Curries, Culture & Cafeteria: Bringing Bold Flavors to Schools.. Happy Curry Foods & the Power of Cultural Cuisine!

Meet Krishna Bhattarai of Happy Curry Foods, a former finance exec turned food entrepreneur bringing bold global flavors like curries, dumplings, and samosas to Oregon school cafeterias—while bridging cultures, cutting prep time, and winning over kids' taste buds one meal at a time

Transcript

Curries, Culture & Cafeteria:  Bringing Bold Flavors to Schools.. Happy Curry Foods & the Power of Cultural Cuisine!

Meet Krishna Bhattarai of Happy Curry Foods, a former finance exec turned food entrepreneur bringing bold global flavors like curries, dumplings, and samosas to Oregon school cafeterias—while bridging cultures, cutting prep time, and winning over kids' taste buds one meal at a time

00:00:03 Michelle

Welcome to the Farm School podcast, where you'll hear stories of how you thrive and farmers prosper when we grow, cook, and eat delicious, nutritious local foods in schools. We're your hosts. I'm Michelle Markesteyn

00:00:15 Rick

And I'm Rick Sherman. Thanks everybody, we're still back here at the Oregon School Nutrition Association State conference.

00:00:25 Michelle

And we're live. And we are next to our friend,  

00:00:33 Krishna Bhattarai

Thank you.

00:00:33 Michelle

Welcome Krishna.  What is your company?

00:00:36 Krishna Bhattarai

Our company's name is Happy Curry foods.

00:00:40 Michelle

Happy Curry foods and this is to me in schools. Tell us about what food you have for schools?

00:00:46 Krishna Bhattarai

At this time, we have butter curry sauce, mango sauce, mo-mo’s a type of dumpling, lentils and samosas.

00:00:54 Michelle

It's amazing, we tried it. So some of these schools is really different than selling to some other places.

00:01:07 Krishna Bhattarai

Definitely because once you know how to do it, it has been a little bit easier path right now. But schools are also difficulty because of the funding. But once they have funding from the from the school program. And we have been helped in many different ways.

00:01:29 Michelle

And what is different about the types of your recipes? Are they different for schools and recipes you had before you were selling to schools?

00:01:39 Krishna Bhattarai

We have created a created products in such a way that the schools spend only maybe a minute or two to cook the food, because once you steam the product, you just put the sauce and stir it and heat it for next two to three minutes and you are don.  So, we wanted to make sure children get the best taste plus the school serves a lot of money from the Labor.

So it is easy to prepare as a 2 step process.

And the only thing that you have to do is like they get a lot of meat products from the USDA that is already cooked. The only thing that they have to do is heat well, and put the sauce in it, stir it and simmer for a minute or two and we're done.

00:02:32 Rick

So they don't need a lot of fancy equipment.

00:02:36 Krishna Bhattarai

In the convection oven is fantastic.

00:02:37 Michelle

That's something we worked on together. And how often have you seen curries in school before yours?

00:02:46 Krishna Bhattarai

When I went through their catalog, I have seen one tikka masala, somebody on the sales from a corporate.. you know, from a big corporation. But the way we make it is the way we make at home. There is no difference. So you get the best taste very easily. You don't have to cook it, and you know, like we actually do most of the cooking ourselves. So that in your case you just mix it and serve.

00:03:21 Michelle

What's your experience working with like school nutrition buyers. Is it different than other places?

00:03:27 Krishna Bhattarai

That is one thing that I have a lot of difficulty because most probably they are very busy. Just because of that, getting a time with them is very hard. And there is another thing which I noticed is the funding. Reasoning because the funding that they have may be limited, yes, and that is also another hurdle. I have seen it. But with farm to school program based on that, if they invest a little bit more in this area. Most probably they'll do, you know, good job themselves and also it is going to help us out.

00:04:05 Michelle

It seems like students try flavors that they may not have gotten to try otherwise.

00:04:11 Krishna Bhattarai

That is true. There are two three significance I have found. First of all, they, you know, learning is not only food. But the food when you serve in different schools, you learn cultures also. Actually I am coming with a program that are four times a year. Is one just passed  day before yesterday. Holi, OK. It's a festival of colors, and if you try to teach them what is the festival of colors? That is very important. The way I see.  The second thing which I wanted to know like in the school system everybody should do it, Is called Sarati puja.

00:04:58 Rick

What's that is called?

00:04:59 Krishna Bhattarai

Sarshati pooja, that is the goddess of learning. So that means that is the day I learn how to write.

00:05:08 Michelle

Wow.

00:05:08 Krishna Bhattarai

That is the day a children's are.. If you serve them. If they educate them, if they understand the learning process, they will remember all of their life, because that's the day of learning. OK. And there is a third one which I have always cherished, is that there is a day for teachers. It’s called Guru Deva bhava. That means you always worship your teachers because. They are the one who shaped your life. And we need to recognize them in the school, and the children should understand the importance of the teachers in their life because parents are the teachers in the beginning. Then comes what you call your teachers. They shape your life, then. After that, then there are the world in front of you that is called guest. You know that anybody who you meet in your life is your guest because you don't test into them. You actually need them.  And we also teach it. So there are three types of teachers. The second type of teacher actually shape your life, and we need to recognize the teachers in the school so that they are also in a very good position and the children will understand the importance of teachers and the last one is Dipawali. The day that this is a cultural significance, I'm not trying to bring the cultures, but they have to understand because American kids, in my opinion, are behind from other kids in the world, in understanding other cultures. So these are exposed as a culture that is celebrated by almost 1 1/2 billion people. OK, if you don't know 1 1/2 billion people. Then you will be always in a certain side of that which you will not understand. So these cultures are very, very, very important to understand.  I’m not saying to follow it, I want them to understand that what it is and so there is a significance of food and culture together. OK. And a lot of people miss that and mean my goal. If I am able to serve. I can do two things, culture and food together.

00:07:26 Rick

You know, I found that out in my travels, in my farm to school world, that other cultures do a better job. Job at celebrating the I hear that theme all the time of gathering together around food and stuff and you don't seem to have a lot of that in America except through other cultures and stuff. And I'm just so appreciative of it.

00:07:50 Krishna Bhattarai

There is one. Recently we have a festival in India where 650 million people came together. 650 million people in a span of 45 days.

00:08:02 Rick

That's a lot of Curry sauce.

00:08:03 Krishna Bhattarai

No, it's not the food, It is just a different guy who celebrates that. So there is a major thing that we should, you know have idea about. I'm not asking to do anything, just to have an idea about it.

00:08:16 Michelle

Well, actually you bring up a really good point. At the time of recording this, it's March 2025 and we in the state of Oregon have just launched a new 10 year vision for farm to school. Where do we want to be in 10years? And actually, school meals as an opportunity to explore global cultures and flavors has risen to the top, as one of our main things, and as you're talking and we've really hadn't explored yet how do we do that? So like, how do we do that in our cafeterias and menus?

00:08:53 Krishna Bhattarai

Yeah. You know, I think this is how we need to, you know, go towards that slowly. Like for example, we are even open to you know, if they have a mass to talk about a culture and food together. So you know, those are the things we have been doing it like I did it in Woodburn about the culture and food. We can do it to other places also.

00:09:14 Michelle

You went into a school.

00:09:16 Krishna Bhattarai

Yeah. And we've been to the school and presented them the food and also the culture a little bit. So what it does is like it has a dual purpose and it's not only for me, for you know from Guatemala or it's from San Salvador or Mexico. And that is how we should be. You know we have you know, we are already a global village. And we can, I mean, we may be at the top, but doesn't mean that we'll survive on the top. So if it is a global village, we need to understand and mix well so that we can do a better job. That's my personal feeling.

00:09:53 Michelle

Thank you, Krishna. And I love that because a lot of times we talk about in farm to school youth going out to farms or farmers in the classrooms and something that happens more and more is food makers like yourself who are making a value-added product, leading kids to a.. I mean, you can, you know, food has value and I'm wondering about your sourcing of ingredients. You make food in Oregon. Do you get organ ingredients in your foods too?

00:10:22 Krishna Bhattarai

we do I mean, there are certain foods we don't have it in Oregon and so we have to buy from other states like the onions, the ginger, the garlic, all those things that we have here, the way vegetables, the meat. Yes, we do have here and we try to source it from their grains, for example. One of the reason is, you know it's, you know, it is a… we all have to win together, not only one person. We all have to win. So the farmers will win and we will win.

00:11:00 Michelle

And the kids win!

00:11:00 Krishna Bhattarai

That is true. Eventually the kids are the one who made the winners.

00:11:04 Rick

So Krishna, like, how did you get your start in this? So as a boy, were you always interested in cooking and food and these wonderful flavors, which, by the way we tasted some and it blew me away. How did you get your start in this?

00:11:17 Krishna Bhattarai

Now, this is a very interesting story. I actually received a call. I was in a different state and received a call from Marion County for an interview for the financial services manager. That is the main position in finance in Marion County. So they hired me almost over the phone and I came here in 2002 and started working at the financial services manager with Marion County. And I looked after all the finances at Marion County. OK, I was the main person in finance in finance. Then my wife, one day she was cooking food at our home. And what happened is like 2 days before we went to a garage sale, and we bought a food processor for $5. And but we forgot the cord and the lady knew exactly where we lived. So she brought the cord, and my wife opened the door and she said before she gave us the cord, she said it smells great. Then she said I have a cord for you. Then my wife, she did not know who she was, she just invited her and started having lunch with her. And she said OK, Salem needs this and I want you to start a business and her name is Margie. And if you are hearing anywhere in the world, I want you to know that you did it. So she started the business. And she took us to a, you know, a cook store that they go from home to home. People pay $30 bucks to look at different good homes, model homes. So my wife stayed in one of the model homes and there is another chef from a local very famous local restaurant. He was in the same place. And what happened is like whatever the other chef had, the product they took that product and came and dipped in our chutney and ate it,  all of them. Just because of that, we started the business. And now, so now and slowly, slowly, slowly, we did one of the best job. We're in 60 stores in universities. And everywhere and but the pandemic really brought us down. Now, in a world still doing good in school system I was. I hope it will be a little bit better than what we are right now.

00:14:08 Rick

That's amazing. That's like how serendipitous.

00:14:11 Krishna Bhattarai

Yeah, it is exactly.

00:14:13 Michelle

Well, I love that you got a message like that from the universe and you did it, yeah.

00:14:19 Krishna Bhattarai

It was good luck. This lady was.. in a main person, actually we have my wife have a great interest. And now, just because of her, we actually travel almost like 2002 to 2025, it's almost 23 years.

00:14:40 Rick

Wow. And so, OK, that was back then. What do you see now for the future going forward, what are your goals for the future for Happy Curry foods?

00:14:50 Krishna Bhattarai

My goal for the future is like if there is a possibility I wanted to show different types of foods and one of the most, in my opinion, that I remember, I cannot tell everybody. We are so flexible. As long as you order a batch, I can prepare the food the way you want and nobody in the world does that. And now if you need a new food. You just talk to us. We will find a way to make it within 3 days. And we can make a recipe and tasting. And remember, once you say OK, we can bring it to you like there are some schools they say I want less heat. Yeah. We have a product with less heat. Some schools say little bit more heat. Yes, we have that. There's some school says, Don't put this. Don't put that some people say don't put this. We don't put that. But remember though, the limitation is that you have to have order around 400 to 600 lbs. And if you do it, then hey, I think I can serve you better than anybody.

00:16:06 Michelle

Schools have very specific requirements for sodium and sugar and..

00:16:12 Rick

I mean, it's just so great. When I was a kid in Michelle, we're dating ourselves, but, you know the options for us for lunch was a cheeseburger. You know, you know, maybe pizza or something. And now there's this wonderful food that gets available to Oregon school children. And this stuff is and… And a lot of them haven't been exposed to that, you know.

00:16:37 Krishna Bhattarai

And we have an opportunity to bring a new flavor and now there is an interesting like, I made some dumplings Now these dumplings are, in my opinion, I'm not going to claim it in my opinion. I can produce almost 40,000 a day right now. If opportunity provides, I can prepare 2 million pieces in a week. The only thing which I need is like a horror. Even then I can you know I need 3 1/2 months time to do that in 3 1/2 months I can (make) up any amount you got and this is a new product in America just like pizza was there before. And this product, once it gets into people's taste. Now remember, in the beginning it is going to be a little different anyway.. but once you acquire the taste, this is going to pop up in every corner in the United States that I can say because I was in India in 1980, 1990 there were hardly you can count the Shops that produce this type of dumpling. Now we go to New Dehli there is 70,000. If you go to Calcutta, there is 70,000 plus. You go to _____ means this has become a national food in India now.

00:18:07 Rick

Amazing. It was wonderful and I loved the sauce. It was good for you. It was, you know, talking about the ingredients. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.

00:18:16 Michelle

So thank you for working so hard to make such delicious food.

00:18:19 Krishna Bhattarai

Appreciated.

00:18:20 Michelle

For kids and yes, we really enjoy that.

00:18:22 Krishna Bhattarai

Thank you for your time .I appreciate it for this opportunity.

00:18:26 Michelle

Yes, thank you, Krishna.

00:18:27 Rick

I thank you, Shiba, We miss you.

00:18:38 Rick

The farm to school podcast was written, directed and produced by Rick Sherman and Michelle Markesteyn with production support from LeAnn Locher of Oregon State University. This podcast was made possible by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. The content and ideas in the farm to school podcast is not necessarily reflect the opinions of Oregon State University, Oregon Department of Education, and the United States Department of Agriculture.  The USDA, ODA and Oregon State University are equal opportunity providers and employers. Do you want to learn more about farm to school? Check out other episodes, show notes, contact information and much more by searching farm to school podcast, OSU. We would love to hear from you. Stop by that website that I just mentioned and say hello and give us an idea for the future podcast. Thank you, everybody. And we'll see you next time.