STAFF REVIEW: THE KARI CLUB

It’s no secret that the Brits love Indian food – after all, tikka masala has been voted our national dish. Visiting an Indian restaurant and enjoying a delicious meal was something I looked forward to most weekends – but right now, unfortunately, all that’s on hold. We can still get takeaways, but what if you’re looking for something that feels a bit more special? What if you’d like to cook restaurant-quality Indian food yourself – all without leaving your own home? 

Last weekend, I was sent a recipe box by The Kari Club and got to do just that. The Kari Club is a Brighton-based cookery club where you can buy ready meals, take part in cookery lessons, and receive monthly subscription boxes and recipe boxes. There are lots of meals to choose from, but I opted for the plant-based option: butternut kofta in a roasted garlic sauce, with a cabbage and cashew thoran (dry salad) and methi roti bread.

I started to get excited when the box was delivered. Each ingredient was packaged up beautifully, from the individually wrapped himalyan salt, cashew nuts, and fresh spices and chillies, to the firm green cabbage, single potato, and the star of the show – the butternut squash. Even better, pretty much everything was recyclable too.

After unpacking the ingredients, I read through the instructions and watched the recipe video, just to make sure I was confident about each stage of the cooking process. Then, it was time to get to work! I made the kofta first, grating the butternut squash and mixing it with mashed potato and plenty of aromatic spices before working them into balls. Once they were roasting in the oven, it was time to move onto the next stage – the roasted garlic and tomato sauce. This was really simple to make, and as my kitchen filled with the aromas of garlic, chilli, and fresh ginger, I felt my hunger beginning to grow.

The third stage was the cabbage and cashew thoran – basically sliced cabbage and butternut squash fried with fresh green chili, ginger, mustard seeds, cashew nuts and lime. While the veg was cooking, it was onto the final stage – making some methi roti bread. I’d never made roti before, but it was super simple; because all the ingredients are measured out for you, all I had to do was mix the flour with the salt, kasuri methi and some water, split the dough into four balls, then roll out into flat chapatis and fry for a minute on each side.

And that was it! All the hard (but enjoyable) work was done… now it was time to sit down and enjoy the feast. Because this was definitely a feast, and not just a normal dinner. There were so many components to this meal – crispy koftas, silky sauces, fresh veggies, chewy chapatis, and even a gorgeous chutney to dip your poppadoms into. Every dish was delicious, but the unexpected highlight for me was the cabbage and cashew thoran. Luckily, there were some leftovers – which tasted even better the next day!

Thanks for Reading!

I really enjoyed making this Kari Club meal kit, and it’s got me inspired to try out other Indian recipes too. While it’s nice to get takeaway now and then, there’s something special about eating food you’ve cooked yourself – and when the food you make is just as tasty as your favourite restaurant, it’s even more satisfying.