Price: Provided by Gits Foods
Serving: 1/2 pouch, 5.3oz.
Calories: 224 per serving
Fat: 25.4%, 16.5g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 22.2%, 534mg
Protein: 6.9g
Carbohydrates: 4%, 12g
Fiber: 4.8%, 1.2g
Sugar: 0g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 Per Serving, 10 Per Pouch

Gits says: A very popular vegetable curry made of a combination of fenugreek leaves, green peas & fresh cream. And much liked by connoisseurs. Along with the aromatic taste of the fenugreek leaves and the green peas, the natural delicate flavors of Methi Matar are enhanced by a subtle aroma of spices and seasonings. Its slightly chewing consistency creating a dish which is as tasy as it is wholesome.

Andrew says: A few weeks ago, if you would have told me I could eat delicious Indian food out of a non-refrigerated silver pouch, I’d have told you to take your lies elsewhere. Now, though, I know this is no lie.

I’d never had Methi Matar before I ate this, but I feel well-versed enough in the Indian spice set to tell you this is a very authentic tasting dish. I get the feeling, due to its simplicity, that this is a dish meant as a side, or as one in a series of savory, soupy concoctions to greedily sop up with flat bread, but even alone, it’s wonderful.

The fenugreek leaves (the methi) add kind of a bitterness, but the peas (the matar) are sweet. There’s cumin and cinnamon, there’s clove and nutmeg. It’s a cornucopia of wonderful flavors. And I can read all the ingredients on the back of the box. Oh yeah, it’s all natural, kids! All in a space-age silver pouch.

The peas make up the bulk of the body here, and they’re just fine. I happen to love peas, so, you know, this is a good deal. The whole dish is a deeper green than pea green, but the flavor is somewhat orange, if you get my meaning. It’s spicy and warm and it warms you up with its flavor. You could eat it straight with a spoon (as I was part of the time, for scientific purposes), but it really cries out for some kind of bread medium. I had the last bit of it with some crusty, locally made artisan bread due to a lack of naan in my home and it was good even with that.

If you can find this in the imported food/ethnic cuisine section of your local market and you’re down with tasty Indian dishes, give it a shot. You don’t even need freezer space!

As of this review, these products are only available at Amazon.com Gits Store in 10-packs, though it appears that this particular product is out of stock. The price comes to $2.13 a pouch and the products are all eligible for Super Saver Shipping. So, you could buy a whole lot of Indian food and a book and get your shipping for free!

Price: $4.99
Serving: 1/3 pizza, 4oz.
Calories: 260
Fat: 12%, 8g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 20%, 490mg
Protein: 6g
Carbs: 14%, 42g
Fiber: 10%, 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 per serving

Trader Joe says: This is a truly special pizza. It starts with a hand-stretched crust made with organic flour and extra virgin olive oil which is topped with organic sweet carmelized onions, shiitake mushrooms, red peppers and artichoke hearts, and ultimately baked to perfection. There is no cheese, so it’s dairy free.

Kelly says: I like shopping at Trader Joe’s because they so often have really terrific foods for unbelievably low prices. Good examples of this are vanilla, cheese, and meat. Not that those things go together, but they can all be really expensive if you buy them at a regular grocery store.

Oh, you haven’t been to Trader Joe’s? You don’t have one in your vicinity? Then I weep for you, dear people lacking the place that I consider shopping heaven. Well, except on weekends when it is filled with couples shopping. Sorry folks, but I don’t need to see you canoodling near the deli case. I’m at TJ’s to get hummus, not see a lot of unnecessary PDA.

So, about that pizza… It comes in a couple bucks cheaper than the equivalent Amy’s Kitchen pizza, while providing similarly superb quality. The same sweet onions, the rare bits of roasted pepper, the delightfully chewy crust, they’re all present in this knock-off pizza. Though really, all I want is something pizza-like that I can eat without feeling like a complete fat-ass. Something that’s better than one of those lame Lean Cuisine pizzas. On that count, Trader Joe’s Roasted Vegetable pizza delivers. While some people might say that this contains a surprising amount of fat, I say “It’s a freaking pizza. Eat an apple if you want something fat free.”

Not so shocking in the case of these gourmet pizzas, Trader Joe skimped on the toppings. Could we get some more artichoke hearts, please?* And some more peppers? And mushrooms? Sure, in the photo it looks as though there are a lot of toppings on that pizza. A closer look reveals enormous swathes of unadorned crust. Uh, I wanted some pizza, not some crazy-expensive crust. A doubling of the vegetable toppings is definitely in order before this pizza hits the 5 star level. Seriously, look at the box and then look at the pizza. They aren’t even in the same gene pool.

But for all of that whining, I have to admit that this is quite the frozen food. If you’re in the mood for something a bit different or if you’re entertaining a lactose intolerant friend, try this pizza! Conversely, if you’re at Trader Joe’s groping your boyfriend while simultaneously blocking the pizza section, please so kindly get the hell out of my way. Thanks.

*What happens to the rest of the artichoke when the heart is harvested?

Price: $3 (on sale)
Serving: One package, 9.5 oz.
Calories: 260
Fat: 12%, 8g
Cholesterol: None
Sodium: 28%, 680mg
Carbs: 12%, 37g
Fiber: 20%, 5g
Protein: 12g

Amy’s Kitchen says: A non-dairy variation of the traditional Mattar Paneer, using tofu along with organic peas in a light, delicately seasoned sauce. On the side are fragrant basmati rice and what we call “Swarn’s Golden Lentil Dal,” which is simmered with organic tomatoes, onions and hand-roasted spices.

Andrew says: When I was a student at a preparatory academy during my junior and senior years of high school, I was "adopted" by some true-school Indian guys. One of them, a residence assistant on my floor, was like the brother I never had, and fed me like I was a member of the family. From samosas filled with curried peas and potatoes to chunks of delicious paneer (Indian cheese) slathered in exotic spices, I was awash in a new world of culinary delights for the better part of two years. And these were homemade meals, so they were accurate, fresh and lovingly made.

The experience kind of spoiled me. Now I live in northern Indiana, in a place where Indian restaurants are, for all intents and purposes, a fantasy. My Indian brothers have moved on to other areas, and so my exposure to the delights of Indian cuisine are far and few between.

I've known Amy's Kitchen makes frozen Indian meals for a while, but I've always been afraid to try them, lest they suck immensely. After all, I've only been exposed to the finest stuff; how could I expect a frozen meal to live up to that standard, or even come near it?

Well, I love frozen food. The advances made in frozen food since I've been born are absolutely astounding. Vegetables stay crisp and flavorful, meat no longer HAS to turn into a gelatinous mess, and even frozen mashed potatoes turn out pretty good more often than not. So, with that in mind, I took the plunge and invested my faith in some Amy's Indian meals.

They were all pretty fantastic. I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised, but the quality of these meals, when prepared properly actually approaches what I had before. In this version of mattar paneer (with tofu chunks standing in for the soft Indian cheese), there's a good, sweet curry flavor that actually reminds me of stuff my friend's mom used to make. It's not quite as spicy as I remember, but it's tasty.

And the tofu works well as a vegan replacement for the paneer. Texture-wise, they're almost identical, and to be frank, paneer's main utility in dishes like this seems to be texture, so there you go. Alongside the curried peas and tofu is golden lentil dal, which is good and spicy as well, but makes me wish I had some naan (flatbread) to sop it up with. Instead of bread, though, we're given the organic rice blend, which I'm sure turns out better in a microwave than flatbread would. And it's easy enough to spork up some rice and then spork up some dal and/or mattar tofu and then spork it into your mouth and say, "that Amy's sure can cook up some mean frozen Indian food!"

I'm giving this five stars mainly because I didn't think it was possible to create something frozen (and totally natural and totally organic) that could even approximate homemade Indian food. It's not quite restaurant or homemade quality, but for frozen food, it's basically the most fantastic thing ever.

[The tofu and cheese versions are loved by all who have consumed and written about them, including Jess of HeatEatReview.com (paneer review) and Tanya at Iateapie.net (tofu review) - Ed.]

Price: $3.49
Serving: 1/2 package, 3 oz.
Calories: 270
Fat: 10%, 6g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0 mg
Sodium: 28%, 680mg
Protein: 5g
Carbs: 16%, 47g
Fiber: 15%, 3g

A Taste of India says: Enjoy real Indian cuisine anytime, anywhere. We’ve included all the ingredients and flavors. Just microwave and eat, in one container!

Amanda says: I should start off by saying that I am a huge fan of Indian food. I say this because some people simply aren’t, and therefore would dislike just about any heat and eat Indian style meal put in front of them. So I wanted to like this meal. I wanted to like it because finding a new favorite quick and easy lunch meal is like my own personal Eureka! moment where Archimedes comes out of his grave and we high five reveling in the discovery. This meal, however, is a disappointment.

The ingredients list includes (but is not limited to): jasmine rice, pink lentils, onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, bay leaf, red chili and coconut milk powder. “Masala” in Indian foods refers to the spice blend used to flavor it, in other words, this box could read: Spiced Indian Rice and Lentils. So the “garam masala” on the ingredients list is essentially the most important when it comes to how this meal should taste. Thanks to our friend Wikipedia, I can tell you that Garam masala’s literal meaning is “hot (or warm) spice” and, interestingly enough, pretty much consists of all of the flavors listed separately on the package: cardamom, garlic, ginger, turmeric, bay leaves, cumin etc. So, assuming you are like me and really dig the blend of this seasoning, it sounds delicious!

But here’s the truth: the flavor is delicate, but boring, and completely devoid of any hint of warmth or intense spice. I got the feeling that while this company wants you to have a “Taste of India” they’re nervous that you won’t like it, so at the last minute they removed most of the Indian-ness from the meal and stuck with bland sweetness. There’s simply too much cinnamon and too much coconut milk powder. The rice fluffs up and fills the container a good bit- but is slightly dry and gritty. It’s a subtle fault for microwave instant rice; but because the rice comprises the entire meal, it’s sort of hard to get past. There was absolutely no discernable need for the lentils. There were maybe fifty tiny lentils in the entire meal and I couldn’t tell you anything about any of them. They were there, but I’m not sure why.

I also get really frustrated with companies whose meals consistently come as “2 servings” in one package. If this package of Masala Rice and Lentils is supposed to be shared between two people, why do we heat and eat out of the same box and advertise that as its great achievement? Typically when I come across a meal that’s really 2 in 1, I eat the entire thing because I’m not full otherwise. But this was a lot of rice. I got most of the way through it because I was hungry but towards the last 3/4 cup of rice I just kind of felt like letting it all fall out of my mouth right there onto my keyboard, and maybe moaning a little bit or whimpering pathetically because I was just tired of it- the grit, the sweetness, the mystery lentils. Since my office though, is right up front with two huge windows looking in on me, I instead opted to chew and swallow for the last time tossing the remained in the trash.

I give this meal 2 stars for trying to offer the heat and eat world something different, but hope they’ll go back to the drawing board and adjust the flavors. I mean, if you’re going to advertise yourself as giving us a Taste of India, let’s have it.

Thanks to Abi Jones for sending this meal my way.