahini seizes when cold — add hot water a tablespoon at a time and whisk until it becomes pourable. It should drizzle easily from a spoon.
- Assembling too far in advance. This bowl is best assembled right before eating. The components keep separately for days — just put them together when you’re ready.
Storage
Store each component separately: roasted veg and chickpeas in the fridge for up to 4 days, dressing in a jar for up to 5 days, cooked rice for up to 3 days. Assemble to order.
Nutrition per serving
*Per USDA FoodData Central · Typical version: 16g sugar · The Sugar Swap is not medical or nutritional advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different grain?
Quinoa, farro, or even cauliflower rice all work well as the base. Quinoa adds extra protein and cooks faster than brown rice. See our Quinoa Tabbouleh for another great grain swap.
Can I use canned chickpeas without making them crispy?
You can, but the texture of the bowl suffers. The crispy chickpeas provide the crunch that makes this dish satisfying. If short on time, roast them on the same tray as the vegetables at 220°C for 15–20 minutes instead.
Is monk fruit the same as stevia?
No — they’re two different zero-calorie natural sweeteners. Stevia comes from the stevia plant and can have a slightly herbal or liquorice-like aftertaste. Monk fruit comes from a small Asian melon and has a cleaner, neutral sweetness. Most people find monk fruit closer to sugar in flavour. See the full comparison in our Swap Guide.
