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.

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

Course II
Bengali Butternut Squash Bisque with nigella, fennel, maple & habanero with coconut cream, and a garnish of spiced candied bacon

Course III
Kale and Fennel Riata with preserved lemon, Kashmiri chili yoghurt, fried mustard seeds & curry leaves and avocado

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

Course V
Falooda Rose Panna Cotta with basil infused salted white chocolate and rose syrup swelled basil seeds

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.