I cook my food from scratch when I can, but during the week I rarely have time to spend more than half an hour in the kitchen. If I can cut corners, I will, so I use quite a lot of cooking sauces - usually Bertolli, Loyd Grossman, Lee Kum Kee and retailer own brands - along with fresh produce. I always buy Tilda basmati rice though.
On the one hand, pouch packs give the impression of freshness, but it's difficult to get the thicker sauces out (the Royal Korma particularly). I like the window on the back of the packet where you can see the sauce, but I'd like to see it on the front.Overall, the packaging is appealing, with eye-catching colouring, and the serving suggestions look appetising. I think the Rizazz name's a bit corny though.
The Balti Masala sauce looked and smelled fresh when opened and, once cooked, it was bright, fragrant, and tasted great. I'd have expected the dish to be a little spicier, but that's a minor point. I cooked the Tikka Masala Makhani sauce with some chicken breast and a little onion  once I finally got it out of the packet. It was really tasty with plenty of coconut and creaminess, with a strong, bright colour. I'm not usually one for a tikka spice mixture, but this has definitely changed my opinion.
Korma is not something I would buy in a restaurant, either. However if they are all like this  creamy, coconut-ty, colourful and deliciously sweet  I may have to change that too.This was the star of the lot for me, and I'd definitely buy it.
After this, though, I could only expect things to go downhill with the Thai Curry. This was under-spiced for a dish labelled hot'. The balance of flavour was good, but it was unappetising to look at and I was disappointed by the lack of punch. The Mediterranean Mascarpone, Pesto and Lemon Sauce was probably the weakest offering. It looked grey, tasted bland and was overpowered by the hint of lemon.
If I were Tilda, I'd stick to what I do well  Indian recipes  and go back to the drawing board with the others. I'm waiting now for the Dansak, even though I already know it'll be a devil to get out of the packet!
{{P&P }}
On the one hand, pouch packs give the impression of freshness, but it's difficult to get the thicker sauces out (the Royal Korma particularly). I like the window on the back of the packet where you can see the sauce, but I'd like to see it on the front.Overall, the packaging is appealing, with eye-catching colouring, and the serving suggestions look appetising. I think the Rizazz name's a bit corny though.
The Balti Masala sauce looked and smelled fresh when opened and, once cooked, it was bright, fragrant, and tasted great. I'd have expected the dish to be a little spicier, but that's a minor point. I cooked the Tikka Masala Makhani sauce with some chicken breast and a little onion  once I finally got it out of the packet. It was really tasty with plenty of coconut and creaminess, with a strong, bright colour. I'm not usually one for a tikka spice mixture, but this has definitely changed my opinion.
Korma is not something I would buy in a restaurant, either. However if they are all like this  creamy, coconut-ty, colourful and deliciously sweet  I may have to change that too.This was the star of the lot for me, and I'd definitely buy it.
After this, though, I could only expect things to go downhill with the Thai Curry. This was under-spiced for a dish labelled hot'. The balance of flavour was good, but it was unappetising to look at and I was disappointed by the lack of punch. The Mediterranean Mascarpone, Pesto and Lemon Sauce was probably the weakest offering. It looked grey, tasted bland and was overpowered by the hint of lemon.
If I were Tilda, I'd stick to what I do well  Indian recipes  and go back to the drawing board with the others. I'm waiting now for the Dansak, even though I already know it'll be a devil to get out of the packet!
{{P&P }}
No comments yet