Quicklly Lamb Vindaloo Curry Review
Author’s Note: As always, this is not a paid or sponsored review. I have no affiliation with Quicklly Indian Food, or Costco.
Won’t leave you feeling sheepish.
I previously reviewed the Quicklly Indian Butter Chicken, which was much better than I expected. That’s pretty much the only reason I was willing to spend $18 on this Goanese Lamb Vindaloo curry meal. Sheesh. I am not Daddy Warbucks, ya know.
Meat!
Anyway. Money well spent. This stuff is delicious. The lamb meat is pretty consistently tender and flavorful. It has the texture of a quality, homemade lamb roast. I got maybe 15-20% disagreeable jiggly-gristly bits. I can live with that.
The meat chunks are substantial, but not huge. Like chubby chicken nuggets, maybe. The lamb is marinated in yogurt, sour cream, and spices. Mine was flavorful allll the way through. Yaaas.
Po-ta-toes
There are tidy cubes of potato. Eerily consistent in size. The potato texture is not bad — they’re neither too soggy nor too firm. Pleasantly salted and flavorful. Pretty good. Which is fortunate, because there are quite a few potatoes here.
Texture
The curry is thick, and not what I’d call “creamy.” But good. It’s definitely a tart-vinegar presence. A distinct tomato taste. And spicier than I expected. But in a good way. Absolutely not “too spicy.”
If you like “gravy,” this one doesn’t have much. I ended up mixing the curry into my rice to distribute the flavors better. I did not need any extra salt on mine, which is a miracle. Very well seasoned.
Flavors
Speaking of flavors, I would describe the spices as cumin-forward, with a gingery vibe. Maybe fenugreek. There are some small crunchy seeds in the mix. It doesn’t have a strong garlic taste, and the onion flavor is super mellow, despite onions being the first listed ingredient.
The label doesn’t reveal the exact spice combination, although it does list green chillies. I like the complexity of the spices here. It tastes multi-dimensional and well-developed.
Serving the Lamb Vindaloo
I served mine with freshly chopped green onions. And basmati rice. I actually liked this combination a lot. There’s something about a fresh vegetable garnish that just really brings it all together.
This is a quick meal. It’s refrigerated (instead of frozen) and only takes about 5 minutes to heat. Great for busy folks.
The label says you get 4 servings per box. There are two sealed plastic trays, with two servings per tray. These aren’t HUGE servings, but they’re adequately filling once the rice is added. I appreciated the 29 grams of protein per serving. Legit.
What’s “Goanese,” Precious?
“Goanese” is a specific type of southwestern Indian cuisine. It often has a distinct vinegar influence, which is palpable with this Quicklly meal. Although many Goan dishes feature fish and coconut milk, this one does not. Goan food is influenced by Portuguese recipes, and often features potatoes, tomatoes, and most importantly, chillies.
Ingredients in Quicklly Goanese Lamb Vindaloo
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Sauce (Onions, Water, Tomato [Water, Diced Tomato, Tomato Paste, Tomato Juice, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid], Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Ginger, Garlic, Spices, Green Chili, Sugar, Salt, Cultured Dextrose)
- Lamb (Lamb, Yogurt [Grade A Pasteurized Milk, Cultures], Sour Cream, Soybean Oil, Ginger, Garlic, Spices
- Potatoes
More information from the label:
- Certified Gluten Free
- Certified Halal
- Manufactured in USA
- Pasture Fed
- Free Range
- Antibiotic Free
This is an admirable ingredient list. Probably what I’d consider “health food.” I love to see the pasture-fed, free-range meats. (Look, I need to feel better about that $18, OK?)
Nutrition Facts
An 8 ounce serving contains 340 calories. You get 18 grams of fat (5 grams saturated fat) and 29 grams protein. There are 16 grams carbohydrates, of which 3 grams are fiber and 5 grams are sugars (only 2 grams “added sugars”). It’s surprisingly low in sodium, at only 15% your daily value per serving. You’ll be getting 27% your daily value cholesterol, and 25% your daily value iron per serving.
Price and Servings
This is a 2-pound Costco package. Four servings total. Since the 32 ounce box cost $18, each serving is $4.50.
Shelf Life
Ok, the bad news is: it doesn’t have a long shelf life! Mine had a “best by” date that only allowed 2 weeks to consume. I ate mine pronto!
Cooking Instructions
There’s only one heating method listed on the box: microwave. I ignored this. I heated mine on the stove in a covered skillet on low heat until it was hot. Worked great. This also gives you an opportunity to adjust the thickness, if needed, by adding a bit of water.
Anyway. To microwave this, the instruction say to puncture the clear film 2-3 times, then heat on HIGH for 3 minutes. Peel back the film and stir. Microwave for another 1 minute. Let sit 1 minute. Carefully remove film (watch out for steam/burns!).
Dramatic Conclusion
The official Awesome-o-Meter rates this Lamb Vindaloo a “Yaaas.” It’s pricey, but worth it for a quality, red-meat curry splurge.
I would give this a “Speechless” if we could make those jiggly bits completely disappear. You know.
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