In our monthly column, Editor Ellen Pope rounds up the best new food and drink finds hitting the shelves and inboxes this month. This month we take a look at a Coronation Curry that is sticking around for summer, first-class dumplings from a MasterChef, and truffle hot sauce worthy of a pizza slice dunk.
Mandira’s Kitchen
Mandira’s kitchen is an award-winning producer of authentic Indian food. Their all-female team, based out of a 400-year-old cowshed, overlooking the magical Silent Pool in the Surrey Hills (yes we want to visit), creates delicious freezer meals, and accompaniments such as chutneys, and ice creams, and provide a bespoke catering and food experiences such as cookery lessons and spice tours.
All the food is made using fresh produce, containing no gluten or unpronounceable bits with vegan and dairy-free options. Delivered to any address, the food can be heated in 4 minutes to give you a wholesome homemade meal- which in our eyes is a winner.
To celebrate the Platinum Jubilee Mandira's Kitchen produced a Coronation Chicken Curry, and it has proved so popular it is sticking around for summer. It is based on a royal recipe – creamy chicken curry made with boneless chicken, fresh fenugreek leaves, our special spices, raisins and slivers of nuts and dried apricots. Each pack contains two portions (or one if you are mega hungry - yes we see you.).
Fancy something sweet? New to Mandira's Kitchen is Chai and Pistachio Gelato Large Tub and a Watermelon and Tamarind Sorbet Large Tub. Perfect for the upcoming summer.
BUY IT: All products are available directly from https://www.mandiraskitchen.com/
Unconventional Taste
Be under no illusion, the trend toward flexitarian, meat-free, vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are here to stay. Even the most avid carnivores are looking to reduce the amount of meat they eat. This market is booming, and no more than ever, products in this field need to stand out on more than just bold packaging and a funky name. They need to compare on taste.
Enter Unconventional Taste. Currently available exclusively through The Vegan Kind, this range is already causing a stir with an award under its belt for Number 1 in Europe’s Best Vegan Burgers.
From someone who has had the privilege of trying a lot of meat-free products, and a self-confessed carnivore, I have felt products in the past have been let down on taste. Unconventional Taste is different. As its name suggests, it is 'taste' first. The range of burgers, mini burgers, sausages and 'chicken' fillets delivered on taste and texture. In all honesty, you are never going to recreate Wagyu, but what these guys have created is a taste-first product I would buy again and again, and quite honestly swap my regular burgers for these. Make BBQ season less meaty this summer. You won't be disappointed.
Available through The Vegan Kind and find out more at www.unconventionaltaste.co.uk
Firelli: Extra Hot + Truffle Hot Sauce
Firelli Hot Sauce was launched in the UK in 2021, and now it is bringing the family. Not content with adding a delicious kick to food including pizza, eggs, pasta, and salads, it is now launching two more products.
The first is Firelli Truffle Hot Sauce, which offers the unmistakable glamour and aroma of truffle combined with a spicy kick that gives Firelli an incredible umami flavour. A small quantity of black truffle is added to Firelli hot sauce, a rarity and delicacy to bring complex and magical flavour. The earthy truffle and other fine ingredients give Firelli Truffle Hot Sauce a rich, warm, sweet, juicy heat.
Up next is, Firelli Extra Hot Sauce, which brings a weighty kick of spice and heat, perfect for the experienced hot sauce fan. Cayenne Peppers are used in Firelli Extra Hot Sauce, which adds a very potent kick of heat and spice.
The Firelli Hot Sauce range is beautifully packaged in an iconic cone-shaped glass bottle, with a stunning blue cap and is designed to replicate a vintage Italian fire extinguisher. It would be rude not to get the entire set for your summer BBQs.
All three are available from Firelli.
Journey to the West
Personally, I think there is never a bad time to settle down for a bowl of freshly made dumplings. What stops me? There is an art to a great dumpling, and I don't have the skills. But we know someone who does. MasterChef 2020 Finalist Sandy Tang has launched Journey to the West, a range a freshly made dumplings, ready to cook at home – and available for nationwide delivery. The dumplings feature only responsibly sourced, high-quality ingredients – with no artificial colours or preservatives – and are delivered fresh to your door and ready to eat within minutes!
There are currently three dumplings to choose from:
Lamb masala momos: Spiced with cumin, coriander seeds, garam masala, and a hint of Kashmiri chilli. Enjoy steamed with chilli or garlic sauce
Pork, veal & pancetta pelmeni: Classic Siberian dumplings - delicately flavoured, they’re best served with a spoonful of crème fraiche or smetana, and a little fresh dill on the side
Vegetarian Omnipork dumplings (v): Traditional Chinese style Jiaozi, delicious fried or steamed, and served with chilli oil
Perfect dumplings at your home. All you need to do is steam or boil them. We feel these are going to be a fan favourite, so get ahead of the game now and snap a few boxes for a relaxed weekend of eating.
The dumplings are available now for nationwide delivery from the Journey to the West website
[Items in this article may have been gifted to Chatting Food. No financial payment has been made to feature in this article, and entries to the feature are made independently by members of the Editorial Team. This page contains affiliate links and we may receive a small commission for purchases]
Chatting Food Editor: Ellen Pope
Self-confessed potty mouth, mother of pooch and eater of 99.9% of food (don't bring me marzipan and tell me it is food). Ellen is the founder and Editor of Chatting Food Magazine and on a one-woman mission to talk food to everyone. Usually found tweeting, eating, sleeping, repeating.
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Twitter: @ellenpope
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Email: ellen@chattingfood.com
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