Freezer Desi

While I will be the first to tell you that most pre-produced or frozen Indian meals are disgusting, I have decided that Indian food can take time to cook, so it may be nice to know what are some quick foods to eat when you're on the go and want some Indian food.


Because I live in New York City currently, frozen Indian meals can pretty much be found everywhere from Walgreens and CVS to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, as well as pre-cooked packaged meals that can be stored in a cupboard.

However, if you're not in a big city, it may not be as readily available, but there are most likely Indian groceries stores somewhere nearby and so it can be found.

In an earlier post, I discussed Trader Joe's Dal Makhani. It wasn't like my grandmother's - but it was edible. However, the Palak Paneer was disgusting. Seriously, it looked like gelatinous green stuff with over processed cheese in it. Not edible at all.

I also tried, TJs Chicken Makhani which is frozen and served with rice. It was actually really great. Their frozen vegetable samosas are awesome too.

The Mirachi brand is also good, according to my mother, as well as the Deep brand.I have heard through Food Network reviews that Amy's brand has good Indian food as well, and I believe it's organic.

If you like Indian breads, like naan, parathas and kulcha, you can find them frozen in most Indian grocery stores - as well as, in some gourmet sections too.

If you're me and really like to make your own foods another short cut is too just buy a spice mix or the sauce itself. My chicken makhani recipe used Patak's brand sauces, and I use their curry regularly too.

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both have pre-made sauces in jars. We recently tried TJs Korma Sauce. It tasted good, but it was a little runny. I'd suggest thickening it up a bit with a roux or adding cream.

If you're a New Yorker, try shopping in Jackson Heights, Queens and "Curry Hill" which is in Manhattan in the 20s on Lexington Ave. Curry in a Hurry surprisingly has some good Indian cuisine, even though its marketed as fast food.