Poke Bowls or Poké Bowls are the new craze in my family. The kids love it and I love them for eating so healthy. There is really nothing unhealthy or bad about what’s in a poke bowl. Think of it as sushi in a bowl.

Poke Bowls are not from Japanese origin as I have thought, but it is natively Hawaiian. Poke began with fishermen seasoning the cut-offs from their catch to serve as a snack. The condiments they used to season the fish had a Japanese influence, hence our misconception that poke is Japanese. These flavorings are soy sauce, green onions, and sesame oil.

To eat raw fish is not all that strange, many cuisines around the world have their own way of enjoying uncooked fish. In Europe fish carpaccio and fish tartare are popular dishes. The Peruvians love their ceviche and the Japanese their sashimi.

Like with so many traditional recipes, we had to tamper with this one too. So poke bowls are no longer as simple as seasoned off-cutts, the modern take added all sorts of ingredients such as avocado, ponzu sauce, teriyaki sauce, mushrooms, crispy onions, pickled jalapeño, sriracha sauce, cilantro, pineapple or cucumber.

Nevertheless, let’s not split hairs, prepare it how you and your family will love it. I suggest you start with the basic flavors or soy sauce, green onions and sesame oil. Tuna, yellowtail and salmon are the most popular types of fish to use.

Before I give my recipe, let’s talk about the rice. I have tried all sorts, white rice, brown rice, noodles……. it is not the same. My family prefers sushi rice. If you want to cook your own sushi rice, here is a video. I take the shortcut and stop at my local sushi bar and buy the cooked rice.

Poke Bowls

serves 4

Ingredients

200 g salmon fillet

about 125ml light soy sauce

15 ml sesame oil

3 cups cooked sushi rice

2 – 3 large spring onions – finely chopped

2 red chilies – finely chopped

½ English cucumber – cut in small cubes

4 radishes – cut in the thinnest slices

125 ml edemame beans

2 carrots – cut in thin ribbons with vegetable peeler

2 ripe avocadoes – cut into small cubes or make 4 avo roses

1 lime

fresh coriander or micro herbs

toasted black and white sesame seeds

Method

Firstly prepare the salmon. Use a sharp knife and remove the skin of the salmon. Cut the salmon in 1cm x 1cm cubes. Place in a bowl and add the soy and sesame oil. Marinade for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare all the vegetables.

Time to assemble the bowls.

Divide the sushi rice between the 4 bowls. Place a avocado rose in the middle of each bowl and add the other ingredients as per the images. When you divide the salmon, make sure you keep some of the marinating liquid to drizzle over the poke bowls before serving. Enjoy with a squeeze of lime and the toasted sesame seeds.

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