Price: Free from Gits*
Serving: 1/2 pouch, 5.3oz.
Calories: 234 per serving
Fat: 19.4%, 12.6g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 23.1%, 554mg
Protein: 8.6g
Carbohydrates: 7.2%, 21.5g
Fiber: 2.8%, 0.7g
Sugar: 0g
Weight Watchers Points: 6 Per Serving, 12 Per Pouch

Gits says: During the days of British rule in India, Dal Makhani found favor with the connoisseurs of food — the Mughals and the Nawabs. A blend of black gram, Bengal gram and red kidney beans are cooked on a slow charcoal fire for up to 16 hours and then delicately tempered and seasoned with exotic spices and light cream.

Andrew says: I love lentil soups and I love kidney beans and I love Indian food. So here’s an Indian lentil soup with kidney beans. Is there any chance I won’t love this?

Well, if there was a chance, it was a tiny one. This is a fantastic dish executed excellently by Gits. It’s like regular lentil soup if lentil soup had a lot more spice and life to it. There are little strands of ginger, onions, a touch of garlic, chilies, coriander, cumin and Fenugreek leaves all dancing together in a dark reddish, creamy ballroom of flavor.

And it really is surprisingly creamy. The third ingredient listed is cream and it really provides a nice, smooth, almost cheesy base for the spice and beans. It helps bring all the flavors together on the palate rather than having them hit at different times. I really enjoy that effect. The packaging says Dal Makhani is India’s favorite lentil dish and I must say it’s already mine as well.

But because I’m white, I rarely have flatbread on hand to enjoy a soup like this with (not that it NEEDS the bread, but it always helps), so I got out my bag of Santitos white corn tortilla chips and dunked away. It was delightful! The fusion of Mexican and Indian cuisine … sounds like a recipe for a long stay on the toilet, but I think this works anyway. Wait until they hear about this in Mumbai!

*When I sent Andrew food he did not know which items were free from producers and which were ones I’d purchased. -Ed.

Price: $4.59
Serving: 10 oz.
Calories: 260
Fat: 10%, 6g
Cholesterol: 15%, 45mg
Sodium: 28%, 680mg
Protein: 19g
Carbohydrates: 11%, 32g
Fiber: 11%, 3g
Sugar: 4g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 Points

Ethnic Gourmet says: Seasoned white meat chicken pieces in a robust, creamy sauce, with seasoned, long-grain brown rice. All natural, no artificial ingredients, flavors, colors or preservatives. Minimally processed.

Sarah says: It’s been quite a long while since I wrote anything for HeatEatReview, and I’m glad that I’m able to come back on a high note. Now, a very important thing for me to explain before I start discussing the tasty logistics of this meal is that I am now centrally located in the midwestern United States. As such, you might start to see a difference in some of the items I purchase and the items that are available in your local supermarket. Unless, of course, you are made of awesome and you also live in the Hawkeye State.

That said, the grocery chain here (called HyVee) has, in recent years, developed a “health foods” section which is actually quite impressive. (Back when I was a youngin’, it was just ten rows of corn, corn and more corn!) It’s several small aisles filled with organic, vegan, gluten-free, and otherwise new-age hippie foods. I ended up in this section this week, on a mission to stock up my house with healthier, lower calorie foods as I attempt to burn off the December pounds. And I’m glad I did, because that is where I found this meal.

I was skeptical at first. The price was a little high, and we don’t really do Indian food here in Farm Country. As someone who has lived on both coasts, the lack of diverse cuisine is probably my biggest complaint about the midwest. But I’ve been craving a little curry in my life, and so I threw the box into my cart.

I decided to eat it after a trip to the gym - a good call, as I’m always (counter-intuitively) less hungry after a trip to the gym. It smelled delicious, and I was extremely pleased to find that despite the misleading look that my photograph might give you, there was plenty of fantastic chicken meat buried beneath the sauce. And I mean PLENTY - I actually ran out of rice before the chicken was gone! The sauce itself was tasty, though true lovers of Indian cuisine will probably wish that it was a bit spicier. I can’t really fault them for this though, as the box clearly notes that the meal is “Mildly Spiced.” It still had enough oomph that I needed a glass of water to accompany it, so all in all, not so bad!

Probably the only complaint I had about this meal was the rice. There was plenty of it, and I felt good about myself eating something so healthy, but as a rule, brown rice is harder to cook as well as white rice. It comes out a little dry, and I think that this might partially be because I had to cook the meal for an extra minute in my microwave in order to completely heat the chicken. But I still ate all of the rice, and it was very filling.

Veggie lovers might be sort of disappointed with the meal, so I guess it’s a good thing that I’m not a veggie lover. There are some peas in the rice, but I can only assume that they’re there to add color. I mean, why do I need peas in my rice? Ugh. I hate peas. But since I doused each forkful of pea!rice in my chicken and sauce, I barely even noticed that they were there. Thank goodness.

All in all, at only 260 calories this meal did one hell of a job. I felt full after eating it, and it left me craving a trip to the one Indian restaurant in town. I’ll definitely buy it again.

Note: I just realized that over a year ago, my darling Jess reviewed the same meal and was not impressed. Maybe they’ve since improved it? Or maybe I’m just easier to please. Who knows?

Price: $3.79
Serving: 8 pieces, 3oz.
Servings Per Bag: 6
Calories: 150
Fat: 7%, 4.5g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 14%, 330mg
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 8%, 24g
Fiber: 10%, 3g
Sugar: 0g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 Points

Alexia says: Fun and flavorful, Alexia’s New Waffle Fries are a delicious interpretation of the European Classic, Pommes Gaufrettes. Lightly seasoned with Sea Salt, Pepper, and just the right amount of onion and garlic, Alexia Waffle Fries make a fantastic snack or a great accompaniment to your favorite entree

Abi says: My original review notes from this meal say only:

Fries of awesome!!!!!!

I am not an egregious user of exclamation points, so you should trust me when I say that these are the best frozen fry products I’ve ever tasted. After lackluster experiences with both the Alexia onion rings and the Alexia potato wedges, I wasn’t expecting such a fun eating experience.

Before we really get into how these taste, you should know that yes, there are about 6 servings in the package and yes, 8 fries will be enough. I know, it doesn’t seem like it will work, but these are waffle fries. They are hefty.

I don’t know how it is for you, but there’s something about waffle fries that makes me feel like a kid again. They are fancifully shaped and somewhat reminiscent of county fairs and boardwalks. Fortunately, these waffle fries are more than fit for adults, too. They were not at all greasy, so you could definitely have some folks over for a movie or drinks night and heat up a pan of these in the oven. Except, you won’t want to do that. No, instead you’ll be wishing that these came in a resealable bag because you’re going to have them with your lunch every day for a week except that you won’t get six servings out of the bag because on Friday you’ll say to yourself “I could eat all of the fries left in this bag, no problem.” And you would be wrong because eating all of them and a corn dog will totally make you sick and you will regret it.

When gorging doesn’t come in to play, Alexia waffle fries are delicious in every context. I tried these plain, with ketchup, dipped in homemade fry sauce and drenched ranch. Flavorful and fantastic alone or with a sauce, I should try sprinkling these with parmesan and forego dipping altogether.

I’m not sure than another frozen fry can ever measure up, but I’m okay with that possibility so long as these fries exist.

Price: $2.79
Serving: 1 cake, 3.8oz.
Calories: 360
Fat: 35%, 23g
Cholesterol: 37%, 110mg
Sodium: 10%, 240mg
Protein: 5g
Carbohydrates: 13%, 40g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
Sugar: 25g
Weight Watchers Points: 9 Points

Trader Joe says: A delicate chocolate cake with a creamy chocolate center.

Abi says: Holy defender of the motherland, Batman! There are 360 calories in each Lava Cake! I was freaked out about this until I realized that there are approximately 100 calories in a 1 ounce Nestle Toll House cookie and thus I should actually expect there to be 380 calories in this cake. So, you can think of this as a light dessert.

The box contains two cakes (perfect for couples or people who like torturing their children) and each cake is approximately 4.5 inches in diameter. Just pop the cake out of its tray an onto a plate, microwave for a minute (or less, if your microwave is super-strong) and pair with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The outer cake layer is appropriately dense and lusciously chocolatey while the inner molten section is a cross between fudge sauce and chocolate pudding. Amazingly fudgy chocolate pudding that will make your toes curl with pleasure.

I love these cakes because they are simple, inexpensive and delicious. Sure, the dishes are a complete pain (sticky fudge sauce does have a downside), but you might be tempted to lick your plate clean, solving that problem once and for all.