Lunches. There are so many times I am so guilty of not making my lunch. Before I moved close to a Trader Joe's I existed off of frozen meals. But truthfully, they were pretty terrible. The calorie count was reasonable, but there was a sacrifice in taste. Most of those frozen meals tasted like cardboard. Trader Joe's Korma Fish Curry tastes like anything but cardboard.
Taste and review
When I did move close enough to a Trader Joe's (ok, like 3 of them within 20 minutes, I'm spoiled), I started picking up their Indian meals. I was always too intimidated to try Indian food in a real restaurant. But truthfully, the frozen Indian selections can go toe to toe with an Indian Restaurant.
When this product came out in 2016, I had a few thoughts about it since I was bringing it to work: how would Indian AND fish be in the microwave?
And truthfully, they weren't bad.
In fact, this has become my go-to lunch of choice.
I was honestly not looking forward to trying this as much as other items because of fear that it wouldn't turn out well. But truthfully, my only disappointment is that they don't sell the sauce by the jar.
I would buy the sauce all on its own. It's a tomato base with a good kick of coconut flavor and cashews for extra creaminess.
In terms of heat, this is only mild heat. It was enjoyable but won't slow you down much. So real spice junkies might want to bring some extra chili powder to bring this up a notch.
The box makes you expect you are getting fish sticks with this. However, upon opening this I found a nicely portioned piece of fish. In the multitude of boxes of this that I have since purchased, not once did it look like fish sticks. They were actually nice fillets each and every time.
The swai did not bring much flavor and seems to be a very mild-tasting fish.
If you enjoy the other Indian selections at Trader Joe's like the Tikka Masala dishes, then you'll really like this as long as you like fish.
If I had to complain about one thing, it would be the Fenugreek leaves in the rice. They seemed to get stuck on my tongue and were about as much fun as nibbling on a Bay Leaf. But otherwise, this is a really enjoyable dish.
It looked nothing like the picture.
Overall
For $3.49 you are getting a real fish meal. You couldn't eat that cheap or healthy at Mcdonald's (other than the $1 menu).
Would I buy this again? Trader Joe's Korma Fish Curry has been a staple in my weekly shopping list. It's worth a try if you enjoy the other Indian entrees.
Product photos
The box of Trader Joe's Korma Fish Curry:
Calories, ingredients, and directions
Out of the box:
Out of the microwave:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Korma Fish Curry
Product Name: Trader Joe's Korma Fish Curry
Product Description: Trader Joe's Korma Fish Curry
Price: $3.49
Currency: USD
Availability: Discontinued
Summary
Trader Joe's Korma Fish Curry is very well done and holds up well to the microwave. If you enjoy the tikka series, then you'll probably enjoy this entree.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- The fish looks nothing like the fish sticks on the cover of this box.
- Very flavorful and a different sauce than the other Indian entrees.
- At $3.49 this is reasonably priced and in line with everything else they offer.
- It's also an excellent value when you consider you are getting a fish entree (and a good sized portion of fish) for this price.
Cons
- Fish does not taste like much, but the sauce is the highlight
- The occasional fenugreek leaves left behind in the rice was an element which I wasn't crazy about.
- Swai doesn't taste like much, but the sauce carries this dish.
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buyingseafood says
After a recent experience with swai, I think I will back off this one. However the fish is absolutely flavorless so buyers don't have to worry about it tasting fishy. I do like TJ's other curries though.
becomebetty says
Did you try the TJ fish curry? The fish doesn't have a lot of flavor but is firm and holds up well in the microwave, but the curry that came with the Fish Korma is among the best. What was your experience with Swai?
buyingseafood says
Haven't tried the fish, but I've tried the others like the tikka masala and the sauce is always good. Maybe TJ's kicked it up a notch since swai does not have much flavor. I recently tried swai fillets for a review on my blog that posted today: https://buyingseafood.com/2016/12/20/legend-bay-swai-review/
Btw I like your blog, I don't shop at Trader Joe's all the time, but it's good to know a bit about the products before taking the plunge.
Alek says
I do wish that they would bottle that amazing sauce by itself! It's really good. Why they haven't done that. I want the exact same sauce in a bottle.
Linda Dennis says
I so very much appreciate all the wonderful reviews you've done on so many Trader Joe's freezer items. So much time and effort. Obviously, a labor of love. What a treasure.
You might like to know, though, that Swai fish is apparently unsafe to eat. Here is a link so you can check this out and see what you think.
Dr. Josh Axe:
https://draxe.com/nutrition/swai-fish/
Ritu says
Fish Korma, the best dish TJ's makes was discontinued!!! Why?
becomebetty says
Hi Ritu! This was my personal favorite hands down. Some times things are discontinued because of manufacturers. This wasn't a slow seller. While we may never have an answer I keep hoping they will bring this back too!