This instant curry rice is blessed by the gods!
Sometimes when we’re busy, broke, or just plain tired, it’s hard to get enough food. It’s hard to find healthy, ready-made or easy-to-cook meals when you don’t have the time or energy to look for them. Add to that a picky palate, and it may be downright impossible!
This is why our Japanese-speaking journalist Haruka Takagi decided to try Nissin Kanzen Meshi (“Complete Meal”) Instant Food Series. As touted in the many commercials they ran on Japanese television, these instant meals, which come in a variety of forms including rice, noodles, curry and even pasta, are said to provide a balanced meal.
According to Nissin’s product website, Kanzen Meshi series products have 33 types of important nutrients in them. Apparently, nine out of ten registered dietitians surveyed said, “It would be great to have an option for a meal on a busy day.”
Haruka recently tried a particular Kanzen Meshi that was so good, and its cooking method so magical, that it must have been blessed by the gods, she thought to herself. In fact, she found it while she was on vacation. It was the last day of her trip and she had stopped at a local 7-Eleven to grab something to eat. There, she spotted Curry Meshi (curry rice) and Ra-Ou ramen from the Kanzen Meshi series. Both of their packages had the phrase “The perfect balance between nutrition and flavor!” written on it in bold.
Each costs 429 yen (US$2.93), about 200 yen more than the regular versions of Nissin Curry Meshi and Ra-Ou Ramen. It’s also about the price of an average bento box from a convenience store or supermarket. Frankly, Haruka wasn’t too sure about that price for something that was basically just instant food. But after spending too many days in a row eating out, she felt a dire need to have something healthy or at least nutritionally balanced in her system, so she came up with Curry Meshi’s catchphrase, “For those who find nutritional balance a problem!” reliable.
The packaging was a bit chaotic, but in a good way. It contained all sorts of bold but ridiculous statements like, “Just mix it up and believe it!” Comes with a Mysterious Kanzen Powder! Then, in what was clearly designed to look handwritten underneath, it read: “I’m sure it will become curry.”
“What do you mean ‘are you sure’?” Haruka muttered. “Is there a chance it won’t turn into curry?!”
Still, Haruka couldn’t pass up the chance to try it out, so she bought one and immediately took it to the store’s prep counter to have it done. Inside the large plastic lid were two small bags: the “Mix and Believe!” Kanzen Mystery Powder” and a “finishing oil”. Apparently, both packs should be applied before eating, after pouring hot water into the main cup and waiting five minutes.
The inside of the cup looked like this, with rice and some other ingredients.
It was a little different from Nissin’s regular Curry Meshi, which comes with a cube of roux inside (as pictured below).
Wondering how this Kanzen Meshi would be different, Haruka poured boiling water and waited for the designated five minutes.
Then she added the Kanzen Mystery Powder…
And the finishing oil.
Then she started to stir.
Wow! It was quick!!
In just six quick seconds, the meal became a thick, syrupy curry. Despite being in public, Haruka couldn’t help but scream in surprise. It was way too fast!
With Nissin’s regular Curry Meshi, the roux takes a lot more mixing to dissolve properly, which Haruka thinks is a little annoying. So having a Curry Meshi that was finished in just (five minutes and) six seconds makes that a food blessed by the gods! Even more than nutritional balance, this speed itself was worth the price of 429 yen.
The 7-Eleven Haruka had bought it didn’t have a dining area, so she took it back to the car to try. How was the flavor?
Awesome, with no drop in deliciousness despite the quick prep time and increased nutritional benefits.
This has very mild flavor and Haruka thought the aftertaste lingered a bit longer and felt a bit drier than usual, but if she had had it blind tested, she probably never would have noticed. In fact, maybe it was just his imagination. Either way, it was good enough for a hungry Haruka to finish it in a flash.
It was legitimately tasty. The more Haruka thought about it, the more she wondered what she had done wasting her life stirring Curry Meshi for all those long minutes. “It was really so easy to prepare…”
Haruka found herself wishing Nissin changed her regular Curry Meshi to this powder format. The fact that it’s done and ready to eat after just six seconds is truly amazing. The “nutritionally balanced” benefit is really just an added bonus!
If you’re someone who finds cooking a pain and needs to find ways to eat a more balanced diet, this is definitely something you’ll want to try. Here are some other suggestions as well. Eating without cooking doesn’t have to be bad for you!
Photos © SoraNews24
● Want to be up to date with the latest articles from SoraNews24 as soon as they are published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]
#instant #Japanese #curry #rice #hate #cooking #eat #healthy