Without doubt the best supermarket pulao rice I have ever eaten.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I had to take herself to Lidl late this afternoon, and browsing (as one does) I noticed the last remaining pack of Deluxe Lamb Rogan Josh..  "Nothing ventured, nothing gained", I thought, and added it to her trolley.  When I got home I read the label more carefully, and was surprised (and pleased) to read "Succulent chunks of lamb in a spiced onion and tomato sauce, served with saffron rice".  Now that last part did surprise me, so I checked the ingredients list, and sure enough saffron was listed -- OK, it came last, but it definitely appeared..  Ignoring completely the cooking instructions, I cooked the curry in my copper-bottomed frying pan with additional oil, g/g paste and kasoori methi, and the result was fine (well, better when I added lots of salt and some Khanum mixed pickles).  But the rice was outstanding.  I had microwaved it for three minutes in the original packaging after removing the film, covering it with a pre-warmed plate, and as I had eaten the rogan josh with a paratha, ate the rice by itself (well, with a little pickle).  And it was truly superb.  Not swamped with turmeric, as supermarket pulaos so often are, but delicately spiced, real basmati rice, and a definite hint of saffron.  Well done Lidl.

** Phil.

[Garp]

Waitrose will be gutted Phil  ;D

[Peripatetic Phil]

Waitrose will be gutted Phil  ;D

The good Mr Waitrose apparently does not feel that the demographics of Bodmin are such as to justify honouring us with a branch of his eponymous emporium, preferring instead to grace the glorious cathedral city of Truro with his hallowed presence ...

[Les]

Maybe Mr Waitrose is worried about the pirates from the Jamaica Inn, Or the beast up on Bodmin moor  ;D

[Stephen Lindsay]

Waitrose will be gutted Phil  ;D

The good Mr Waitrose apparently does not feel that the demographics of Bodmin are such as to justify honouring us with a branch of his eponymous emporium, preferring instead to grace the glorious cathedral city of Truro with his hallowed presence ...

Well there's no branches of Waitrose in Scotland Phil so I don't what that says about our demographics!

[Peripatetic Phil]

Well there's no branches of Waitrose in Scotland Phil so I don't what that says about our demographics!

In this case, I don't think that demographics are the issue -- it is simply that the Waitrose kitchen failed to come up with a deep-fried Mars Bar that the management felt was of a quality that would reflect well on the brand ...

[Edwin Catflap]

hi Phil was it their own make?

Ed

[Peripatetic Phil]

Yes, it was Edwin -- Deluxe is just one of many pseudo-brands that Lidl stock, all of which are in fact Lidl products.  Finished it up this evening, by the way, with the remains of a Thai red  chicken curry, and it was just as good as I described it on first opening.

** Phil.

[George]

...it was truly superb.  Not swamped with turmeric, as supermarket pulaos so often are, but delicately spiced, real basmati rice, and a definite hint of saffron.  Well done Lidl.

I'm sorry but I beg to differ. I guess we can't all share the same tastes. I bought Lidl's rogan josh when it first came out, perhaps a year ago,. It's roughly twice the price of their standard chilled curries, like CTM, korma and Thai red. I didn't feel it was any better and I certainly didn't notice the rice being anything special.. But after reading your glowing review, I decided to give it a second try. The meat sauce part is good but so are Lidl's other curries. The rice strikes me as near-identical to the passable yellow rice included with the non-deluxe curries. I don't find it very pleasant at all

[Peripatetic Phil]

Fair enough; all I can add is that I have never eaten a better supermarket pulao rice.  I am minded to see if they do "Deluxe pulao rice" as a stand-alone side dish now.

** Phil..