Topic: Ready made curry kits, restaurant style

[JohnSmith4]

I hope this is the right section.

So I was perusing an online Asian supermarket, and noticed they do their own range of ready made curry kits, supposedly restaurant style. Has anybody tried them before? I'm tempted as a cheat to try one or two.

http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/u-cook-curry-kits-1-c.asp

[Peripatetic Phil]

I've not tried them, John, but I like the write-up from their chef which strikes me as being genuine :  http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/blog/2013/12/02/spicesindianfoodrecipeschickendhansak/.  I may give one a go ...

** Phil.

[JohnSmith4]

I'm going to put an order in with them Monday or Tuesday. I'll get a couple of their ready made kits, and I'll report back on the verdict in the near future.

[George]

I've not tried them, John, but I like the write-up from their chef which strikes me as being genuine :  http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/blog/2013/12/02/spicesindianfoodrecipeschickendhansak/.  I may give one a go ...

I disagree. The nature of the recipe strikes me as nothing like a BIR dhansak. For a start, there's no use of base sauce. Secondly, he cooks raw chicken in the sauce for 20 minutes, releasing loads of chicken stock to kill any normal BIR dhansak flavour. What a con - marketing for the gullible.

[Peripatetic Phil]

It's easy to criticise a recipe from its write-up, George (just as it's easy -- far too easy -- to praise a curry on the basis of a photograph or two), but the proof of the pudding is in the eating :  have you tried following the recipe to see if it yields a dhansak that you enjoy, or are you "dissing" it simply because it does not conform to your idea of how a BIR dhansak recipe should read ?

** Phil.

P.S.  When I wrote "I like the write-up from their chef, which strikes me as being genuine", I was referring specifically to the write-up (the personal part) rather than the recipe included.

[Gav Iscon]

I'd be interested to see what they are like. Fenwicks new food court near to me have a Raffi's Spicebox Counter, www.spicebox.co.uk, and I very nearly purchased one to try if it had'nt been for the missus hurrying me up (its usually the other way round). Quite a few people buying them though.

[JohnSmith4]

My order came today, including the U-cook garlic chicken and a jalfrezzi.

Easy as pie to make, just add hot water, simmer, add pre-cooked meat, simmer a bit more. I must say I was impressed with it (I made the garlic chicken this evening). It was lovely, and very much restaurant style, in my eyes. They say 4-6 portions, but I got 3 healthy 'man-size' (read, greedy) portions out of it. For ease of use and quality it's really good, probably better than anything I could make myself, I can't speak for others' culinary abilities.

Hope that helps.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Excellent news, John.  In the meantime I have made sure that I have /all/ the ingredients for the Chicken Dhansak previously referred to, and will be cooking that as soon as (a) I have time, and (b) I have eaten up all the other items that are still awaiting my attention (inc. a /very/ large piece of beef reduced from circa GBP 27-00 to circa GBP 17-00, and a Waitrose Chinese goody-bag reduced from GBP 10-00 to just under GBP 6-00).

** Phil.

[Micky Tikka]

Well done John
Not even 10 posts under your belt and you have reached your curry goal 
I'm gutted all that prepping and all I needed to do is boil some water 

Cheers MT

Where did it all go wrong

[curryhell]

Thanks for taking the time to report back on these kits John Smith.  I think with a bit more practice and time spent here you should be able to at least equal the results.  And with time and more practice surpass them easily    Reasonable price till the p&p went on.  I can get a curry and rice for less  and I know it will taste pretty damn good with no effort from me required. Time you add in cost of meat, TA is a more economical option unless the TA's round your way are that dire