I found this product from Bombay Kitchen in the freezer aisle of a local mom and pop Nepali grocery store. It’s a brand I’ve not seen before, where Tandoor Chef and Sukhi’s dominate the shelf space when it comes to frozen Indian food. Consider me doubly surprised then when I saw the dish Chicken 65. I’m not sure anyone else in the freezer aisle makes this wonderful dish. Do correct me if I’m wrong.
Chicken 65 can be a vibrant and eye popping dish, a sort of fried chicken in fiery chili based sauce. It’s a much drier dish than some of it’s saucier curry counterparts. Again, I’ve never seen this in the freezer aisle, heck it’s rare on US Indian restaurants menu as it is. I’ll always order it when I see it.
The dish cooks up like most frozen products, around five minutes in the microwave. Here’s the finished article accompanied by some home made rice, plus naan and samosa from Deep Foods:
The result wasn’t up there with the best restaurant dishes I’ve had, not close to be fair; that’s understandable, I wouldn’t expect a microwave meal to compete with freshly deep fried chicken after all. The taste was sweeter than I’d prefer and a little on the mild side when it comes to heat; no problem there mind you, nothing a quick addition of chili sauce can’t fix – and if you’re a spice head – I know your pantry is full of options 😉
Despite the milder approach, I still thoroughly enjoyed this dish. It’s fantastic to see a break from the regular Chicken Tikka Masala options in the freezer aisle. I also liked the fact the meal provided just the protein, and not a small portion (of usually poor) rice. I’d always choose more protein over filler.
Bombay Kitchen Chicken 65 cooking instructions and ingredients
Is Bombay Kitchen Chicken 65 any good?
Our verdict? Yes, 3.5/5 from us. This is up there with some of the very best frozen Indian meals out there. I loved every bit, and am now set on trying to locate more of Bombay Kitchen’s products.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!