From Finance Executive to School Food Innovator: Krishna Bhattarai Brings Global Flavors to Oregon Cafeterias

This article is pulled from episode 2-44 of The Farm to School Podcast hosted by Michelle Markesteyn and Rick Sherman. For the full episode and transcript, click here.

Krishna Bhattarai spent years managing finances for Marion County, Oregon before a chance encounter at a garage sale changed everything. Today, as founder of Happy Curry Foods, he brings authentic South Asian flavors—curries, momos (dumplings), samosas, and more—to school cafeterias across Oregon while teaching students about global cultures through food.

A $5 Food Processor That Changed Everything

Bhattarai’s journey from financial services manager to food entrepreneur began unexpectedly in 2002. After moving to Oregon for a high-level finance position with Marion County, his wife bought a food processor at a garage sale for $5. When the seller returned with the forgotten cord, she encountered the aroma of home cooking.

“She said before she gave us the cord, she said it smells great,” Bhattarai recalls. The woman, named Margie, was invited in for lunch. “She said…Salem needs this and I want you to start a business.”

Margie connected them with a cooking demonstration event where attendees paid $30 to tour model homes and sample food. “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.”

Over 23 years, Happy Curry Foods expanded to 60 stores and universities before the pandemic impacted operations. Now Bhattarai focuses on school food service, seeing it as an opportunity to reach students with both authentic flavors and cultural education.

Making Global Cuisine School-Ready

Bhattarai’s products for schools include butter curry sauce, mango sauce, momos (dumplings), lentils, and samosas—all designed for ease of preparation. “We have created products in such a way that the schools spend only maybe a minute or two to cook the food,” he explains.

The two-step process uses USDA commodity meats: “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.”

Schools don’t need fancy equipment—”a convection oven is fantastic.” This simplicity saves labor costs while giving students “the best taste…the way we make at home. There is no difference.”

When reviewing school catalogs, Bhattarai found limited authentic curry options: “I have seen one tikka masala…from a big corporation. But the way we make it is the way we make at home.”

Flexibility for School Requirements

Happy Curry Foods stands out for customization. “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,” Bhattarai emphasizes. “If you need a new food…we will find a way to make it within 3 days.”

Schools with different preferences get tailored products: “Some schools they say I want less heat…we have a product with less heat. Some schools say little bit more heat…yes, we have that.” The company accommodates dietary restrictions and ingredient preferences, though minimum orders of 400-600 pounds are required for custom batches.

This flexibility helps schools meet specific USDA requirements for sodium, sugar, and other nutritional standards while maintaining authentic flavors.

Connecting Food and Culture

For Bhattarai, school meals offer more than nutrition—they’re opportunities for cultural education. “Learning is not only food. But the food when you serve in different schools, you learn cultures also.”

He proposes celebrating four cultural festivals annually through school meals:

Holi (Festival of Colors): Recently passed, this spring celebration teaches students about cultural traditions through color and community.

Saraswati Puja (Goddess of Learning): “That is the day I learn how to write…that is the day a children’s are…if they educate them, if they understand the learning process, they will remember all of their life, because that’s the day of learning.”

Guru Purnima (Teacher’s Day): Honoring “Guru Deva bhava” or “teacher as divine.” Bhattarai explains three types of teachers: “Parents are the teachers in the beginning. Then comes…your teachers. They shape your life.” The third is “the world in front of you…anybody who you meet in your life is your guest.”

Diwali: “A cultural significance…celebrated by almost 1 1/2 billion people. 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.”

Bhattarai visited Woodburn schools to present both food and culture together, demonstrating this integrated approach. “It has a dual purpose and it’s not only for me, for…from Guatemala or…San Salvador or Mexico. And that is how we should be…we are already a global village.”

Aligning with Oregon’s Vision

His timing proves prescient. At the time of this recording in March 2025, Oregon just launched a new 10-year farm to school vision. “School meals as an opportunity to explore global cultures and flavors has risen to the top, as one of our main things,” notes one coordinator.

Bhattarai embraces this: “We are even open to…if they have a mass to talk about a culture and food together…those are the things we have been doing.”

Sourcing Oregon Ingredients

While some specialty ingredients must be sourced from other states (onions, ginger, garlic when unavailable locally), Happy Curry Foods prioritizes Oregon ingredients where possible: “The vegetables, the meat…yes, we do have here and we try to source it from here…grains, for example.”

His philosophy: “We all have to win together, not only one person. We all have to win. So the farmers will win and we will win.” As one observer notes, “And the kids win!”

Challenges in School Food Service

Breaking into school nutrition presents unique obstacles. “Getting a time with them is very hard” because nutrition directors are busy. “There is another thing…the funding…they have may be limited…that is also another hurdle.”

However, farm to school grant programs help overcome funding barriers. “With farm to school program based on that, if they invest a little bit more in this area…they’ll do good job themselves and also it is going to help us out.”

The Dumpling Revolution

Bhattarai sees massive potential for momos (dumplings) in American schools. “I can produce almost 40,000 a day right now. If opportunity provides, I can prepare 2 million pieces in a week…I need 3 1/2 months time…I can (make) up any amount.”

He predicts momos will become as ubiquitous as pizza: “I was in India in 1980, 1990 there were hardly you can count the shops that produce this type of dumpling. Now…in New Delhi there is 70,000. If you go to Calcutta, there is 70,000 plus…this has become a national food in India now.”

While acknowledging the flavor may initially seem different to American palates, he’s confident: “Once you acquire the taste, this is going to pop up in every corner in the United States.”

Expanding Options for Students

The transformation in school lunch options represents significant progress. As one former food service director reflects: “When I was a kid…the options for us for lunch was a cheeseburger…maybe pizza…And now there’s this wonderful food that gets available to Oregon school children.”

Many students haven’t been exposed to these global flavors at home. Bhattarai sees this as “an opportunity to bring a new flavor” while teaching cultural appreciation.

A Message About Cultural Understanding

Bhattarai emphasizes that his goal isn’t conversion but understanding. “I’m not saying to follow it, I want them to understand that what it is…there is a significance of food and culture together…my goal…if I am able to serve…I can do two things, culture and food together.”

He believes American students need broader cultural exposure: “American kids, in my opinion, are behind from other kids in the world, in understanding other cultures.” By introducing students to foods celebrated by billions globally, schools can help bridge this gap.

“If it is a global village, we need to understand and mix well so that we can do a better job,” Bhattarai concludes.

From a serendipitous garage sale encounter to feeding thousands of Oregon students authentic global cuisine, Krishna Bhattarai’s journey demonstrates how entrepreneurship, cultural pride, and willingness to adapt can transform school food while enriching students’ understanding of the world beyond their cafeteria.

Listen to the full podcast episode to hear more about Krishna’s journey from finance to food entrepreneurship, his vision for cultural education through school meals, and how he’s working to make global flavors accessible to Oregon students.