Can a readymade
supermarket curry really compete with one bought from an Indian takeaway?
According to a report from
consumer analyst NPD group, Indian restaurants and takeaways are facing hot
competition from the supermarkets. Apparently, ethnic restaurants have suffered
a decline of 123 million visits over three years. Meanwhile supermarket sales
of readymade Indian curries have soared.
But can a supermarket
product really compare with the recipes, processes and spice blends used in an
Indian restaurant?
Curry Life decided to find
out. We invited 20 ‘judges’ comprising chefs, caterers, restaurant critics,
cookery writers, supermarket employees and a few curryholics to exercise their
taste buds in an exclusive Curry Taste Off!
The aim was to sample,
compare and judge ten different versions of Britain’s favourite Chicken Tikka Masala
and (less favourite) dish of vegetable curry. Eight dishes were from the major
supermarkets and two from the typical Indian takeaway down the road. All
tasting was anonymous and tasters had no idea which curry came from where. And after some serious slurping, concentrated
chewing and inward digesting, we got some very interesting feedback. Here are
the judges’ comments (in no particular order), with the final rankings revealed at the end …
- Waitrose
Chicken Tikka Masala and Rice
£3.89 400g SCORE: 75
Supermarket
description: A rich tandoori spiced cream and tomato sauce served with pilau
rice.
Chicken
content: Diced chicken breast 14% (rice was 13%).
The verdict: Our tasters were united in liking the creamy flavour, although the
curry was generally judged to be a bit on the bland side. Cumin and cardamom
spices were discerned. Comments included: “The meat is very smooth but a bit
dry.” “Nice level of spice.” “Creamy and pale - possibly too pale to be
authentic.” “Good spicy aftertaste.” “Chicken seems a bit processed but the
sauce is lovely!” “Very nice - creamy and tomatoey, but not full of flavour.” “I
can taste spices but it’s more like a Korma.” “Chewed on a cardamom pod!”
wailed one taster, whilst another got a strong taste of cashew nuts.
Chef’s comment: “Bland to start with, then a nice hint of spice. Well balanced
flavours. Chicken a bit soggy – probably cheap chicken was used in this dish.”
- Asda Chicken Tikka Masala with Pillau Rice - £1.50 450g SCORE: 58
Supermarket
description: Marinated pieces of
succulent chicken breast in our spicy, creamy sauce with tomato, yoghurt and a
touch of chilli.
Chicken
content: Cooked marinated chicken breast (28%), Chicken breast (96%) (pillau
rice 36%).
The verdict: Testers were divided on this one – while some loved it, others found
little to praise. Comments ranged from an enthusiastic “Authentic taste,
enjoyed it”, and “Really tasty! This has got to be the ‘real’ curry!” to “Chicken
is like mush, poor quality – tastes very processed”, “very bland!!!”, “wishy
washy”, and “watery”. “The sauce is nice but I didn’t really like the texture
of the chicken as it was bit mushy”, said one. Another taster commented that was
more like a casserole than a curry. “It lacks spice and flavour and has a
strange consistency.” At the end of the day with a price tag of £1.50, it’s
surprising the dish did so well.
Chef’s comment: “No texture to the chicken. The
dish didn’t look appetizing and tasted a bit like spicy baby food! I didn’t
like the finely chopped vegetables but it was nice and flavoursome on first
taste.”
- Chicken
Tikka Masala from Indian takeaway £8.95 approx 650g SCORE: 85
Description: Chicken
marinated in yoghurt and a blend of tandoori spices cooked in a clay oven, then
re-cooked in a rich mild special sauce containing nuts, raisins and cream.
The verdict: Astute tasters recognised the
bright red colouring was indicative of the authentic takeaway dish. Most enjoyed
it and liked the buttery flavour. The meat was generally thought to be of
better quality and it had obviously been cooked in a tandoor oven with skewer
holes evident. Comments included: “Nice smell and taste.” “Chunkier pieces of
chicken but too much turmeric.” “Enjoyed this one!” “Sweet coconut and spices
but chicken is dry.” “Quite sweet; nice meat.” “Chicken is dry but has a nice
flavour.” “Good colouring, tastes authentic.” “Possibly a bit too sweet and
coconutty,” wrote one taster. Someone else complained about the “coarser
texture” and “synthetic colour” whilst another described the dish with an
enthusiastic, “Mellow and morish!”
Chef’s comment: Nice texture to the chicken and it actually tasted and looked like
chicken! This one has a real authentic tandoor flavour. Quite a mild curry but
very pleasant and quite sweet – the taste of coconut is a little overpowering; but
it’s also spicy and hot.”
Supermarket description: A medium spiced curry made with tender pieces of
marinated chargrilled chicken breast in a rich, creamy masala sauce, finished
with aromatic coriander leaf.
Chicken
content: Cooked marinated chicken 40% (87% chicken breast).
The verdict: M&S claim to sell over 18 tonnes of Britain’s favourite dish a week. The
most expensive of the supermarket bought meals, tasters found it “wishy washy”
and criticised its creaminess. “I can taste heat but not spice” was one comment.
“It’s creamy but has a bit less flavour.” “Poor taste with a strange wheaty aftertaste.”
“Too much garlic!” Several mentioned the taste of cumin seeds, and cardamom
flavours. Praise included: “Has texture of real meat”and “mild but has a nice
tang”. However, some tasters thought the opposite: “Chicken tastes modified”
said one, whilst another simply wrote “Yuck!”
Chef’s comment: The chicken has a good texture. It’s quite spicy but a pleasant and
quite creamy curry.
- Sainsbury’s
Indian Chicken Tikka Masala £3.60
400g SCORE:
78
Supermarket
description: Marinated British chicken breast in a creamy tomato sauce with
coriander and tandoori spices.
Chicken
content: Chargrilled marinated chicken breast 35%.
The verdict: The natural flavours of this
dish proved to be a hit. “This is definitely not supermarket – yes I like this
one,” wrote one mistaken tester. Other comments were: “Warming and spicy.”“Creamy
with a hint of spices.” “Not much flavour here, just spice.” “I like the look
of this one! Nice texture of meat.” “A bit more heat would make it very good”. “Tangy
aftertaste”. “Nice and flavoursome.“ “Fairly spicy, not very colourful.” “Nice
bit of heat” and “hotter!”. “Tender meat” was noted more than once. “It’s more
smoky and herby tasting as well”, said one taster. “Thicker sauce, maybe too
thick,” wrote another.
Chefs Comment: Good texture of chicken. Again,
I found the sauce a little thick and heavy. Nice spicing. I liked the texture
of the chicken and flavour but the texture of the sauce lets it down for me.
- Tesco’s
Indian Chicken Tikka Masala - £3.20
350g SCORE: 71
Supermarket
description: Marinated chicken in a spiced tomato sauce infused with paprika,
coriander, cumin and chilli.
Chicken
content: Marinated chicken 51%
The verdict: Again, testers found the dish a bit bland though they commented on
the good texture of the chicken. It was generally judged to be less creamy. Feedback
was as follows: “Nice flavour, just a hint of spice.” “A bit oily.” “I can
taste coconut and mint,” (neither ingredient was in this dish.) “The sauce is lovely”,
“tasty, fairly spicy.” “Herby.” “Has a look of a Korma,” wrote one tester, “It’s
too mild for me,” complained another. “The chicken seems very processed. Not
much flavour. Nice, creamy texture but not enough spice,” was the final conclusion.
Chef’s Comment: A bit bland but the texture
of the chicken is good.
- Morrison’s
Indian Takeaway Chicken Tikka Masala £3.25 385g SCORE: 62
Supermarket
description: Marinated chicken breast pieces in a creamy, lightly spiced sauce.
Chicken
content: Chicken breast 28%
The verdict: “Brilliant! Jolly nice, a bit coconutty.” “Watery sauce, chicken
tastes rubbery.” “There is hardly any chicken and the sauce is too thin.” “Not
much flavour, horrible chicken.” “I eat more supermarket readymade meals than
curries from takeaways so I’m more used to their taste,” one tester was heard
to comment.
Chef’s comment: Too watery and bland. The
chicken tastes more natural than some but is still a bit synthetic with a
strangely smooth texture.
- Marks
& Spencer’s Vegetable Curry £2.90
SCORE: 76
The verdict: Surprisingly,
several people thought this was the authentic takeaway dish. Comments were
highly complimentary with the vegetables receiving praise for their chunky size
and taste. Comments included: “Very tasty, nice spice level. “Vegetables are
good consistency.” “Vegetables seem like they’ve been frozen.” “Great cauliflower!”
“Don’t usually choose veggie curries but I could go for this!” “Nice big chunks
of vegetables.” “Sharp spice taste – definitely supermarket.” “The vegetables
are more chunky, but not a lot of taste.” “Excellent! Very tasty, exotic. Got
to be authentic!”
Chefs comment: Vegetables are nice and crispy and can identify
what everything is. This dish is nice and spicy too.
- Tesco’s
Takeaway Vegetable Curry £3.50 SCORE:
41
The verdict: No-one
seemed to like this dish, with one taster labelling it as the “worst curry
ever!” The general opinion was that the consistency was too mushy. Comments
were: “Moist but not very tasty.” “Not much taste.” “Seems to be made with
frozen veg.” “No spice.” “Very tomatoey.” “Doesn’t look appetising, veggie bits
seem to have a liquorice taste.” “Veg are a bit soft.” “Not for me!” “Very
little flavour,” and finally … “Me no likey!!”
Chef’s Comment: The vegetables
are soggy. I’m not over impressed with the flavour. Medium spice but lacked
body.
- Vegetable
Curry from Indian takeaway £5.95 approx 650g
The verdict: Comments were not all full of
praise, although there were plenty of positive remarks: “Veg mushy.” “Unpleasant aftertaste.” “Nice
aftertaste.” “Too much of one particular spice, not sure which.” “Smooth, nice
taste.” “Hot but not too hot.” “Love this one! Nice and spicy.” “Bitter taste,
frozen veg again.” “Good spice on the whole.” “Tasty, lots of veg – best of the
veg curries.” “Very spicy must be the real thing.” “Quite hot.” “Good after
spice taste.” “Gloopy! If this is authentic I will eat the raw chillies (not my
hat),”
Chef’s comment: Something is lacking with the
flavour. It has nice spice and is quite hot. I’d like to see some more exotic
vegetables rather than carrots, peas and potatoes, though I can also identify
celery, butternut squash, sweetcorn and maybe spinach in there. I find the
aftertaste quite unpleasant although other people seemed to like it.
HERE ARE THE FINAL SCORES (IN ORDER)
- Indian takeaway 85
- Sainsbury’s 78
- Waitrose 75
- Tesco’s 71
- Marks & Spencers 66.5
- Morrison’s 62
- Asda 58
- Indian takeaway 78
- Marks & Spencers 76
- Tesco’s
Takeaway 41
From
this tasting session at least, it seems you still can’t beat the real McCoy
from the local Indian takeaway if you are looking for quality; fresh, natural
ingredients; flavour; authenticity, and a real tandoor taste.
But
supermarket curries have a few things in their favour, notably the price. They
also possibly have less ghee content – most of the ones we tested used rapeseed
oil which has less unhealthy saturated fats than all other cooking oils. Surprisingly,
they used mainly natural ingredients, no additives or flavours were involved.
Only the Asda product contained modified maize starch. Ingredients included
separate, sometimes in the case of Waitrose, whole spices and cloves. Cashew
nuts were used in some supermarket dishes (Waitrose, Morrisons, Tesco’s and
Sainsbury’s) rather than less expensive desiccated coconut. On the downside,
many supermarket curries contain over half a teaspoonful of salt – more than
half the recommended daily intake – and there’s no getting away from that
synthetic tasting chicken which, in all cases, did not seem to have been
separately cooked in a tandoor.
When
we look at the vegetable curry, in this tasting at least, the M&S product
follows close on the takeaway’s heels, with a significantly lower price tag. However,
it should be said that although the takeaway products cost more, the portions
at approx 650g were almost twice the size of some supermarket meals, with enough
to feed more than two people.
So,
should Indian takeaway operators be worried? According to Guy Fielding,
Director of Business Development for the NPD Group, ethnic food may not be
perceived as the everyday good value it once was.
He
continues: “To compete with the supermarkets ethnic operators need to change
the price value equation by introducing deals and promotions that resonate with
consumers. The recession has made consumers more discriminating in the choices
they make. Ethnic operators will need to get more sophisticated about the deal
and the promotion element of the business if they are to turn this decline
around.”
Some of our Tasters:
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| Lisa Anderson, Owner of Finer Catering |
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| Testers and staff from the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School who took part in the tasting session. |
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| Tasters at Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School, East Yorkshire |
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The youngest taster samples a chilli
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| The results are announced |
What Indian
restaurateurs had to say …
Mr M Mirza of Muskan Spice the Indian restaurant in Driffield, East
Yorkshire from where the takeaway was obtained, was highly
delighted with the results but not surprised: “It’s easy to know why Indian
takeaways are so much better – it’s not pre-cooked, it comes from pan to plate.
You can’t beat the taste of food that has been freshly cooked and is not
processed. With supermarket meals you don’t know how long it’s been on the
shelf and you certainly don’t know exactly what the ingredients are or where
they’ve come from.”
Other
restaurant owners agreed. Oli Khan of
Surma takeaway in Stevenage says the
difference in taste is because the Indian takeaway is fresh, although he admits
that supermarkets have done well in the recession for people on a tight
budget. “Supermarkets use processed
foods with preservatives which are not healthy. Take naan bread for instance:
we supply it fresh from the tandoori oven with no additives. Supermarket naan
bread can be 20 to 30 days old or even up to one year according to the
packaging. Takeaways taste better and are healthier.”
Anhar
Uddin also said that in takeaways
and Indian restaurants dishes are freshly prepared each day. “It’s the same as
if you cook something at home with fresh ingredients and eat straight away, it
must always be better than something a day or two old.” He also commented that
Halal meat gave a better flavour as it contained no blood.
Finally,
Tofuzzul Miah of Bayleaf in Barnet, North London said: “Takeaways are cooked fresh with fresh
ingredients; moreover food stored in the fridge is never the same, it’s a fact
of life. Supermarket meals are OK for a quick alternative but unfortunately you
never really know what you’re getting – certainly less quality and quantity.
And it’s made by a machine, not a person so no wonder it’s cheap and cheerful!”
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