Anytime I see a frozen Indian product that *isn’t* chicken tikka masala – I’m sold. I mean I love the dish, but cmon, can we have a little more excitement in our lives? Chicken meatballs in a madras curry then? Hells yes, I’m in.
Cooking: You know the frozen microwave meal drill. Pierce the plastic, cook for a bit, give it a stir, cook a bit more. Then end up delicately trying not to scald yourself as you peel back the plastic cover.
Taste and texture: In a word, salt. Saffron Valley really lean into the joys of sodium here. The gravy is decent, tomato driven with a tangy tamarind edge and a little sweetness. There’s some moderate back of the throat heat that grows as you work through the dish. The chicken meatballs have an enjoyably texture but are somewhat forgetable in the grand scheme of things.
Verdict: I’d probably pass on this one again. The change of pace is appreciated, meatballs and madras, but the overall dish doesn’t really move further beyond salt and sugar. It’s not exactly a massive serving either all things considered.
Saffron Road Madras Curry and Chicken Meatballs nutrition and cooking
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Overall
Is the Saffron Road Madras Curry and Chicken Meatballs meal any good?
Ho hum is the best I can muster. It’s a more interesting dish compared to its peers in the frozen Indian meal section of the freezer. Sadly, the final dish never gets started, it’s too salty, the sauce offering tame heat and tamarind tanginess. Not bad, just fairly dull.
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!