Product: Fiery Chicken Curry with Turmeric Rice
Description: A frozen meal of chicken breast pieces set in a pond of intensely spiced Goan-style tomato sauce. The meat is accompanied by turmeric rice.
Preparation summary: Pierce plastic covering and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Pull back film, stir sauce, and heat on high for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
High points: Restaurants serving fine Indian food (and yes, sometimes from buffets) are among the casualties of the pandemic. Yet this small serving of spicy, tender chicken with rice compensates for their loss with a hot, complex curry that brings more action to your taste buds than everyday chicken tikka masala. On a heat scale of 1 to 10, the dish is a solid 5.
Low points: The quantity of chicken is inconsistent. One time, there were only three pieces of chicken in the dinner. A couple of other times there were four. Though most recently, on a day when life felt like a bowl of cherries, I struck gold with seven pieces. Also, the product sells out often and can take a few days to restock.
Average Retail Price: $3.49
Availability: Trader Joe’s.