Who doesn’t love a takeaway at the weekend! There is something quite special about waiting for that order to arrive, tucking in and enjoying all the flavours and ease of a meal you haven’t had to make. However, there is an even better solution for that curry night now, with the introduction of Mandira’s Kitchen! Discover what we thought of their dishes here…

Good Morning Lovelies, 

A few weeks ago, I put a shout out out to help me with the taste test features I do with my mum. There were some incredible brands who got in touch, including the amazing Mandira's Kitchen! 

As an Indian food based establishment, the brand works hard by catering for big events, hosting street food cafes and unique experiences, whilst also providing ready meals for customers to enjoy at home. Something that I was very kindly sent to test on my mum. 

My mum adores an Indian in fact, however, they are often the most expensive takeaway on the market near to us. This means she doesn’t often get to enjoy the different dishes on offer as much as she would like. Yet, that was all about to change with the selection that the team at Mandira’s Kitchen sent us. 

Quick to send the items, they can in a safe, chilled courier box, with a signature needed on the door. Placing it in our kitchen, my mum spent very little time ripping it open to find out what we got. This ended up being the following:

• Lemon Rice, £8
• Kingfisher Watercress Dal, £9.50
• Tomato & Date Chutney, £6.99
• Two Naan’s, £3.75 Each, £7.50 Total
• Kaju Dhania Murgh, £10.50
• Vegetable Samosas, £8.50

Overall, the meals, which were made for two, came in at £50.99, a price that could seem costly, however, when you see how much you get it is worth it. Portioned out in their packaging, the dishes are heated up in as little as four minutes, with the chutney only needing to be popped open, before it can be dished up. 

Upon opening the wrappers, both my mum and me were so in awe at the fact that there were two dishes for everything. This meant that if you were eating the meal on your own and didn’t fancy all the dishes, you didn’t have to split them up, as they were already done. A fact that made it easier to freeze the pieces we didn’t want that night. Plus, it cut the costs down, because essentially it was two takeaways at around £25.50 each. Very low for Indian takeaway costs. 

After popping the in the microwave, we removed the packages to dish up. As we did so, we popped the naan’s in the microwave for a minute to get warm. There was so much in each portion, making it even better value for money. Setting herself up at the table, my mum decided to start with a taste of the chutney with a piece of naan. Stating straight away how flavourful it was, she said it would be perfect added to a cheese sandwich or chicken in other dishes, especially in the summer, as the tomato felt refreshing to her. 

With a good start underway, she then moved on to trial one of the vegetable samosas. Unlike other brands, she found that it wasn’t greasy and instead packed a punch by leaving a homemade feel to the dish. She said that even though they had been frozen, it tasted and felt like they had been made in her kitchen that day. The flavour was plentiful, with big chunks of good quality vegetables and spices. 

The next pieces to try were the big ones. The main courses shall we say. Upon cooking the meal, I could smell the lemon coming off the rice. The spices in the dal and curry. The flavours were literally coming to life in the air. This made me super interested to see what she was going to try first. 

Picking up a forkful of rice, she gave it a taste on its own, before mixing it in with the dal. Again, she said that the flavours were refreshing, with a hint of summer all over them. She stated that she would want to have it again in a refreshing chicken salad in the summer. And then in the winter with a curry! After mixing it in with the dal, she took another spoonful, this time with the dal added. 

She was hesitant at first, as she isn’t the biggest fan of watercress, however, what she got shocked her. The peppery tastes, mixed in with the caramelised garlic and yellow lentils, left her wanting more. She was impressed with how warming it was, with her taste buds coming to life with further tries. Mixed in with the lemon rice, there was not much heat, which she liked, yet there was still a big kick. 

However, it was the next dish that left the biggest impression on her. The special Kaju Dhania Murgh main was something she saved. In her words, it was because she wanted to leave the best until last. Well, what she thought was the best, as she had never tried it before. Yet, now she has, I have a feeling she will be ordering this one again. With a side of the lemon rice! 

Boneless chicken cooked in a delicate cashew and coriander sauce, this dish reminded us both of a korma, especially from the smells it presented whilst cooking. Upon scooping some up, mum found that the dish was creamy, light and perfect for all mild curry lovers. Coming up with ways to use the further portion, she stated that it would work so well on top of a jacket potato, however, her real love for it was with the lemon rice. She stated that in the cold of winter this would be a dish to pull out and make. Whilst if you wanted a lighter curry dish in the hot months, you could also enjoy this then too. 

Enjoying each dish so much, it wasn’t long before she was using the naan bread to mop up the remaining sauces and crumbs, before exclaiming to me that it was of the BEST Indian’s she had ever had in her life. When I asked her if it was worth the money, she said that it was, telling me that it beat even best selling restaurants near us! With fantastic storage, packaging and taste, she was so impressed that she can’t wait to have it all over again! 

With so much to offer on their website, I now know that Mandira’s Kitchen will be making a return to our house. Especially if we have guests coming! You can see their full selection and make orders to lovelies online if you would like to try the dishes for yourselves. There may be a shortage soon however, as my mum is definitely going to go a bit wild on their selection, so do get in quick aha! 

Joey X