Sealord Tuna Express - Tikka Masala product reviews

Unfortunately I suffer from elevated cholesterol. It's not danger zones yet but with a family history of heart attacks and other health issues it is something my doctor keeps an eye on and something I am aware of. I'm not huge of exercise. To be fair I'm pretty lazy! And my eating habits - wow - my cholesterol should be through the roof really. I'm also not keen on pills so figured possibly changing my eating habits would be the best starting point.

So I had did some research on changing my diet. There are a lot of foods you can eat that help in lowering cholesterol. Walnuts being one but it wasn't walnut season lol :( Marjarine is another but when you compare prices some of those get a bit pricey too. Tuna was another, so I was really pleased when scrolling through KIWIreviews I discovered these tuna packs up for review.

I don't mind tuna in general but it's a bit boring, yet here was sea lord offering all these really interesting sounding tuna packs. So I popped my name down for 3 and was quite happy to get picked for all.

When they arrived I initially thought oh no, maybe this wasn't a great idea. Maybe tuna should really just be kept plain in spring water lol but ya know what these aren't half bad. My kids did not like them...at all. But I expected that. However, they still ate them anyway. Whinged about it, but ate them.

This tikka masala one had quite a strong flavor to it, & initially ya can't taste the tuna, but a few seconds after swallowing it, it is all you can taste and it lingers for a while. To be honest it's ok but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it. The bags are very easy to open and have a window so you can see the contents and it's easy to use but I do think they won't be liked by everybody. Depends on ya taste buds really :)

Tikka Masala isn't my first choice for tuna, however as a fan of other Indian cuisines when I saw this product for review I thought we could give it a go.

The packaging for the Sealord Tuna Express range is microwaveable, just 60 seconds in the microwave for a no fuss meal. We didn't notice any splatter within our microwave afterwards which is a huge plus. The design of the pouch is presentable, familiar, and eye catching. There is no spice indicator on this one, so before trying I was hoping for a mild spice. Bit of a negative is that we couldn't find what wattage microwave the 60 seconds was based on - however the tuna and sauce seemed to be heated perfectly in our 1100w microwave.

The handy pouch is easily stored and carried, however the packaging, unfortunately like most pouches, is not recyclable in your standard recycling bin - but are recyclable through TerraCycle. Which is a new concept to me, but is amazing (a link to this can be found in the product listing above). The amount of tuna meat in the pouch is a reasonable amount, with a decent amount of sauce. The tuna meat is also quite flaky and easy to mix in with rice.

The serving size on the packet says 1 (which at 220g is quite big!) however when paired with an Uncle Bens 250g Basmati Rice pouch can easily serve 2 people for a light meal. The packaging has a decent shelf life and doesn't take up much space in the pantry.

The flavour of the Tikka Masala has a moderate amount of spice, which is great for those of us who can't quite handle spicy foods, however I think it should have had a spice indicator like the Thai Red Curry packaging. The Indian spices really dance on the tongue and are well balanced. I think I prefer this flavour over the Thai Red Curry! Which is unusual.

Sealord is a brand we know we can trust, and they source their tuna using dolphin friendly methods. We highly recommend the Tuna Express range for easy lunches, or a light meal for two whenever speed is required!

I've long been a fan of Indian cuisine, and Tikka Masala is one of my favourite dishes, when done properly. I prefer it with lamb or beef, but I've had it with pork on one notable occasion, but I would never in my life have even dreamt of doing with tuna - seafood and curry is not a new thing by any means, but it's not one that springs to mind when I hear "Indian curry" - Thai or Indonesian, sure... even Phillipino... but not Indian.

With some trepidation, I tore a small notch in one side, popped it in the microwave alongside a pouch of Basmati rice and let 'er rip for 2:30 on 70% power (1200W microwave) so they got a steady cook instead of a prolonged solid blast of intense radiation. The result was good, but not quite done, so after decanting it into a bowl I popped it back in for 30sec on high. That finished it off beautifully, and the smell was making me HUNGRY!

Taste-wise, it was quite good, but not the flavour I wanted when I think of Tikka Masala... sorry, but the protein just felt all wrong for the first few bits, but the more I ate the more I came to appreciate it, and by the time the bowl was gone - I was REALLY hungry - I was appreciative of the novelty and the gamble Sealord took to put this out in the market. I'll be honest, I doubt it will really take off, and that's a shame because it's one of those dishes you should at least try once, so you aren't being swayed by your habits. Still, most people won't get past the initial "That sounds odd." and miss out on something quite intriguing.

Overall, while not the most amazing flavour combo I have tried from Sealord, it's one that will suit a niche market of brave cuisinatti who enjoy 'mixing it up a bit' to see what comes of it all. Well done Sealord! Next product... something more Pacific Islands maybe, with a coconut curry base?

The doctors here want me on a liquid-only diet to help "reduce the strain" on what they kindly left behind after removing most of my gut. The joys of dying of bowel cancer. Still, after some thought, some rational conversation, logical discussion, and a word in the ear of the resident psychologist, it was deemed acceptable to let me eat almost anything I damned well please since I'm about to shuffle off to the great ocean on the other side of life, so why bother trying to keep me going a few more days at the cost of some decent kai?!

So I got the OK to eat this pouch as long as I had supervision, and one of the night nurses on duty at dinner time agreed to act as Chef de Microwave for me, and I offered to let her have half the pouch since I knew I wouldn't be able to eat it all. She gets to have hers on rice or pasta though, which is useful, because I can get her impressions for the review despite not being allowed starchy carbs myself. Plus, rice is uncomfortable to eat when you have no teeth and worse when you have loose dentures. So I simply gum my food into submission now.

I spent some time in India when I was younger and quite liked the authentic foods, even if I wasn't able to have it as hot as the local did. Knowing that He Tangata o Aotearoa are basically useless when it comes to food with real flavour, I was fully expecting this to be "waved past a curry pot" for flavours so was very happy to find it had some really nice complex flavours going on. Big chunks of tuna had to be broken down for me to gum on but they showed that this was made from good quality fish not the pulped rubbish offcuts you find in some cans these days.

I must admit though, I like my curries to have a rich, thick sauce. This one was a little bit watery and weak for my tastes, but as I said I grew accustomed to the real thing and most mass-produced dishes fall short of ideal in my eyes. Taking that into consideration though, this was a good attempt and will please anyone who is not a food snob.

Nurse Dining-Partner shared her thoughts that this was also a little tamer than she would have liked but it was still something she could see herself enjoying again. Turns out she spotted some on sale and grabbed half a box to stock the pantry with. Clever lass. I would too, if I thought I had the time left to make it worthwhile because it was still very nice.

This is the second of these new Sealord tuna sachets that I have tried, and I decided to go the same direction and treat it as an easy work lunch for today. I knew from experience, that cooking up quarter of a cup of rice would be perfect to go with the tuna and so I did this the night before and then just took the rice and sachet to work with my trusty vented Tupperware container.

Come lunch time, I found that 2 minutes was perfect to get everything piping hot and so it was a very quick and easy meal. Looking at my meal, I could see some decent chunks of tuna with a good amount of sauce which is a must for me with rice.

However I found that I wasn't quite as impressed with the flavour of this one, although as I kept eating I seemed to acquire the taste a bit more and it was quite edible and pleasant enough - just not my favourite choice. I do eat Tikka Masala chicken sometimes and I felt their were some similarities in flavour, but I wouldn't have picked the flavour if I hadn't seen the label. It was a pleasant mild-medium spice level - just enough to leave a little zing on my tongue, but nothing that would scare away someone who isn't a chilli fan.

I had to keep reminding myself that it was tuna and not chicken because of the flavour, and I have to say that it felt like great quality and I can't believe it's only $2.49! It made such a filling meal, that I'd probably easily spread it over 2 lunch meals and still feel quite full. And as a dinner meal, it's a great amount for one person in my opinion. I can see this also going well with a lettuce salad rather than rice, as it's filling and substantial enough without the rice.

I'm not sure I'd buy this particular flavour again, except to add a little variety, but I'll be definitely buying up on these for easy work lunch options, especially knowing it's a good source of essential protein.

This is my third flavour I have tried now, and out of the three I have tried this one was my least favourite. When I opened the pack the flavour smell was great and I thought it would be tasty, but once I heated up the pack and tried it the flavour combination was not for me. This is disappointing as I have really enjoyed the other flavours up until now. For me I just did not the flavours and it was not for my taste buds, but others may disagree with me as everyone enjoys different flavours.

I still really enjoyed the texture and the great big chunks of tuna included within the meal, and the sauce texture was great. I really like how the tuna packs are thick but also juicy. They are a good mix and the sauce is always enough so that the meals are not dry. I really enjoy the easy to open pouches and also the quickness of the meals. As a lunch time meal it is great as can heat it up within 60 seconds and eat it as soon as it comes out of the microwave.

The price for these tuna packs are excellent and are very cheap and effective. For a quick and easy meal these are perfect and although I did not like this particular flavour I enjoy the other ones I have tried and am happy to continue to buy them in the future. The great big size tuna chunks are a massive hit and makes the product very much worth it. I have one more flavour to try which I am looking forward to trying, might be lunch tomorrow. I am looking forward to sharing some with my son to see what he thinks of them, as he really loves tin tuna. If he likes the flavours then it would be great as it would be a great meal for when we get home late and need a quick meal. A pack of rice and a tuna pack would be a ideal quick easy meal and also so cheap.

I think I have completely changed my mind about tuna being a "second class" food. This latest offering from Sealord is the ultimate in Indian flavouring. It tastes authentic and I can't wait to go to the supermarket to stock up on it so I can serve it again! The blend of spices is ideal - not too hot and not too bland - and the creamy sauce finishes it to perfection.

When I first opened the packet, the aroma was quite strong and I suddenly realised how hungry I was. The great thing about this product is that it is ready in a minute, and could be just served with warmed (or even cold) pita bread or pockets to make an instant meal. I am all for good quality fast food, and this has to be one of the simplest but most effective combinations I can think of.

Of course, when time permits, there is an endless variety of other dishes that could be made with this product as the base. The sachet holds enough for two people, and it would go with almost any starch item. I intend to try it soon with baked potatoes; I have not yet had the opportunity to do this, but it is on the menu for next week. In the meantime, I tried it with freshly steamed rice and some sliced poached persimmons. The fruit gave it another dimension as it was quite sweet and this complemented the plain rice and the intense flavour of the tuna mix.

I shared this particular dish with a work colleague and she was equally enthused by the combination of flavours - her comment was that it was "simple but classy". This really summed up my own impressions: what better than a healthy, balanced meal that is inexpensive, quick to prepare, and good enough to serve to dinner guests with the minimum of effort? Full marks for a genuinely satisfying taste experience!