{"id":14962,"date":"2026-07-15T15:29:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=14962"},"modified":"2026-07-15T15:50:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:50:29","slug":"mtr-minute-meals-palak-paneer-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2026\/07\/15\/mtr-minute-meals-palak-paneer-review\/","title":{"rendered":"MTR Minute Meals Palak Paneer Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Author’s note: As always, this is not a paid or sponsored review. I have no affiliation with MTR Minute Meals<\/a><\/em> or Amazon or Wal-Mart.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The price point matters.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Packaging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Texture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 <\/em>slimier than I’d wish. But only slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oooh, it’s spiiiiicy!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oh my Caucasian stars! It is spiiiiiicy! I love this. I recently complained about Deep brand selling me a bland meal<\/a>. That’s not the case here. This is bursting with glorious heat. It’s not “painful,” but it’s no joke. Fantastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(The label lists this as “medium” heat level. Oi.)<\/p>\n\n\n

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Flavors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(In the mood for something sheepish? Here’s my review of Quicklly Lamb Vindaloo Curry<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Paneer cubes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Weirdly, the paneer is an odd brown color inside. But I’m hoping<\/em> that’s from the soaked-in gravy color. Not old age. Or other shenanigans.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Serving the palak paneer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The downside is that there’s not much protein. Especially if you try to get two<\/em> meals out of this pouch, as the label suggests you should. More about that later.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ingredients in MTR Minute Meals Palak Paneer<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Here are the ingredients, from the label:<\/p>\n\n\n\n