Deep Indian Paneer Tikka Masala Review
Author’s note: These are my own weird, unbiased opinions. I have no affiliation with Deep Indian Kitchen or Publix.
Maybe I need to start playing the lottery.
IF I won the lottery, I’d have Indian take-out delivered to my house every single day. Facts. But I won’t win the lottery. Because I don’t play the lottery. Alas. So here’s the next best thing, I guess?
Today I am reviewing Deep Indian Kitchen’s Paneer Tikka Masala. This is a frozen, single-serve meal with paneer cheese cubes in tikka masala sauce and onion basmati rice.
Disappointingly mild
I’ve generally been impressed by how much zesty heat is in Deep meals, compared to other brands (for example, here is my review of their samosas, which were fire!). This meal was a bit of a let-down. It’s much milder than the “medium spice” label on the box would imply. Mine had essentially zero heat.
Shockingly bland
The orange tikka masala sauce is…well, bland. I hate admitting this, because Deep is a brand I’ve raved about for years. What happened here, my dudes? It has a perfect creamy-smooth consistency, from heavy cream and blended cashew nuts. But a very “flat” taste. Minus the lack of spice, there just isn’t that tomato zing or depth of flavor. I still ate it. And enjoyed it. But. Less enjoyment than I’d anticipated.
Tender, fresh-tasting paneer cheese
The paneer cubes are fantastically tender. And for a frozen meal, suspiciously fresh-tasting. They make little squeaky sounds against my teeth as I chew them. I did find them very bland, and needing salt. Salt fixes so many problems. (Go away, Salt Police!)
Rice is a bit dry
The rice has a rich flavor from the caramelized onion pieces. This is a generous amount of onion, but not overpowering. Mellow. My rice was a tad dry (and stiff!), however, which hasn’t been the norm for other Deep meals I’ve eaten.
Petite meal size
This isn’t a huge meal, but it’s an appropriate lunch-sized amount. Here it is on a small salad plate. I am one of those people who think food tastes 50% better when it’s served on real dishes. Personally, I think it needs about 20% more of the sauce/paneer for the rice quantity. Or maybe I am just greedy.
(Probably just greedy.)
Ingredients:
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Paneer Tikka Masala: Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Salt), Onions, Paneer (Pasteurized Milk, Nonfat Dry Milk, Acetic Acid), Water, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Heavy Cream, Nonfat Dry Milk, Spices, Cashews, Garlic, Butter, Sugar, Salt, Tapioca Starch, Ghee (Clarified Butter), Fenugreek Leaves, Cilantro, Turmeric, Paprika Oleoresin.
- Onion Basmati Rice: Water, Basmati Rice, Fried Onions (Onions, Palm Oil, Buckwheat, Salt), Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Salt, Cumin Seeds.
More information from the label:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten Free
- No artificial ingredients
- “Always made from scratch”
This package doesn’t state where the meal is made, but previous Deep products I’ve purchased were made in India.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is the entire package, and contains 390 calories. You get 19 grams fat ( 7 grams saturated fat) and 16 grams protein. There are 41 grams total carbohydrates, of which 5 grams are sugars (1 gram “added sugar”) and 3 grams are fiber. There’s 25% your daily value sodium, and 10% your daily value cholesterol per serving. Plus, you get 25% your daily value calcium, too.
Price and Servings
The 9-ounce meal cost $6.99 at my local Publix. But, I got mine at a magical BOGO sale. So it only cost me $3.50. As much as I like Deep brand, it’s become a very spendy option for a frugal person like myself. I think for 7 bucks, it should be a larger meal, at least. Maybe I need to start playing the lottery.
Shelf Life
I am a big fan of frozen products. I have more control over when I decide to eat them. This frozen meal has a “best by” date that allows about 10 months to consume.
Microwave Instructions
The box only offers ONE way to heat this meal: microwave. It takes about 6.5 minutes total, including stirring and letting it sit after heating:
- Puncture film three times.
- Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes.
- Peel back film enough to stir gently. Re-cover with film.
- Heat on high 2 minutes.
- Let stand for 2 minutes, remove film.
Dramatic Conclusion
In conclusion, this meal was less tasty than other Deep products I’ve had. But it was still “good.” It needs more flavor, salt, and moistness in the rice. If it’s intended to taste like this, the label should be adjusted to say “mild,” not “medium.”
On the infallible “Awesome-o-Meter,” this Paneer Tikka Masala rates a “Maybe.” Hopefully this is just an unfortunate fluke, and not the new norm for Deep brand.
The End.
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