Day 225 - Aloo Chaat

At the risk of being sacrilegious, this aloo chaat is like the Indian version of an American “Hot Pocket”.  Only it is better than a Hot Pocket.  J 

These were a tasty dinner and very quick.   Trader Joe’s says these are filled with, “potatoes, chick peas, chaat masala (an Indian spice blend), and a sweet-tangy tamarind chutney”.  I say they are filled with warm yum.  J

I am sorry, I only have a photo of this on the plate (not the original box).  Check the link below to see the box!  Here is aloo chaat served with radish, rice, and baby bok choy (with capers).  Nice meal.

The only problem was that they were a wee bit dry.  We wished we would have had some chutney in the fridge to serve with them, but we were unprepared.  Next time!

They are very reasonably priced, as are many things at Trader Joe’s.  At $2.29 for a box of 2, that is only $1.15 per piece.  These would make an easy and yummy lunch.

Trader Joe’s does quite a few Indian dishes.  Their Indian Fare series is a staple at our house, especially Punjab Eggplant (reviewed on day 151 of this blog). 

Here is a Trader Joe’s article about the aloo chaat:  http://traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/946

Price - $2.29

Rating – 3.75

Day 151 - Punjab Eggplant

Trader Joe’s makes these “Indian Fare” dishes that are perfect to have on hand.  They come in small boxes so are easy to store in the cupboard, are super easy to cook (we just put the foil-like pouch in boiling water while we are cooking whatever we are going to serve with the Indian dish), and are a perfect size for 2 servings.  We always have at least one of these packages in our cupboard for easy dinners.

These are sort of  hidden on the bottom shelf at our Trader Joe's, but worth crouching down to get

Tonight’s dinner was this Punjab Eggplant served over TJ’s Basmati Rice (to be reviewed soon) with sides of yellow squash, a fried chicken finger (which David was craving) and broccoli.  It was a really good combination.

Tasty, cheap, fast and easy dinner

The Punjab Eggplant is a tiny bit spicy, which we like.  It is super saucy which makes it nice over rice.  And it is filling.  Oh, and did I mention, it is CHEAP, too? 

So to recap:  easy, cheap, tasty, and saucy!  All good things!

Grab one of each of the Indian Fare dishes off the shelf at Trader Joe’s and try them out.  Find your favorite and keep it on hand for nights that you just don’t feel like cooking (or nights when you want something saucy!).

Price – $1.99

Rating – 4.25