Photo by Ben Slowey
Ruta's Fresh Indian Fare
Ruta's Fresh Indian Fare
Ruta’s Fresh Indian Fare, “Home of the Naan Melt,” takes a holistic, wellness-oriented approach to Indian food. Located at 207 W. Freshwater Way in Walker’s Point, the restaurant follows the ayurvedic principle, where food becomes the best medicine through harmony of colors, textures and tastes. Ruta’s is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. while closed Sunday and Monday.
Opening her restaurant in 2023, owner and chef Ruta Kahate says that her goal “has always been to bring light, bright, fragrant food to the world.” Her fare is vegetable-forward and rich with vitalizing spices with rarely using oil, sugar or salt. “All of the combinations of vegetables and spices we use are meant to aid digestion,” she notes. “I build things to either make the dish more comprehensive or to balance it.”
The Ruta’s menu is small but inclusive, offering vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allium-free options. The naan melt, invented by Kahate, is a sandwich that holds together the flavor, nutrition and variety of Kahate’s wholesome ingredients, available in Goa Pork, Hot Roast Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Yogi and Cheesewich varieties.
Build Your Bowls
Also on the menu are bowls built by way of vibrant blends of protein, vegetables and sauce over beds of basmati rice or tomato masala curry. Side options include tomato-coconut soup, chunky lentil soup, chicken Caesar salad with tikka dressing, and kale salad served with naan crisps and chutney dressing. Housemade drinks offered include chai, lassi and the caffeine and sugar-free “Immunitea.”
Kahate has a lifelong passion for food, having learned to cook from a young age. “It wasn’t just a chore, my brother and I were really interested in it,” she remembers. Kahate is the author of three cookbooks, with her most recent being 6 Spices, 60 DishesL Indian Recipes That Are Simple, Fresh, and Big on Taste published in 2023. The restaurant has Khanate’s cookbooks for sale in addition to merchandise like shirts, totes and aprons.
Born in Mumbai, Kahate previously lived with her family in Oakland, California and Goa, India before moving to Milwaukee in 2020. “When we visited, it felt just right,” she affirms. In Oakland, Khanate ran a semi-professional cooking school before opening six different restaurants in Goa, ranging from a sit-down European-style establishment to a small take-out deli to a garden cafe to a beach shack.
Ruta’s can be found at the South Shore and Tosa Farmers Markets on Saturdays and Shorewood Farmers Market on Sundays. It has grab-and-go options available at the Brookfield Farmers Marketevery day. The restaurant caters as well.
