Swiss chards are versatile greens with bright, colourful juicy stems. They make a perfect green to top your toast with for a healthy breakfast!
Growing Swiss Chards in Udaipur
Swiss Chards (also called Rainbow chards) are not native to Udaipur. Last year a few friends visiting from the US gifted us a pack of its seeds. We sprinkled, watered and voila! We had a beautiful harvest of chards with red, yellow, pink, orange and light green stems! When put together, they made a nice healthy bouquet.
The plant has taken so well to the Udaipur climate that Swiss chard is almost a perennial green on the farm now. Big green leaves with colourful stalks – add vibrancy not just to our vegetable basket but also to the farm.
What does Swiss Chard taste like?
Swiss chards are similar to spinach in taste and are often called Spinach’s sturdier cousin. The leaves have an earthy and mild bitter taste like spinach when eaten raw.
The stalks are also (and most definitely should be) edible with a juicy bite. They add a lot of texture and flavour to a dish they are added to.
How to cook swiss chards?
Swiss chard leaves are sturdier than spinach and hold their shape when sautéed. They can be cooked just like spinach. I would suggest cooking them lightly as the bitterness of the leaf diminishes and their mild sweet flavour shines through. Add the stalks before adding the leaf as the stalks take longer to cook and once they are slightly tender add in the leaves.
Recipes with Swiss Chards
It’s interesting why these big green leaves are called Swiss Chards but apart from the name, chards are more connected to Mediterranean cuisine – widely used in Greek and Arab dishes. With such an abundant harvest, I have made plenty of Indian recipes with it :-). I use the leaves just like spinach – to make green curries like palak paneer or soya palak; add to dals and soups; knead in parantha dough and also make patras since the leaves are so big!
But this recipe of Swiss chard stir fry truly celebrates these vibrant greens. Lightly cooked and seasoned, you can enjoy the original taste of the chards. Top it on toast to make a light continental breakfast or add some tofu, mushrooms and spaghetti to make a wholesome dinner!
We recently hosted a family on the farm when I made this as one of the far,-to-table dishes. Shariq captured the whole process and has put it together as a short (embedded in the recipe below).
Swiss Chard Toast
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 200 g Swiss Chards leaves and stalks both
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- 2 slices wholewheat bread
- Butter/olive oil to toast optional
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chards.
- Separate the stems by cutting down the middle.
- Roll the leaves and cut in thin strips.
- Cut the stems into small chunks
- Heat Olive oil in a pan.
- Add garlic and sauté for about 30 secs.
- Add the chard stems and cook until the stalks are slightly tender.
- Add the leaves, salt and pepper. Mix well and remove from heat just as the leaves start to wilt. (1-2 mins)
- Top on toasted bread for a filling breakfast or serve as is as a side to any dish.
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