Ruchi – A Canberra favourite for Indian Cuisine

A Dosa to die for!

It’s about this time of year that I really miss India. Everyone seems to be heading there to make the best of the good weather, but it’s still six months until my next Canberra winter getaway visit!

So it was with great anticipation that I accepted Radhika’s invitation to come and enjoy the hospitality at Canberra’s well known and popular Ruchi Indian Restaurant. Canberra’s restaurants come and go, but those that span the decades are often a labour of love from families who are committed to sharing their heritage with Canberra.

Ruchi is just such a restaurant, being established back in the early ’90s. Raj and Radhika are passionate about South Indian cuisine and deservedly proud of their food at Ruchi. The decor is smart but unpretentious and roomy. Ruchi is relaxed for families and the soft furnishings make it easy for conversations.

Parking is at the door and free, so it’s perfect for cold Canberra winters. There’s even a great Indian grocery store next door, if after chatting to Radhika, you are inspired to try your own recipe. BYO wine is offered and Ruchi is also licensed. Open daily (except Mondays) Ruchi offers dinner and lunch on Thursday and Friday.

I had heard Ruchi is THE Canberra place to head for a great dosa, so we had to experience a Ruchi dosa for ourselves. A dosa is a deliciously crisp rice and dal flour crepe hugely popular in Indian for breakfast with coconut and other condiments and a thin delicately spiced lentil and vegetable stew for dipping. It truly has to be experienced to really appreciate the joy!

Ruchi has a whole range of dosa fillings that sound wonderful, but we had never tried a Tandoori chicken dosa, so chose to share one for entree. Oh boy! Is it fantastic! The tender pieces of juicy tandoori chicken inside the dosa are just wonderful. The coconut chutney, tomato chutney and sambar all stand alone as well made accompaniments. (My benchmark for a good Indian restaurant is the quality of the accompaniments).

While sharing a dosa is a good starter idea, I will now have to head back to Ruchi soon to enjoy that Tandoori chicken dosa all by myself for a meal. It’s truly so good! And for around $15, it’s great value too.

All the Fun of a Thali

The other famous South Indian dish, popular at Ruchi is their thali. If you haven’t tried a thali before, it’s great fun to eat too! A large round tray is filled with small dishes of everything from a rasam soup starter, yogurt and pickles, dal, vegetable and meat, fish and chicken dishes and also breads, pappadoms, rice and even a dessert like gulab jaman! It’s a complete meal with a little of everything to try making it good value too. The dishes cover the different taste experiences of spicy, pungent, sour, sweet and salty and have a variety of textures from smooth to crisp. This balancing of food is very important in South India. I chose a Mysore Maharaja thali that included a meat, fish and chicken dish. I know from my friend Preethi that a thali tastes best when the dishes are mixed with the rice in the middle of the tray and then eaten by hand. But it’s also a great treat eaten with a spoon.

A new menu

Ruchi is about to roll out a new menu, but it will continue to span the breadth of the country featuring classics from both North and South India including vegetarian and seafood, meat, fish and chicken dishes.

We chose a Prawn dish from Goa on the West coast where the food has a strong Portuguese colonial influence. Our Cal Dine Prawns were delicious with ground spices and fresh coconut milk to finish the dish. The pillowy soft garlic naan breads made the dish perfect!

So whether you are missing the taste of India like me, or would like to explore new dishes, Ruchi is a good spot to head. Family friendly and relaxed, Radhika and Raj will take good care of you.

My top tip! Order the dosa (Tandoori Chicken, Lamb or Paneer!) and make the most of the dipping accompaniments. Then ponder your next dish!

Have you been to Ruchi? What’s your favourite to order?

Food and Travel Secrets were guests of Ruchi but all opinions remain my own.