When only takeaway will do?

Quasar

Oh there's an Indian take away just up the road which is absolutely fab! Everything is cooked there in front of you and oh, their chicken vindaloo and pilau rice are absolutely fantastic. Large portion for £5. I allow myself to get it once a month, not least because it must have 1,000,000 calories!

lindadykes

We don't often have a take away - but when we do I only order the 'meals' ie - not the rice, prawn crackers, poppadums etc as cheaper to buy from the supermarket, but then divvy up the meals into two - one for 'tonight' and one for the freezer. Doesn't make it seem so bad then...

You can get a box of uncooked prawn crackers in home bargains for just 29p. Once your oil's really hot they take seconds to fry. A box does tree or four meals in our house. Also Morrisons do quite cheap uncooked poppadoms in fairly plain packaging.

Nyla1979

Iceland is quite good if you want a takeaway meal without spending as much money, yes you have to put it in the oven yourself but it is ready quicker than a delivery.

They come in the same foil containers so you just pop it in the oven and take it out when it's ready and you could ~ if you wanted ~ eat it out of the container!

They are only £1.50, I love the cantonese chicken, hubby always has one of the currys and then we use a microwave rice to mix in with it total £4 and they are delicious, quick and easy to cook and come in the large containers too!

crystaltipps

we have had asda takeaways a couple of times. There is a lot, and if you can't get some reduced, then look out for one that is on special offer. I think they change it every week, and it is usually £1. Also, the vegetable curry is cheap and really nice...whats more my children eat it uncomplainingly - even the cauli! Nrmally buy one a month, and it is a lot cheaper than a takeaway. You don't have to spend ages microwaving them individually- i tend to put meat ones in the oven, wait ten minutes, then stir it and pop veggie one in ...cook the rice and put any snacks like poppudoms or naan in for last five minutes. ONe meat curry (reduced or on special offer) £1, one veggie curry - about £1, 8 mini snacks (pick and mix) £1 and i think the small naans are around 50 or so pence - feeds two hungry kids and one adult for less than a fiver! Cook some extra rice and have an extra meat curry to make it 4 generous portions.
Just to add, i know you have to be careful, reheating cooked meat (i cook for a living!) and i always check with my electronic probe. Make sure these things are thoroughly heated through!

cupid_s

Our chinese takeaway is so cheap that I don't feel bad moneywise anyway.

The main meals are so big that myself and OH struggle to finish one between us and we have big appetites. They are around £4 and come with a big bag of chips or a big portion of rice. If you buy two meals they give you free prawn crackers as well. That works out as cheap as some people alternatives which require cooking. The local fish and chip shop which has won awards is well cheap as well.

I think we do live in quite a poor area so maybe that's the trick!

Its awful because we can't even use the excuse that we can't afford take away.

Raspberry_Swirl

Quasar wrote:

Oh there's an Indian take away just up the road which is absolutely fab! Everything is cooked there in front of you and oh, their chicken vindaloo and pilau rice are absolutely fantastic. Large portion for £5. I allow myself to get it once a month, not least because it must have 1,000,000 calories!

you're lucky!!! i love indian but find they're the most expensive takeaway option round our way. the cheapest curry and rice option still comes out at about £6.50, whereas i can get a chinese curry and rice for about £4.70.

lilmisskitkat

We love indian and chinese so i make up the main part of the meal - sweet chill prawns with noodles for chinese and chicken jalfrezi and rice for indian are our faves.

Then we have a selection of starters from the curry counter at Asda - 8 mini ones for £1 so we have spring rolls, prawn wontons (sp?), onion bhajis, samosas etc. This is our weekend treat when DD is in bed and we can snuggle on the couch with wine and a dvd.

We do still have 'proper' takeaway on occasion though!

Kate xxx

natzini

Katgoddess wrote:

Oh and sainsburys sell jars of Wing Yip Chinese curry sauce concentrate in their gourmet section. The sort that takeaways use.

Mmmmm Wing Yip! I need to go there soon.... love, love, love it at the superstore!

natzini

Dear me you lot, making me hungry!!

Now it's making me want to eat the chow mein I saved from the take-away... I was going to have it for lunch tomorrow, or as something to eat before Guides... must, resist..... as OH is gonna be doing us crusty rolls for lunch....mmmm!

ViksB

Thanks for all your responses.
It is heartening to know we are not alone.
For us a takeaway is what CCStar says

2. You can't be bothered to cook from scratch and just pick up something or get something delivered.

In the end we had toasted sandwich with cheese and HM carmelised onion chutney. They were nice and quick with limited washing up but still not the same.

I might try and make some of queenies "curry night" to pop in the freezer and that might do the job instead.

Our favourite meals are...
For our local indian
Tandorri Mach Masala- which is actually cod in a really creamy but more spicey sauce than korma - yummy
Various Dopiaza's
Mushroom Pillau rice
Garlic nann

and from Chinese
Chicken chowmein
beef in blackbean sauce
chispy shredded beef - beef strips in a batter in a sweet chilli sauce

Any suggestions on how to make any of these. Very fussy about my chowmein- the noddles that you buy in supermarkets (dried ones) just don't taste right.
I have attempted to make nann bread before and do struggle. They just don't taste right. We can make passable curries and Pillau rice.
I think the keep might be to have a takeaway shelf in the freezer with meals ready to go.

(The freezer is full with stews and stuff- but somehow they just don't motivate us enough!!)

Thanks everyone

Viks