Vindaloo Archer Farms Meal Kit - Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

Vindaloo Archer Farms Meal Kit - Target: Cherry Hill, NJ

Some of you might remember this kit from my Target Mini-haul video. I picked it up about a month ago when I saw it in the clearance section. The box was dented, so I'm not too sure if it was discounted because of the damage, or because it's being discontinued. (It was the only box in the store so I had nothing to compare it to.) I was really interested in this kit because it looks similar to go go-to order from IndeBlue, so if this turns out to be really tasty and it's discontinued, that'll be a real shame.

The packaging has the same dark green background with white stippled crosshatching as the rest of the Archer Farms items I have reviewed, and the images are nice and bold. I like that the designs for Archer Farms products are consistent, but the layout and design doesn't mention anything about India or it's culture. There isn't even a blurb on the box discussing culture, or the origin of this meal. The design isn't unappealing, but it kind of removes all the culture behind this meal and it would have been really easy to include some kind of information. That aside, the instructions take over the entire backside of the box, so they are very easy to read and follow. I really liked that, plus it included another photo. Overall, I wish Archer Farms had dropped a little cultural education on the box, but the design isn't bad.

Inside the box there are two plastic bags. One filled is with rice, freeze dried peas, and diced potatoes, while the other contained a generous amount of vindaloo sauce.

I followed the instructions, which are incredibly easy, exactly, but I chose to substitute the pork for chicken. I am not a fan of pork, I'll eat it occasionally, but I prefer chicken as a protein. (I rarely eat meat, not due to a personal conviction, I just find other options more appealing.) When everything was cooked and completed it looked like this.

I found the finished meal to look pretty impressive. I mean, it literally came out of a box, and boxed meals rarely look this pretty.

When cooking, the sauce smelled sweet, savory, and spicy all at once, which is very similar to the sauce in my usually order of Chana Masala from IndeBlue. I took a taste and this stuff is delicious! (And Spicy.) The sauce tastes sweet, like there mind be some tamarind or sugar in it, but there is a healthy hint of spicy red pepper as well. I know that vindaloo is traditionally made with pork, but I found that the complex flavors of the sauce worked well with the chicken. I really liked it a lot.

As for the rice, the stove-top method was quick, but it made the rice a bit gummy. New time I would cook the rice a bit differently, but the mild rice and veggies worked well to balance all the spiciness in the sauce.

The box wasn't joking about being spicy, this stuff wasn't enough to make me run for a glass of water, but it had a really nice burn that woke up my sinuses. (Foodie hint: Milk is better when you need to soothe a spicy mouth.) If you can't handle spicy things, this might not be the meal for you, but I really enjoyed it.

The box produced enough for a small lunch and 2 adult dinner portions. (I had the plate above for lunch and put the rest away for dinner with my boyfriend. I think he'll really like this stuff.)

If this kit is still available at Target I would happily buy it again. It was really satisfying, and a lot cheaper than ordering Indian take-out. I bet you can stretch the meal a bit further is you added a can of chickpeas to the sauce, then you might be able to get four meals out of one box.

If you see this at your local Target give it a try and tell me what you think!

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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