I absolutely love Indian food, it’s my favorite in the world, but it is the most challenging to be able to eat at home. I have always found preparing Indian food difficult – even when recipes succeed, it’s usually a lot of work to get there. Takeout has become expensive, and my last experiences with Shef (which I can no longer afford anyway), were less than brilliant. So we are left with commercial Indian food which, IMHO, sucks.
Take this Sukhi’s Butter Chicken, which my husband insists in buying at Costco when he goes shopping by himself ($16 for 2 pouches, or 4 meals if you add rice). It’s OK, but it tastes nothing like actual butter chicken.
You make it by emptying the included pouch into a bowl and microwaving for 3 minutes. As you take your first bite, the smell/taste of tikka is strong, but it manages to dissipate fairly quickly. You are left with a curry which, as most commercial tikka masala/butter chicken sauces, is way too acidic – probably from the added citric acid. The acid overwhelms any other flavor the sauce might have, hiding most spices. It is slightly spicy, so if all you want is a bit of heat, this might satisfy. For this reason, my husband actually likes it. I will add that it has a hint of sweetness, but I don’t think that improves it.
Sukhi’s is a family owned Bay Area business, so that, at least, is a plus.
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