Fine seasoning and high-quality ingredients characterize a unique line of frozen entrees and side dishes featuring the foods of India.
Made by Shamiana Foods Inc. of East Elmhurst, N.Y., the product line includes such dishes as chicken tikka makhanwala (chicken cubes marinated in yogurt and topped with tomatoes and onions in a ginger-curry cream sauce), vegetable samosas (crispy pastry turnovers filled with spicy peas and potatoes) and pag sanner (sauteed spinach with cheese).
For cooks in a hurry, they are a good busy-day substitute for the normally labor-intensive Indian cuisine: no more roasting and grinding whole spices, for example.
If heated in the microwave oven, they take only about 5 minutes to cook through, or 25 minutes in a conventional oven.
The products are made with natural ingredients and contain no preservatives. Look for them at health-food or natural food stores, such as Whole Foods, 1000 W. North Ave.
Prices are in the $2.50 to $3.50 range for 7- to 10-ounce packages that hold one generous serving or two smaller portions.