Happy Diwali!

Wishing you all a happy Diwali!

Mango Lassi

This month we are saying thank you to our customers by offering a free mango lassi with any lunch item (see facebook deals for more information (https://www.facebook.com/RuchiSanFrancisco). 

Lassi is a yogurt based drink made by blending yogurt, water and Indian spices.  Lassi can be savory but we like ours sweet.  Stop by this week for a refreshing pick me up.  

Pragathi Charities

In April we shared that we have begun donating to charities in need.  This month we would like to feature Pragathi Charities, another charity in India that we support and love.  Pragathi Charities supports those who are segregated from society in some way because they are living with disabilities or are disadvantaged.  Many times these individuals are overlooked in society and therefore we would like to shed light on charities that make an effort to improve their lives.  Pragathi Charities provides education, job training and social activities for these individuals. 

Pragathi Charities includes a hearing impaired rehabilitation center which provides regular speech, language and auditory training from a specialist.  It also includes an institute for rehabilitating children with mental disabilities.  This includes education, vocational training, and advice to parents through counseling and training. 

To learn more about Pragathi Charities, please visit:  http://pragathicharities.org

Tandoor

Indian cuisine is an art form that embodies several cooking techniques, ingredients and culinary tools.  One important method for achieving delicious meals in India is the use of a tandoor clay oven. Heat from the tandoor is generated by a charcoal or wood fire.  Meats are lowered into the oven on long metal skewers and cooked by the smoke, and extreme hot environment. 

Some of our favorite dishes made by using the tandoor are:

Naan

Many regional varieties of flatbread, such as tandoor naan, afghan bread, lavash, are baked in the tandoor.

 

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken (whole or leg or breast) is a roasted chicken delicacy that originated in northwestern India. The chicken is marinated in a yogurt seasoned with. garam masala, garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, and other.  In hot versions of the dish, cayenne, red chili powder, or other spices give the typical red color.  Turmeric produces a yellow-orange color

 

Chicken Tikka

Chicken tikka is made by grilling small pieces of chicken which have been marinated in spices and yogurt. It is traditionally cooked on skewers in a tandoor and is usually boneless. It is normally served and eaten with a green coriander chutney, or used in preparing the curry chicken tikka masala.

Sumangli Seva Ashrama: Non Government Women’s Shelter

Like a small pebble dropped in a pond creates an ever-increasing circle of ripples, so it is with the life-impacting work done by the Sumangali Seva Ashrama. When the Ashrama clothes, feeds and educates a girl child the effects are far-reaching and increasingly beneficial. The girl grows up to become an empowered, self-reliant and healthy woman, who can make a significant contribution to her family, her community and her country. Now imagine hundreds of such girls and the thousands of lives they can change – for the better. This is what the Sumangali Seva Ashrama is striving to do, quietly and conscientiously.

The Sumangli Seva Ashrama in Bangalore, India is a non-profit organization that we love and support.  As a woman owned and operated business, Ruchi places a great deal of importance and value in the empowerment of women and children.  We know that giving a girl the skills, education and self empowerment to succeed not only change her life, but also improves the lives of her children and community.

http://www.ssaindia.org/

Happy Ugadi!

Ugadi or Yugadi  is the New Year's Day for the people of the Deccan region in Southern India. The name Yugadi or Ugadi is derived from the name "Yuga Adi", which means 'the beginning of a new age.'

The festivities begin with a ritual oil bath followed by prayers.  Extended families gather over feasts making sure to eat specific mixtures of six tastes symbolizing sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust and surprise. 

The special mixtures include:

-Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness

-Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness, signifying Happiness

-Green Chilli/Pepper for its hot taste, signifying Anger

-Salt for saltiness, signifying Fear

-Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying Disgust

-Unripened Mango for its tang, signifying Surprise

In Andhra Pradesh, a special dish called  Puran Poli is prepared. It consists of a filling (gram and jaggery/sugar boiled and made in to a paste) stuffed in a flat roti and is usually eaten with hot/cold with a topping of milk or ghee.

Happy Holi!

Holi, one of the biggest Hindu festivals in India, is known as the festival of colors.  People celebrate with bonfires and by throwing scented powder or perfume at each other creating an atmosphere of excitement and joy. 

Holi celebrates the beginning of spring, and commemorates many events that are present in Hindu mythology.  Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying goodbye to winter.

In addition to the festivities, Holi is celebrated with a plethora of holiday foods and drinks.  One of our favorite ways to celebrate is with Thandai.  To make Thandai at home, please follow the recipe provided below.

Thandai

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of Water
2 tblsp Fennel Seed
1/2 tsp Cardamom Seed
4 whole Cloves
2/3rd cup Raisins
1/2 cup blanched and chopped Almond
1/4th cup chopped Pistachio
1/4th cup Melon seeds, Sunflower seeds or Pine Nuts 
1 ltr Milk
1/4th tsp dry-roasted and powdered Saffron threads 

Directions:

·                 Bring the water to boil in a small saucepan.

·                 Add the fennel seeds, cardamom and cloves, cover, and remove from the heat.

·                 Set aside for ten minutes.

·                 Place the raisins, almonds, pistachios and melon seeds, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts in a bowl and add fennel tea.

·                 Cover and set aside for at least 1 hour.

·                 Transfer it to a blender, cover, and blend until the nuts & spices are reduced to a smooth texture.

·                 Pour into a strainer and set over a bowl.

·                 When some of liquid had drained through the sieve, gather the corners and squeeze tightly to extract the maximum liquid.

·                 Heat 2 tblsp of milk and add saffron.

·                 Combine the nut milk, saffron milk and remaining milk in a large jug and chill well.

·                 Serve over a crushed ice.

We Love Curry!

Curry dishes are some of our favorite items to serve at Ruchi.  The word curry refers to the preparation type that the cuisine undertakes.  There are several ways in which curry may be prepared.   In Telugu a dry curry is referred to as vepudu, in Tamil it is varuval. Gojju refers to a thicker consistency and pulusu  has the most liquidy or stew like consistency . Although they are treated differently, they are all considered curry. We love the complex combinations of spice and herbs such as clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, bay leaf and more that create mouth watering dishes.  Ruchi is proud to serve a new meat and vegetarian curry dish every day for lunch. This week’s curry specials are:  

Monday Feb 20

Chicken curry of the day: Lucknow aloo jeera salan - chicken cooked with potato cardamon and cumin, in coconut gravy.

Vegetarian curry of the day: Kadi pakora - vegetable pakora cooked with onions and tomatoes in yogurt sauce

Tuesday Feb 21

Chicken curry of the day: Konkan chicken - chicken cooked with cilantro mint, cardamon, mustard seeds, in coconut gravy, a recipe from south west India.

Vegetarian curry of the day: navratan korma - vegetables cooked with nuts and raisins in korma sauce

Wednesday February 22

Chicken curry of the day: Chicken tikka masala -tandoor cooked chicken pieces sauteed with onion, capsicum, tomato sauce.

Vegetarian curry of the day: Eggplant - eggplant curry north Indian style

Thursday February 23

Chicken curry of the day: Dalcha chicken - chicken cooked with pulses and whole chilis south east coastal recipe.

Vegetarian curry of the day: Dum aloo gobi kashmiri - steamed cauli flower and potato cooked with onions and tomatoes in cashew sauce.

Friday February 24

Chicken curry of the day: Chicken curry: Ruchi home style special chicken curry cooked with cardamom, coconut sauce.

 Vegetable curry of the day: Paneer tikka masala: tandoori oven cooked paneer cubes sauteed with onion, tomato and cream sauce.

Let Ruchi Cater Your Next Event!

Are you looking to spice up your next work or social event?  How about having authentic fresh South Indian food dazzle your guest’s palette?  Ruchi is currently offering special catering services. No event is too large or small and we are happy to deliver and accommodate your catering needs. Catering options are endless and include several curry dishes, appetizers, desserts, and more.  Please email us at info@ruchisf.com for more information.  

New Happy Hour Special

Ruchi is happy to announce our new happy hour special.  Every Monday to Friday from 5-7pm we are serving chef’s special appetizers, beer and selected wines for half off.  We have carefully chosen a menu that we are sure will satisfy your palette and includes:

Monday

Chilli Chicken

Batter fried chicken white meat, sautéed with onion, capsicum and spring onion. Served with soy sauce and chilly sauces.

Paneer Pakora

Indian cheese marinated with turmeric, spices, cooked in chick pea batter. Served with mint chutney.

Tuesday

Chicken -65

Young chicken dark meat, marinated in yogurt, chillies, and spices, batter fried and seasoned with curry leaves. Served with hot garlic sauces.

Gobi Manchurian

Batter fried cauliflower sautéed with onion, bell peppers, ginger garlic, soy sauce. Garnished with spring onion.

Wednesday

Achari Murghi Kebab

Chicken white meat marinated in home made pickle-yogurt sauce. Grilled in tandoor. Served with mint chutney, tandoori salad.

Cocktail Masala Vada

Coarsely blended chick pea patties cooked with onion, chilly, curry leaves and mint. Served with coconut chutney, mint chutney.

Thursday

Chicken Spicy Sausage

Chicken dark meat minced with onion, chilly, lemon juice, ginger garlic, turmeric. hand made, rolled & grilled sausages. Served with hot garlic sauce.

Onion Spinach Pakora

Onion, spinach crispy batter fried with home style crushed Indian spices. Served with coconut chutney, mint chutney.

Friday

Chicken Patties

Double grilled yogurt marinated chicken dark meat cooked in clay oven minced. Hand madechicken   pattie with cashew nut, home style Indian spices. Served with mint chutney, raita.

Aloo tikki

Spiced potato patties, garnished with onions, tomatoes and mint sauce.

Happy Republic Day!

Indian Republic Day is the day we celebrate when India gained it’s independence and adopted a democratic governmental system.  In India we celebrate with a grand parade near Raipath in New Delhi.  The parade also includes many traditional dance troupes, to symbolize the cultural heritage of India. It traditionally ends with a colorful flypast by Indian Air Force jets in a tiranga formation. Similar parades are held in the capitals of all the states of India, where the governors of respective states take the salute.

Come by Ruchi to celebrate this day with one of our dishes and a glass of cold imported Indian beer. Cheers! 

Dosa

When traveling throughout India, the sites, sounds and tastes always tend to grab hold of any visitor.  The tastes alone can overwhelm one with a plethora of adventure.  One famous dish that is indigenous to Southern India is the Dosa.  Dosa’s are fermented crepes or pancakes made of rice and black lentils and often eaten for breakfast or as street food. Dosa can be stuffed with fillings of vegetables and sauces to make a quick meal. They are typically served with a vegetarian side dish which varies according to regional and personal preferences.  Ruchi offers a variety of dosa including one of our favorites the Masala Dosa.  A masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices.

Happy Pongal!

Makar Sankranti also known as Pongal in the South is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India that celebrates the transition of the lunar calendar, when the sun moves from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer.  It commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India.

Makar Sankranti, apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It is known as the 'holy phase of transition'. Makara Sankranti identifies a period of enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness followed by a period of darkness, ignorance and viciousness with immense sorrow. The six months of northern movement of the sun is followed by six months of southern movement.

Since the festival is celebrated in mid winter, food prepared for this festival is such that it keeps the body warm and gives high energy. Laddu of til or Tila Laddu is made with Jaggery and is a specialty of the festival. Below you can find a recipe to make these treats at home.

Til Laddus photo by PKShine

Tila Laddu( Til Laddus)
Ingredients
Til (sesame seeds) - 1 cup
Grated jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 tsp

Directions
- Dry roast the til till it turns slightly brown and keep aside.
- Dry roast the peanuts. When they cool, remove the skin, by rubbing between palms of hand. Then make a coarse powder of the peanuts
- Heat the kadhai, put the jaggery in it. Mix well until it melts and starts lightly frothing.
- Add the ghee to it, and the til and peanut powder. Mix well and then take off the heat.
- When still very warm, but able to handle, make laddus balls from the mixture immediately.
- Cool completely before storing.

Happy New Year!

As the new year has arrived, we would like to sincerley wish everyone a happy 2012 filled with prosperity, health and joy.  For many, this time of the year is a time of reflection and commitment to wellness and health.  Our philosophy has always adhered to the importance that food has on our lives and well being.  Our fresh ingredients are carefully selected in order to make sure that the fusion between nutrition and taste go hand in hand.  Indian cuisine exemplifies the myriad of flavors by integrating the 6 "tastes of life": sweet, salty, sour, chilli hot, bitter and tart. We believe in the integration of newer philosophies with older tradition in order to create a harmonious balance.   Here is to balance in 2012!