Spice Mantra is a Canadian company offers a selection of natural, ready-to-heat Indian cuisine meals at Costco. The companies lineup includes tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala and now this delightful chicken curry & rice dish. I was a bit concerned about the heat level of the curry being someone who isn’t a fan of really spicy foods. However, I was pleasantly surprised by its rich, aromatic flavors and just the right amount of warmth.
Location in Store
This curry dish can be found in the refrigerated deli section at Costco, near the cold cut meats and cheese. The item number is 1862989.
Taste
The rice is really good, it’s the perfect texture, not mushy and has a bit of sweetness and earthiness to it. The rice turned out more flavorful than both my husband and I expected. The curry is good, it tastes similar to a lot of other popular Indian dishes. If you like butter chicken or tikka masala you’ll probably enjoy it.
The curry is tomato based with a good balance of sweetness and warmth, you don’t notice the spice immediately but it builds as you eat it. It’s not overly hot, it’s a moderate amount of heat.
There’s a generous amount of chicken and the chicken seems to be good quality. The chicken is enjoyable but is just a tad bit dry and chewy but that’s not a big deal because it’s in the sauce. This is a nice warming, fall or winter meal. If you like dishes like chicken vindaloo, butter chicken and chicken tikka masala I think you’ll enjoy this.
Cost
The one kilogram box costs $16.99 Canadian. The box states that it serves three but I think it would only serve two adults with large appetites.
Convenience
It’s really nice that they include the rice with the curry, it’s convenient to have both in the same package. Next time I would cook the rice in the microwave, it was more trouble than what it’s worth to cook it on the stovetop. This is such an easy meal to make.
The curry needs to be kept refrigerated and the best before date is about two months from when we purchased it. My toddler also was willing to try a little and didn’t find it too spicy. I recommend serving this with a side of naan or a fresh salad!
Nutrition
Calories
One cup or a 300 gram serving contains 280 calories, 11 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbohydrates, one gram of fibre, five grams of sugar, 24 grams of protein and 880 milligrams of sodium. That’s quite a bit of protein in one serving!
Ingredients
The ingredients list has typical ingredients you’d find in a curry dish and doesn’t contain any additives or preservatives. The only ingredient’s I don’t love seeing are sugar, canola oil and natural flavors but those are pretty much in any pre-packaged dish similar to this.
The chicken curry & rice is gluten-free, halal and soy-free but not dairy-free.
Scoring
Taste: 7.5/10
Cost: 7/10
Convenience: 10/10
Nutrition: 8/10
Overall
Give it a try!
If you like dishes like butter chicken, tandori chicken and chicken tikka masala, I think you’ll enjoy this. The heat level is mild to moderate and it’s a hearty, warming meal.
FAQ
$16.99 Canadian.
The package says it serves three but I think it serves closer to two adults.
Yes it is.
Have you tried the Spice Mantra Chicken Curry & Rice? What did you think of it?
Please note that this review is sponsored by Spice Mantra. However, the opinions in this review are strictly those of Costcuisine and Costcuisine has complete control over the content in this review. Costcuisine does not give sponsors editorial control over reviews. Costcuisine is not affiliated with Costco or any of its suppliers (aside from this sponsorship arrangement).
