MTR Minute Meals Palak Paneer Review
Author’s note: As always, this is not a paid or sponsored review. I have no affiliation with MTR Minute Meals or Amazon or Wal-Mart.
The price point matters.
I visited my local Indian market and found these “Heat and Eat” Minute Meals from MTR. They’re shelf-stable (not refrigerated or frozen), and ready to eat in about 2 minutes. For less than 3 dollars, I was willing to try.
Packaging
The pouch inside the box reminds me of an MRE (military) meal. You just tear the top off and then pour in a container to heat. While the label offers a few options, I opted to heat mine in a ceramic skillet on my stove.
Texture
The spinach gravy is beautifully thick and full of dark green goodness. I was worried it was going to be a garish, unnatural color (from the product picture), but it isn’t. It looks similar to what I’d make myself. The texture is creamy and smooth (but not TOO smooth, you know!) with a perfect viscosity. It’s perhaps a tad slimier than I’d wish. But only slightly.
Oooh, it’s spiiiiicy!
Oh my Caucasian stars! It is spiiiiiicy! I love this. I recently complained about Deep brand selling me a bland meal. That’s not the case here. This is bursting with glorious heat. It’s not “painful,” but it’s no joke. Fantastic.
(The label lists this as “medium” heat level. Oi.)
Flavors
The flavors are prominent cumin and coriander. Just a touch of mint. It has a pleasant, gentle saltiness that kept me from reaching for my own salt shaker. This is seasoned very well. There are some small, crunchy seeds which might be from the chili peppers.
(In the mood for something sheepish? Here’s my review of Quicklly Lamb Vindaloo Curry.)
Paneer cubes
I think the weakest link is the paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cubes. They’re definitely not as good as Deep’s. Not as flavorful. The cubes are uber soft, but just don’t have as much cheesy-fresh integrity. Squashier. Mildly depressed cheese. Still, they’re pretty decent. In the context of the meal, I enjoyed them.
Weirdly, the paneer is an odd brown color inside. But I’m hoping that’s from the soaked-in gravy color. Not old age. Or other shenanigans.
Serving the palak paneer
I served my palak paneer over freshly cooked basmati rice. Compared to other Indian meals on the market, this one is pretty generous. It’s a 10.58-ounce pouch. And once you add your own rice, that’s a big-ish meal. I appreciate this.
The downside is that there’s not much protein. Especially if you try to get two meals out of this pouch, as the label suggests you should. More about that later.
Ingredients in MTR Minute Meals Palak Paneer
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Water
- Palak (Spinach Leaves)
- Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)
- Tomato
- Onion
- Sunflower Oil
- Dairy Cream
- Garlic
- Green Chili
- Spices
- Salt
- Mint Leaves
- Coriander Leaves
- Corn Flour
- Color Copper Complexes of Chloropyllin
This is a pretty stellar ingredient list. Except maybe that last item. I could do without that one.
This meal is imported from India.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1/2 cup and contains 160 calories. You get 13 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat) and 5 grams protein. There are 6 grams total carbohydrates, of which 3 grams are sugars (0 grams “added sugars”) and 2 grams are fiber. You get 21% your daily value sodium, and 5% your daily value cholesterol per serving. There’s also 20% your daily value vitamin D, and 10% each of calcium and iron.
Price and Servings
The 300 gram package cost $2.99 at my local Indian mart. IF you managed to squeeze two servings from this pouch, it would be $1.50 per serving. Plus the price of your own rice, naan, or roti.
I think the price point is significant. If I’d paid more for this meal, I would feel differently about my experience.
For example, Wal-Mart sells a 4-pack of MTR Minute Meals for $26, which is $6.50 per meal. More than double. Amazon sells a 6-pack of the Palak Paneer for $37, or $6.16 per meal.
IF I’d spent that much, I would not be writing such a favorable review. The quality/quantity isn’t high enough to justify that price. I would legitimately feel ripped off if I’d spent that kind of money for a meatless, low protein meal with no rice. Sorry-not-sorry.
Shelf Life
The “best before” date on my package allowed about 1.5 years to consume.
Heating Instructions
The label offers a few ways to heat the meal:
- Microwave: heat contents of pouch in microwave-safe bowl for 1-2 minutes.
- Stove top: heat contents in a container on medium flame for 2 minutes while stirring.
- Boiling water: immerse unopened innner pouch in boiling water for about 5 minutes.
Dramatic Conclusion
In conclusion, this was a great find. The flavors are fabulous, althought not appropriate for spice-intollerant folks. I wish there was twice as much paneer (more protein). But for the price, I cannot complain.
Well, I can. But I won’t. (Not very much, anyway.)
The End.
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