Why Yummy Karma is my favourite ready meal
Posted: April 16, 2024 Updated: April 16, 2024
It’s not often I have favourites, with anything, but if I apply logic then Yummy Karma must be my favourite ready meal brand. Why is it logically my favourite? Well, since moving back to Australia in late 2021 Yummy Karma are my most frequently purchased ready meal.
They first captured my attention around New Years 2021 when I spotted a bunch of marked down packs. They were so delicious I continued to keep an eye out and found them nearby when we moved to our permanent home on the edge of the Sydney CBD.
Not long after the move I was pregnant! During my pregnancy Yummy Karma were a welcome balanced meal of carbs, protein and fresh vegetables. And since the birth of our daughter they have become a handy meal on days where I’m solo-parenting.
Though now that she’s eating solids I suspect I’ll have to start sharing them 😅.
Related content: Every gluten free ready meal available at Woolworths.
About Yummy Karma
Yummy Karma are a Sydney-based company and it’s in NSW that you’ll have the best chances of finding their range. It was always available in the nearby Woolworths Metro and I’d often see it in the CBD at Coles Local.
Now that I’m in Melbourne it’s harder to find but I’ve spotted a few at Woolworths Metro stores. Unfortunately they are not often in the full size Woolies stores in Victoria. Hopefully with time this will change.
They do however sell their full range online and provide refrigerated delivery. I ordered a whole bunch for lunches during my husband’s last business trip.
Yummy Karma flavours
Most of Yummy Karma’s range are curries, which are actually the perfect ready meal. Why? Curries have bold flavours which compensate for the requirements of longer shelf life and shipping.
There’s eight curries and two rice dishes. Out of the ten, three are vegetarian, giving more options to gluten free vegetarian folks.
My favourites are the Thai green curry and the chicken satay. The chicken biryani is pretty fabulous too.
The taste
It’s really tricky to write a review on so many different meals they make. I’ve actually been keeping some notes since 2022 with the intention of writing up a proper review. So, I’ll tidy up and paste those notes here as my thoughts on a few flavours!
Butter chicken
The curry has a delicate butter chicken flavour rich in tomatoes and cream. There might be the slightest hint of warmth but like a butter chicken from a restaurant it is mild. The long grain basmati rice is perfectly cooked and the chicken is tender. They use quite big pieces of thigh meat which remain super tender even after reheating.
It’s one of the few kits that doesn’t have vegetables so I added baby spinach and green beans.
Satay chicken
The sauce has a really rich peanut flavour and it is actually spicy! I’d say mild enough for any adult, but perhaps not for all kids. It also has some little peanut pieces in the sauce, giving it additional texture.
Happily there are vegetables in this one, broccoli, baby corn and carrot. While baby corn isn’t a favourite of mine I appreciate the vegetables being there to make it a more complete meal.
Chicken biryani
This ready meal is unlike their others in that there’s no sauce, it’s a rice based dish. The dish is soooo richly spiced and it’s got a medium spice level too. I wouldn’t give this to a kid.
Like the others there’s tender chicken and the potato pieces are perfectly cooked. Plum is a new one for me though I’m sure I’ve come across fruit in biryani before.
I’m not so convinced of the 28g protein advertised in this one. I think I may have more potato than chicken. Though it’s likely a once off as the ingredients do say 21% chicken and 10% potato. In the end there was still a good amount of chicken, I don’t feel ripped off.
This has ND for gluten on the back of the packet which is awesome. I’m sure when I first bought from this brand in 2022 that they weren’t testing these it was just gluten free by ingredient.
The Upgrade
Depending on the dish I’ve done different things to upgrade my Yummy Karma ready meals. Of course it always involves fresh vegetables and more often than not a bit of extra chilli.
For the satay I’ll usually add some sliced cucumber and some Lao Gan Man chilli oil. The Thai green curry has plenty of veg in it so that doesn’t need anything. However for the butter chicken there’s no vegetables so I’ll usually throw in whatever greens we have, usually broccoli or in a pinch a layer of baby spinach underneath.
THE VERDICT
Well I think it was clear from the start, I love Yummy Karma ready meals. I’ll definitely keep buying them and I’m so happy we have access to such a high quality gluten free ready meal.
WHERE TO BUY YUMMY KARMA
You can find Yummy Karma products in selected Coles and Woolworths stores. Typically they are stocked in the Woolies Metro and Coles Local mini stores. It’s a fresh refrigerated product so look around the same area as items like salads, sushi and soups.
You can also order meals directly from the Yummy Karma website for home delivery.
PRODUCT DETAILS
Gluten free: By ingredient.
Vegetarian / vegan: Three curry meals are vegetarian, they do offer veggie bites that are vegan.
Allergens: Milk, nuts (satay flavour).
Serving size: One.
Still hungry? Check out more reviews of gluten free ready meals. Or if you’re ready to go to the shops, take my guide to all the GF ready meals at Woolworths.