A British-Indian food enthusiast has compared supermarket ready meal butter chickens to a home-cooked version, finding that while Tesco's offering is more cost-effective, M&S edges ahead on flavour. However, neither could match the depth of a homemade curry.
The tester, who grew up on Indian cuisine, prepared a family recipe butter chicken and set it against Tesco's Butter Chicken with Pilau Rice (£2.50) and M&S's Butter Chicken (£4.50). The homemade dish scored high on taste and presentation, though the lack of vibrant orange colour and soggy rice were noted flaws.
Tesco's ready meal was described as lacking traditional Indian flavours, tasting 'like chicken in tomato soup' and being too sweet. M&S's version had tender chicken and more evident creamy spices, but still fell short of the homemade depth.
Ultimately, M&S was deemed the better supermarket option, but the tester concluded that home cooking remains superior. Lessons learned included adding colour to the curry and serving with garlic naan instead of rice.
