Jungle Mash: A Freegan Delicacy

Some call it a Buddha bowl, others a Hippie bowl, and still others a Power bowl. My Uncle and I affectionately refer to it as a Jungle Mash – and it is one of the most delicious meals you can eat to reduce food waste.

Jungle Mash is a delicacy, a feast of royalty! It combines a cornucopia of ingredients into a bowl of waste-saving yumminess.

A typical Mash consists of veggies, grains, beans, and sauce. The secret ingedient? Whatever you have. You see, Jungle Mash is all about using what you have, thus pretty much anything you like can be thrown in. I’ve put many a random ingredient in my Mashes.

So what IS Jungle Mash?

Jungle Mash isn’t a recipe. It’s its own genre of food. There are infinite combinations of veggies and items you can throw into a bowl. Just chop, sauté or bake, and combine it all together. It’s more function over form. It’s a great way to help you reduce food waste, get a wide variety of nutrients and save time & money.

As I often say, going months without buying food is part offense part defense. And as they say, great defense wins championships, and using everything you have is vital for defending against a dreaded grocery bill.

Recipe

Ok, I’ll give you a recipe… but it’s more of a strategy. I typically make Jungle Mash that lasts for four or more meals. I like to eat big, so I err on the side of more. I’m not a picky eater and gladly eat leftovers for multiple consecutive meals. I usually make Jungle Mash for dinner, the next day’s lunch and dinner, and the following day’s lunch. The recipe below is for the recommended amounts for four meals. Jungle Mash usually takes about 30-45 minutes to cook – not bad for four plus meals! Four is also a good size to make if you are cooking for your roommate, partner, or Uncle so you both have lunch for the next day. I’ve certainly made some “8ers” in my day.

An 8er Jungle Mash. When it’s a particularly big one, we like to call these a Jungle MAYSH.

Ingredients

Jungle Mash isn’t fussy. Any variety of veggies, beans, & grains will do the trick. You can truly use whatever you have.

A typical Jungle Mash might looks like:

At least five different vegetables
One of: beans, tofu, tempeh, plant-based meat, etc.
One whole grain: rice, pasta, quinoa, etc.
Spices
Sauce

The spices and sauce can really make a big difference. You can, of course, eat the jungle mash without it, but a delicious sauce will really make it pop. Some of my favorites are General Tso’s, Marinara, Hoisin, Thai or Indian Curry, and Peanut Sauce. I’ve used salad dressings or even tahini I’ve found in some mashes.

Cooking Instructions

If you are cooking beans in an instant pot, make sure to get those going first. If you are using canned beans, you’ll add those in at the end.
Get your grain going. For rice, quinoa, or similar, I like to cook 1-1.5 cups. For pasta, I typically cook the 1lb box (454g).
Heat your pan and start chopping veggies. I prefer chopping into smaller pieces for the texture and a more distributed flavor. Prioritize items that take longer to cook and throw them in the pan first. For example, I might chop onions & garlic, throw them in the pan, then chop and throw potatoes & carrots, then broccoli and zucchini, and some arugula at the very end. It all depends on what you have. Don’t overthink it. Cook your veggies for 10-15ish minutes or until desired tenderness.
As it’s cooking, add in whatever spices tickle your fancy.
Add in your protein. If you’re cooking tofu or tempeh, make sure you cook that in with the veggies. If you’re adding beans, you can mix those in at the end.
Pour in the sauce.
Mix it all together in a big bowl, serve and enjoy!

There are differing schools of thought when it comes to Jungle Mixology. The classic version is to mix everything together in a big bowl. I have a halloween themed bowl that is my go to (see below). However, others like to keep the veggies, grains, and protein separate and have different sections on their plate. Again, Jungle Mash isn’t fussy, mix or don’t mix to your heart’s desire.

Jungle Mash in the world famous Halloween Bowl.

It doesn’t have to be perfect

Sometimes you don’t have a lot to work with when making a jungle mash, but you’re trying to make use of what you have until the next haul comes in. Most of the time, I’m using a fairly standard spread of vegetables, but I have used a random assortment of food items. This includes things like: Croutons from a salad kit, Tofurkey deli slices, nuts, dried berries, relish, capers, and more. I honestly couldn’t even begin to name all the things I’ve tried. It’s a create your own adventure.

Croutons in a jungle mash — Croutons make an appearance!

You might fall in love

Now at this point, you might be thinking, “Freddy, that sounds disgusting.” And I’m here to tell you, “you might be right.. But you also might love it.” So give it a try, because it might sound disgusting, but you also might love it.