Rainbow Chard Rolls

WELCOME TO MY BLOG! I’M EVANGELINE & A MOM. ALSO, AN RMT, and AYURVEDA-YOGA COUNSELLOR. I STARTED MY BLOG DURING COVID TO STAY CONNECTED TO MY CLIENTS AND SHARE MY LOVE OF COOKING HEALTHY, AYURVEDIC MEALS.
AYURVEDIC COOKING TAKES A BALANCED, HEALING APPROACH FOR YOUR DAILY COOKING NEEDS. YOU WILL FIND SIMPLE, EASY TO MAKE NOURISHING MEALS I HAVE MADE FOR MY FAMILY, WITH A DOSE OF AYURVEDA & YOGA WISDOM.

Here in cottage country, the nights are beginning to cool—over the past few days, temperatures have dipped as low as 9°C. As I look back over the meals we’ve shared during these warmer months, one dish stands out as a favourite: Rainbow Chard Rolls.

Cook What You Have

This recipe came about quite organically—literally. The idea to roll up dinner came from my son. Watching him at the table, I copied what he was doing, and voilà—a recipe was born!

We were nearing the end of a two-week stay at a cabin, and it was time to use up the last of the vegetables in the fridge. That night’s assortment included carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and okra. The only plan I had was to lay out the raw rainbow chard leaves in a shallow dish and top them with the warm, sautéed vegetables to gently wilt them.

There happened to be enough okra to make a small batch of okra fries, which we served on the side—but later ended up wrapping them in the chard rolls too!

The rolls were stuffed with a hearty mix of grains, red lentils, and vegetables, brightened with fresh thyme and mint from our little herb garden. Combining grains and lentils creates a complete protein, making this dish not only flavourful but also nourishing. If fresh herbs aren't available, dried versions will work just as well.

Rainbow chard leaves - harvest from our little backyard garden before it got packed up for cottage country, a two and a half hour drive. These lovely, delicate, yet hardy green leaves lasted the two weeks we were up in the cabin, kept in the fridge in an air tight container. Chard seeds came from Beech Garden on Vancouver Island.

A Handy Tip

In hindsight, laying out all the chard leaves with the stems pointing outward makes them easier to grab and roll—especially when everyone’s serving themselves at the table. That said, it worked just fine as we went, and there’s something joyful about the spontaneity of hands-on meals.

I hope you enjoy making your own Rainbow Chard Rolls as much as we did. It’s a recipe rooted in seasonality, creativity, and the simple pleasure of using what’s on hand—right down to the last okra.

Rainbow Chard Rolls

Servings: 3-4 rolls per person depending on size of leaves
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Components:

WRAPPer:

Rainbow Chard leaves, 3-4 per person

Filling:

1. Spiced Grains

2. Summer Spiced Red lentils

3. Vegetables with thyme and mint

SIDE:

Okra Fries - here is the recipe

SAUCE/DIP:

I suggest Cilantro Chutney - here is the recipe or simply squeeze lime juice over the rolls, which is what we did that night.

Lay out all all the veGetables, grains & lentils

1. Lay out the chard leaves with stems pointing outwards on a serving platter. Set aside.

2. Separate the 3 parts of the filling and their ingredients.

3. If you’re making okra fries and the cilantro chutney dip this will take another 20 minutes to prepare, plus the bake time for the okra.

Let’s begin:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C for the okra fries. Recipe here.

Make the cilantro chutney. Recipe here.

Follow the steps below for the 3 parts of the filling: Grains, Lentils, Vegetables

1. Spiced grains

Makes 2-3 servings

¼ cup quinoa
¼ cup basmati rice
¾ cup water
1 inch cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods
3 cloves
⅛ tsp turmeric
⅛ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground fennel
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ghee or olive oil
Soma salt to taste

Rinse grains very well. Place grains, spices, ghee/olive oil and water in a medium-size pot on the stove on high heat. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid and turn off stove and let steam for 15 minutes. Salt to taste before serving.

2. SUMMER RED LENTILS

Makes 2-3 servings

⅔ cup red lentils, rinsed well until water is clear
1 cup
1 tsp summer spice mix - here is the recipe for my Summer Spice Mix
1 - 2 tsps ghee or olive oil
Soma salt to taste

While the spiced grains are cooking, rinse the red lentils very well. Place the lentils, summer spice mix, ghee/olive oil and water in a small pot on the stove on high heat. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid and turn off the stove and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Before serving, salt to taste.

While the grains and lentils are cooking, prep the vegetables. Leave the grains and lentils on the stove, and keep the lid on them to keep them warm and fresh before bringing to the table.

3. VEGETABLES WITH THYME & MINT

3-4 cups vegetables
2 tsps dried thyme leaves or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 -2 tsps ghee or olive oil
2 tsps dried mint or 8-10 mint leaves, torn
Soma salt to taste

Cut the vegetables in cubes, or thinly sliced. Add ghee/olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook hard vegetables first, then add thyme and softer vegetables next. Cook until vegetables are glistening, then cover with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle mint leaves and add salt to taste.

Balancing Pitta in the Summer Season: An Ayurvedic Perspective

In Ayurveda, all life is made possible through the dynamic balance of the five elements of nature (panchmahabhutas):
Space (ākāsha), Air (vāyu), Fire (agni), Water (jala), and Earth (prithvi).

Life on Earth depends on the sun and the moon, and their perfect relationship with our planet. From an Ayurvedic perspective, these celestial bodies emit vibrational energies composed of these five elements in varying proportions.

According to Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA), the five elements are embodied in the following ways:

• The Sun emits agni energy – primarily fire, with some water

• The Moon emits soma energy – governed by water and earth

• Movement and flow of these energies is necessary for life, and this dynamic movement is called marut – composed of space and air

Together, agni (sun/fire), soma (moon/water–earth), and marut (space–air movement) form the three vibrational energies that give rise to prana—the life force.

Known as chi in Traditional Chinese Medicine, prana is the subtle energy that flows through all living beings. It animates our bodies, energizes the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe—sustaining life and vitality everywhere.

Understanding Summer Through the Lens of Ayurveda

Summer is naturally a time of agni—it is the hottest season, and thus, governed by the pitta dosha, which is made up of mostly fire, with a little water.

The three doshas express our inner relationship with the elements:

• Vata – governed by space + air

• Pitta – governed by fire + water

• Kapha – governed by water + earth

In both nature and the body, “like increases like”. For example:

• Adding more chili makes a dish hotter.

• Doing more pitta-aggravating things (heat, stress, spicy food, overexertion) increases internal heat.

In summer or in hot climates, it’s easy for pitta to become aggravated—but we often don’t notice it until it expresses through discomfort.

Common Signs of Pitta Imbalance

• Acid reflux or heartburn

• Red, inflamed, or sensitive skin

• Ulcers or overheating

• Irritability, impatience, “hangry” feelings

• Recurring headaches

• Emotional volatility

SVA Recommendations to Balance Pitta (Especially in Summer)

Lifestyle

• Sleep early, ideally before 10pm so the liver does not aggravated or over-heated (pitta time is between 10pm-2pm)

• Avoid intense exercise between 10am–2pm and 10pm–2am

• Stay hydrated

• Avoid alcohol

• Meditate and slow down your pace

Diet

• Avoid skipping meals – don’t let yourself get “hangry”

• Minimize fried foods, processed foods, refined vegetable oils and excessive supplements (especially fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and fish oils – they can all overheat the liver)

• Reduce very spicy and sour foods

• Use lime over lemon – more alkaline and sweet in its post-digestive effect

• Eat sweet juicy fruits

• Cook with ghee or pure olive oil

• Add cooling spices and herbs like fennel and coriander, dill, mint, rosemary

• Use less turmeric (can heat the liver); instead, try curry leaves, less heating to the liver

• Use soma salt (gentler and cooling compared to regular salt)

Herbal & Skin Support

• Tea blends with fennel, coriander, rosehip, rose petals, DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice), or Indian sarsaparilla

• Use skin care with vetiver, aloe vera, rose, jasmine, neem, jojoba, or coconut oil

• Bathe with rose or lavender oils or flower petals

• Spritz face with rose water

• Use rose quartz or jade rollers for gentle self-massage

Vibrational & Subtle Therapies

• Wear cotton clothing for breathability and comfort

• Use cooling gemstones like pearl or rose quartz

• Wear sandalwood or tulsi prayer beads (japamalas)—they carry soma (lunar) energy to cool the heart and calm the mind

• Practice pranayama (cooling breathing techniques):

  • Sheetali

  • Sheetkari

  • Chandra Bhedana

  • Nadi Shodhana

• Chant mantras to balance the vibrational body

• Meditate to stay steady, clear, and connected
  

References

Vaidya Mishra- Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda, Notes from lectures, courses, workshops and conferences, 2003-2015

Sri Sri Yoga- Notes from SSY 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, 2020