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Although I often make curry from scratch, I also love using jars of shop bought curry sauce because I find they give greater depth of flavour and a wider range of tastes than when I use the same old spices from my spice rack. Patak's is one of the brands I often buy so I was very excited to receive a goody bag, containing a rather fetching purple apron and a duo of Indian Stir Fry Sauces from their new range. We received the medium Punjabi 5 Spice and the hot Goan Hot & Sour sauces, but there is also a mild Bengali Coconut sauce in the range.
Today, I decided to try out the Punjabi 5 Spice. The back of the pack suggests adding it to chicken breast, red and green peppers and onion. Adapting it to what was in the fridge, I used pork fillet and onion instead. The sachet couldn't be easier to use - you just stir fry the meat and vegetables then snip off the top and pour over the sauce. It contains the perfect quantity for two so avoids the leftovers we invariably end up with when I use one of of the bigger jars of curry sauce. That said, I found it could have done with a little bit more sauce so I added a small amount of water at the last minute and stirred it in, which solved the problem immediately.
The result was a fragrant, mildly spiced curry that wasn't drowning in sauce and which therefore seemed a lighter option than with the jars of sauce. The fact that there is less sauce also means that you don't have to hang around waiting for it to simmer and reduce so you can knock up a tasty meal for two within minutes - faster than it would take to dial up a takeaway, plus it has the advantage of being lighter on the pocket and the waistline ! Half of the 2-serving pack only contains 85 calories which is great for a curry as they are often packed with cream which whacks up the calorie count.
Pataks say : "Our recipe is inspired by the famous Paanch Phoran (or Indian 5 Spices) that are used in a variety of Indian dishes: cumin, fennel, funegreek , nigella seeds and mustard seeds. They are then tempered with tomato and cream to create this enticing warmly spiced sauce. Simply stir fry with fresh vegetables and tender meat or fish to enjoy a deliciously balanced Indian dish."
I look forward to trying the hotter Goan Hot & Sour sauce too, although I'll have some Naans and/or cream or Greek yogurt at hand just in case its too hot for our taste !
star rating : 4/5
RRP : £1 for 140g
for more information : http://www.pataks.co.uk/products/stir-fry-new-punjabi-5-spice.aspx
Disclosure : I received two packs of Patak's Indian Stir fry sauce and a funky purple apron, in order to write an honest review.
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I ned to try it. Sool is starting, means not much time in the evening again to cook from scratch. Need to try and cheat a bit, without others realising :)
ReplyDeleteLike the sound of these, great for us now our brood is off at university, and needing to cut down the cream of a lot of the takeaways! Will look out for them
ReplyDeleteLoving the funky purple apron. Will have to try these, I might have some :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great. I'm really into currys at the moment and have been making a few from the Hairy Bikers recipe book, but this sounds like a great quick option. I like quite spicy curry, so would prob just add another chilli.
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely. Again designed for a couple rather than a family. But great for when the kids are older and out at mealtimes.
ReplyDelete@mumoffunkids
Thanks for the review, like the apron too.
ReplyDelete