What does paradise taste like? It tastes like a poke bowl, a delicious Hawaiian dish based on fish with rice, seaweed, vegetables, seeds ... An explosion of flavor and colors that has conquered half the world and that has become the preferred choice of lovers of healthy cooking.  

This is because Hawaiians have been able to reflect the richness of their islands in a dish: fresh, natural and colorful ingredients that transmit the happy spirit of the Hawaiians. That's why, with the boom of healthy eating, the poke has gained fame first in the United States and now in Europe.

Trends or myths aside, poke bowl is a very healthy dish. The original recipe combines raw fish, usually tuna, marinated in dressings that may include soy sauce or sesame. To these you can add seaweed, avocado, cucumber, sesame ... and, in a separate bowl, rice.  

Experts say that Hawaiian natives, before having contact with the West, ate raw fish kneaded with their fingers or cut transversely into pieces (the meaning of poke). Then they added salt to preserve it, crunchy limu, toasted kukui nut and sea salt. The recipe kept changing and in its evolution the arrival of Japanese to the island in the 1970s was decisive. Thanks to them, soy sauce and rice were added to the recipe. However, since the poke bowl left the islands to conquer the world, you can find many different versions.  

The best thing about this dish is that, thanks to it, eating well and healthy becomes very easy. There are very simple recipes of poke bowls which are quick to make, so there is no excuse to stop yourself from tasting paradise. To start with healthy cooking in the Hawaiian style, you can try these two simple options:  

Poke Bowl by chef Vanesa Tuero from ARTIEM Asturias

In this video, chef Vanesa Tuero from ARTIEM Asturias shows you step by step how to create a fresh and healthy poke bowl. With ingredients and simple preparation, you have no excuse not to try it at home.

Mango and papaya poke with coconut rice

Ingredients:  

• For the base: 240 grams of whole grain brown rice, 400 ml of whole coconut milk, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar and a pinch of salt.
• For the poke: grated and juice of 2 limes, 2 mangoes cut into 1 cm cubes, half papaya cut into 1cm cubes.  

Elaboration step by step:  

1. Cook the rice and meanwhile pour the coconut milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan to simmer everything until the sugar has dissolved.
2. When the rice is ready pour two thirds of the mixture with coconut milk and stir little by little. Pass it all to two bowls.
3. Remove the juice and the zest from the files with the fruit poke.
4. Stack the fruit on the coconut rice and serve it with the coconut milk mixture you have set aside.

Source: doctormorano.com

Poke bowl of marinated red tuna

Ingredients:

• 200 g of brown rice for the base.
• 200 g of fresh bluefin tuna
• For marinating:
  • 5 tablespoons of sesame oil.
  • 3 tablespoons of soy sauce (low in salt).
  • A piece of fresh ginger.
  • A grated garlic clove.
  • A small file
  • Roasted sesame seeds.
• Fruits, vegetables and mushrooms for toppings:
  • One avocado.
  • One carrot.
  • Half red cabbage.
  • A ripe mango
  • A handful of dehydrated shiitake mushrooms.
  • Some radishes.
• Salt and pepper to season.

Elaboration step by step:

1. Freeze the fish 48 hours before in a hermetically sealed bag and without air at -18 degrees minimum.
2. 24 hours before you plan to cook your poke, marinate the fish (previously thawed in the fridge) in sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, lime zest, ginger and garlic.
3. Hydrate the mushrooms in one liter of hot water for one hour.
4. Cook the rice in the water in which you have hydrated the mushrooms, and let it cool (you can pass it through cold water to speed up the process).
5. Prepare and cut all the vegetables and fruit. Sprinkle the mango and avocado, after slicing them into slices, with the lime juice so they don´t rust.
6. Assemble the poke bowl with the rice as a base and the rest of the ingredients on top to your liking.
7. Finally, add a little more sesame oil (or olive oil) to the marinade broth, lime juice or lemon juice and pour it all over the poke bowl.

Source: gourmetier.com

If, on the other hand, you are one of those who prefer to order a la carte, there are already some restaurants in Madrid that specialize in making poke bowls. We propose three different options:  

• Aloha poké: A new restaurant located in the neighborhood of Chueca (Calle Libertad, nº 17) that honors the roots of this delicious dish. The main peculiarity of Aloha poke is that you can create your own combination in four simple steps.
• Tasty poke bar: This franchise is another new addition to the Quevedo area (Calle de San Bernardo, nº 119) that has also opted for Hawaiian food. In their case they have different proposals but it is also possible to adapt the bowl to your own tastes.
• ii poké: With two restaurants in Madrid (C / Argensola nº 17 and Paseo de la Castellana 280), ii poke has eight different proposals in various sizes (they offer all the caloric and allergen information). You can consume them on the spot, order them to take away or order directly from their website. Everything is 100% Hawaiian, from the bottled water to green rice brought directly from Hawaii.
• La Cantina Mama Campo: in the Plaza de Olavide, Mama Campó prepares some of the richest and healthiest dishes of the capital. Among them, of course, we found a poke based on salmon, avocado and rice. Delicious and refreshing at the same time!

You will be able to find poke bowls in many more places as they are gaining a lot of ground, but in these restaurants, you will find a very authentic flavor and multiple options to never get bored with poke bowls.  

If you like to have a healthy diet, don´t hesitate to choose this dish for its flavor and for all the different combinations you can try. Follow the diet of happiness and enjoy the Paradise, bite by bite.