Chicken tikka masala
Tesco Value Chicken Tikka Masala and Rice
€2.69 for 450 grams (€5.97 a kilo)
Highs: This is the cheapest ready meal tested by a large margin, and although the plain packaging is hardly enticing the food turns out not to be too bad. The 10 small pieces of chicken breast, which make up just 15 per cent of the meal, are fine if a little chewy; the colour of the sauce is spot on.
Lows: The utterly bland rice has almost nothing to commend it. The consistency of the sauce is wrong and it lacks the calorie-laden creaminess you'd expect from such a dish. Despite the promising presence of all manner of herbs and spices, the flavour is disappointing.
Verdict: Cheap and filling but dull.
Star rating: **
SuperValu Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Rice
€3.99 for 400 grams (€9.98 a kilo)
Highs: The pilau rice looks relatively authentic, dotted with all manner of seeds and spices. The sauce is creamy and the small pieces of chicken breast look good - they certainly don't appear to be the water-bulked kind you find in some ready meals. And the portion is about right for one not-particularly- hungry person.
Lows: Although it wins on appearance it falls down badly on taste. Instead of being light and fluffy, and despite all its spices, the rice is gloopy and tasteless; the sauce, meanwhile, is mild almost to the point of blandness.
Verdict: Instantly forgettable.
Star rating: **
Marks & Spencer Chicken Tikka Masala (rice sold separately)
€5.24 for 350 grams (€14.97 a kilo)
Highs: This is by far the best-tasting meal. The perfectly textured sauce has a subtle tomato flavour with a hint of garlic, and the 10 good-sized pieces of good-quality chicken make it a substantial meal for one. The basmati rice, which you have to buy separately, is excellent: light and fluffy and full of flavour.
Lows: The chicken alone costs nearly twice as much as Tesco's Value pack. It's nearly three times the price (and only 100 grams larger) when you add the rice, which costs €1.99. Although it's good, you have to wonder if it's really that good.
Verdict: Nice but pricey
Star rating: ***
Dunnes Stores Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Rice
€4.39 for 450 grams (€9.76 a kilo)
Highs: The packaging and the price promise much, and the dish's rich tomato colour creates a good first impression. The sauce has a subtle but substantial chilli kick that creeps up on you. The pilau rice is remarkably fluffy for a ready meal, and the chicken pieces look and taste pretty authentic.
Lows: This dish has the second lowest proportion of chicken, which is not good enough given that the pack is the second most expensive on test. The sauce lacks substance, too: it's excessively watery and, ultimately, disappointing.
Verdict: A bit of a let-down
Star rating: ***
