Ruchikala Winter Pop-up

I was very excited to take part in my second time experience a Ruchikala popup! I blogged about my last experience where I was blown away by the complexity of flavors and spectacularly attractive dishes that looked like art last year. Kumi, who works as a personal chef/caterer, takes these opportunities to creatively show off her fusion food bringing together homey Southern Indian culture and US Southwest upbringing (she also divides some of her time working in Tucson).

This time, I took F with me to the Ruchikala Winter Pop-up  because I wanted him to experience the fearless flavor combinations she imbues onto her dishes that you may never think to try, but thanks to Kumi, you are about to learn how spirited they are. She also is very conscious about making sure we feast not only on her masterful combination of flavors, but with our eyes, with our sense of smell, and even with touch in terms of the textures in every spoonful.

Another plus is that because it is a small group, you are able to hear the tale of each dish- like a food fairytale come true.  You hear the background food memory that Kumi is drawing inspiration from, the voice of her mom, you might pass around a mason jar to smell the intoxicating aroma of Pasilla de Oaxaca chile. It’s an experience that is a foreign adventure to your normal palate, yet so warm and intimate as well.

To get a little idea of how warm the pop-up atmosphere is like, here’s a little video of one of the pop-ups she did in Tucson, created by . Her pop-up dinners are a fun way to meet new people, and her perspective on flavors are so original. For some gorgeous photos of her food, you should also check out these mouthwatering photographs taken (again, at one of the events in Tucson) by Liora K Photography.

Ruchikala Supper Club from Hank Knaack on Vimeo.

Because both F and I were there, as you can see we  had a “camera-faceoff” with me using my Samsung Galaxy II and he with his Nokia Lumia (can you tell which camera took which photo?). Thankfully, fellow food blogger Je Mange la Ville was also there so I felt a little less guilty about pulling out my phone to photograph and social media share the beauties before me.

So without further ado, the exquisite courses of the Ruchikala Winter Pop-up Dinner Menu of 2014!

Course I
Rava Dosa – buttermilk coconut crepe, chickpeas, fresh paneer, pasilla de Oaxaca, chutney pudi, pico de gallo
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course I Rava Dosa - buttermilk coconut crepe, chickpeas, fresh paneer, pasilla de Oaxaca,  chutney pudi, pico de gallo, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors
Kumi explained how there are the crepes that are thin that you usually see in Dosa, and there are the more homey, thicker pancake ones she grew up with. The kind she presented us was something in the middle. Kumi served some ghee on the side that we could spoon on the chutney pudi (the powder you see to the right) to make a little paste to enjoy with the crepe, or you can just eat the powder as is, like she said her parents do!
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course I Rava Dosa - buttermilk coconut crepe, chickpeas, fresh paneer, pasilla de Oaxaca,  chutney pudi, pico de gallo, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course I Rava Dosa - buttermilk coconut crepe, chickpeas, fresh paneer, pasilla de Oaxaca,  chutney pudi, pico de gallo, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors

Course II
Dahi Vada – A fermented lentil and habanero fritter in Kashmiri chili yoghurt, lemon, mustard seed, avocado, curry leaf
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course II Dahi Vada - A fermented lentil and habanero fritter in Kashmiri chili yoghurt, lemon, mustard seed, avocado, curry leaf, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors
This was my favorite course of the five. Kumi talked about how she used to hate this dish as a child, as her mother would describe it as ice cream and she knew it wasn’t. Now as an adult she appreciates the creamy desserty texture, and I did too…
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course II Dahi Vada - A fermented lentil and habanero fritter in Kashmiri chili yoghurt, lemon, mustard seed, avocado, curry leaf, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course II Dahi Vada - A fermented lentil and habanero fritter in Kashmiri chili yoghurt, lemon, mustard seed, avocado, curry leaf, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors
I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to have this again unless Kumi makes it for me, as I had never heard of this dish before and would never know how to get it anywhere. I also liked that there was a bit of an interactive part to this dish in breaking up the leave and the chili pepper seeds inside so that I would be able to get lots of little crispy bits with spoonfuls (you discard the chili pepper casing). Every bite was a mix of the soft melty luxuriousness along with lots of crunchy pops.

Course III
Bisi Bele – Karnataka-style lentils, lemon and barley cream risotto, ghee poached prawns, tamarind jaggery and poppy gastrique, curry leaf crostini
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course III Bisi Bele - Karnataka-style lentils, lemon and barley cream risotto, ghee poached prawns, tamarind jaggery and poppy gastrique, curry leaf crostini, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors
This dish gave everyone a chance to try one of Kumi’s spectacular breads, she has been cultivating various bread yeasts for years now, and is how I got to know Kumi- because I was drooling and stalking her homemade breads (let me link you directly to her bread food porn photos…). As you can guess, the prawn-less one is the vegetarian version for F.
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course III Bisi Bele - Karnataka-style lentils, lemon and barley cream risotto, tamarind jaggery and poppy gastrique, curry leaf crostini, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors

Course IV
Beet Gnocchi – Red beet gnocchi, tandoori roquefort bechamel, mustard curry leaf thadka
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course IV Beet Gnocchi - Red beet gnocchi, tandoori roquefort bechamel, mustard curry leaf thadka, curry leaf crostini, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors
It sounds strange at first… beet gnocchi? A Tandoori Roquefort Bechamel? Let me assure you, no one left anything on their plates, though at this point we were getting quite full as everything does add up! I loved the gorgeous plating. If you think you don’t like blue cheese, let me assure you here that the roquefort here is hidden and your plate will be clean too (as two people at my table who said they didn’t like blue demonstrated!).
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course IV Beet Gnocchi - Red beet gnocchi, tandoori roquefort bechamel, mustard curry leaf thadka, curry leaf crostini, a spirited mix of Indian and Southwest US fusion flavors

Course V
Pumpkin Mousse – Garam masala and rum, ginger ganache, cardamom cream, pumpkin seed and sichuan peppercorn meringue
Ruchikala Pop-up Winter Menu Course V Pumpkin Mousse - Garam masala and rum, ginger ganache, cardamom cream, pumpkin seed and sichuan peppercorn meringue

I love here how there is a mix of savory along with the sweet, and the different kinds of textures with the cake, the soft creamy pumpkin mousse, and the yielding edges of the meringue.

Be sure to like the Ruchikala Facebook to be informed of upcoming yummies from Kumi, be it pop-up dinner or her amazing breads or if she’s participating in a CSA! I am shaking my finger at all of you to get on her list to find out about her projects and so she can have MORE pop-ups, like every quarter. I get jealous that she does them more often in her previous city of Tucson than her current home city of Portland because she has an established audience there. We need to step it up and support her!

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Chard Story- the continuation of that fresh pasta into dinner

Chard Story. It starts as a gift of chard from Kumi, (Kusuma of Ruchikala, and the amazing goddess behind the Ruchikala spring pop up dinner I blogged about previously) hooking me up with goodness from Blue House Greenhouse Farms (an urban farm in Portland). I decided to have the chard simply sauteed with garlic in olive oil, and served tossed with fresh fettuccine (as covered in the last post). I also made fresh ricotta (I am planning to bake the ricotta with mushrooms but knew I had some extra to spare) and added a sprinkle of asiago and called it delicious dinner.

Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard Blue House Greenhouse Farms chard sauteed with garlic in olive oil with fresh ricotta and fettuccini

Don’t you love how beautiful chard is when it’s all leafy like a big fan, and then after you cut it how it’s like colorful streamers?

If you are interested in supporting local, urban farming, and sustainable farming practices, Blue House Greenhouse Farm has a seasonal farmstand every Tuesday afternoon at the SW corner of N Williams and N Cook- and Kusuma is often there with her fresh homemade baked breads or curries (such as sag paneer using the spinach from Blue House Greenhouse Farm), and they also have a subscription service (although it looks from the website it is currently full!) so check them out!

Disclosure: This chard was gifted to me by a friend, but I knew that it came from Blue House Greenhouse Farm. They did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner

I was so thrilled about a week ago to be invited to join in a Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Menu. This pop up dinner at her home was themed as a dinner of Indian Fusion in celebration Holi, also known as the Indian Festival of Color which celebrates the beginning of spring, and you may have seen photos where celebrants throw colored powder at each other. There was no throwing of colored powder at this dinner, but lots of gorgeous colors in the various dishes.

I loved how this event was produced in the intimacy of her home, but it was plated like a fine dining establishment. There were so many complex flavors that would explode or sneak up and blossom and linger, or as my dining friend put it “cuddle” the palate. Ruchikala, is the business name for the personal chef and catering service of Kusuma Rao, who is newly arrived practically from Tucson, Arizona. I have been stalking her ever since I discovered her breads, although she also does fusion cuisine that blends her Indian heritage with the nurturing Sonoran Mexican flavors she grew up and seriously, go look at her bread gallery photos and you’ll understand why I am getting a semi-obsessive crush here. My food photos below do not do justice- you have to check out what food pron photos she took of these from her practice run!

5 Courses of Color

Upon arriving at her lovely home in inner SE Portland, we were welcomed with a refreshing cocktail of Fennel, fenugreek, nigella and cumin simple syrup with lime zest & Aviation Gin. Seriously I want that served to me in carafe or by the pitcher please.

Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao

Course I
South Indian Beet Fritter with curry leaves and coconut, resting upon a beautiful pond of colors of beet stem curry, mint chutney and sweet yoghurt
South Indian Beet Fritter Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao South Indian Beet Fritter Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao

Course II
Bengali Butternut Squash Bisque with nigella, fennel, maple & habanero with coconut cream, and a garnish of spiced candied bacon
Bengali Butternut Squash Bisque Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao Bengali Butternut Squash Bisque Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao Bengali Butternut Squash Bisque Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao

Course III
Kale and Fennel Riata with preserved lemon, Kashmiri chili yoghurt, fried mustard seeds & curry leaves and avocado
Kale and Fennel Riata Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao

Course IV
North & South – Lamb & Polenta, with Lamb Rogan Josh & arugula dressed simply in a bit of oil on Lemon coconut spiced polenta, and served with a thick slice of Bengali spice rye with honey goat butter
Lamb Rogan Josh Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao

Course V
Falooda Rose Panna Cotta with basil infused salted white chocolate and rose syrup swelled basil seeds
Falooda Rose Panna Cotta with basil infused salted white chocolate and rose syrup swelled basil seeds Ruchikala: Art of Taste Spring Pop-up Dinner Holi Kusama Rao

I’m hard pressed to pick what I loved most. What really stood out throughout the meal I suppose is that she goes bold, both in visually and texturally and with the flavor that results from her spice blends. As she described each dish as it was brought to the table, I was struck by how she could tell a story that traced it back to India, but then as she would casually mention all the various things she put into the dish like a boss,  it  was clear this just wasn’t simple home cooking, unless your home perhaps is on an estate with a butler included.

But there I was, with 7 other women, chatting in between courses what butter incorporation trick to use in making pie crust and in the corner was a Halloween spider that would go up and down based on opening and closing the front door (apparently more booby trap existed in the bathroom…) and on the shelf was an 8 track player and a vintage silver stereo receiver, and Kumi would come up and impress us with describing the dish and then do a girlish giggle that exposes her infectious enthusiasm for playing with food and loving to feed people.

I loved the texture of the crispiness of the beet fritter with the chopped leaves that still were large enough to see and feel on the tongue, yet the creaminess and color of the chutney and yogurt. Everyone at the table was hoarding their spiced candied bacon whose sweetness was a cooling counter to the heat that crept up on the Bengali butternut squash bisque whose spice washed over me in a slow but steady rhythm. The salad third course with its mix of textures including little crunches from the fried mustard seeds was a chewy interlude.

Next, the lamb and polenta was so good that I knew I was getting full and wanted to savor the last bites later, so with no shame (well, a little embarrassment) asked to wrap it up to take home with me. The next evening as I was enjoying the heartiness of her homemade rye bread though I was SO glad I did so I could take all the little baby bird bites I wanted to make it last and last without the other guests at the pop up dinner starting at my nibbles.

Despite the take out request, I totally polished off the final course, the perfectly jiggly wiggly panna cotta with the salted so rich chocolate and the textures of the delicate rose with those caviar like basil seeds. Everyone’s plates were clean though, not just mine.

So happy, so happy.

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