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00:00welcome to the taste test restaurant we've been expecting you this is no
00:09ordinary eatery diners it's time to tuck in yes it's where diners put supermarket
00:16foods to the test service on the pass and try before they buy there's a
00:25different cuisine on the menu each week
00:27b looks like you turn the lights out it'll glow in the dark but tom reed wilson is always in charge
00:35oh do come through helping our diners discover which products pack a flavor punch i want to lick
00:43the plate and which missed the mark that's disgusting as we find out which supermarket
00:53favorites really offer good value for money with that bigger saving who would go for the bargain
00:59oh while in the kitchen chef mike reed is on a mission we need to be focused and we need to
01:08make sure our diners are happy yes chef to discover the tricks of the supermarket trade the supermarkets
01:14have one more secret up their sleeve to help you decide where to spend and where to save for the
01:22saving a few bob i would definitely make the switch this time the taste test restaurant is hosting curry
01:29night it tasted like a black dart i've had before my mom's made from mouth-watering mains i think seeds a
01:36proper boona to perfect condiments that's really good that's lovely and sumptuous side dishes to
01:44discover which come out on top they smell fantastic really smell the garlic and which get the boot that's a bit
01:51like a leather shoe
02:04i'm tom reed wilson and welcome to the taste test restaurant today my team and i are transforming this
02:11place into the taste test taj mahal ready to try the best indian foods in british supermarkets
02:20but can we eat like maharajah's without spending a mogul emperor's ransom the restaurant is about to
02:27fill up with diners and while we get ready up here down in the kitchen is tonight's master of madras super
02:35chef mike reed the supermarkets have invested a lot of time and money in getting these meals right
02:42so we need to work quick work smart and deliver some good food okay yes
02:51and it's no wonder the supermarkets want to nail it in britain one-third of the population
02:56eats curry every week and sales of ready meal curries are on the rise
03:05in the restaurant the diners are arriving oh hello welcome they include friends who formed a curry club
03:13over 45 years ago very very high standards i'm a bit nervous of you
03:18sisters who love spicy food two curry loving tradesmen welcome may i convey you yeah it's
03:29quite a short one a globe trotting mother and daughter a husband and wife who love cooking indian
03:36food hi tom and a bollywood dance troupe look at this sartorial wizardry our diners will test five
03:45dishes tasting three options from major supermarkets each time but they won't know which is which
03:53they'll then vote anonymously for their favorite dear diners welcome you know i really think you're
04:01going to love our first course today if you don't there could be some argy bargy because it's onion bargy
04:17this round is a battle between a premium and two mid-range supermarkets
04:22in no particular order our diners will blind test morrison's takeaway onion barges
04:32asda onion barges and mns food indian takeaway onion barges they're labeled a b and c
04:42but neither the diners nor tom will know which is which service
04:51oh yummy they look great but the sea looks like a chicken nuggets
04:56diners it's time to taste onion bargy a
05:11it's not soggy i've finished it so i think i like it
05:14oh it's a bit chewy isn't it that's a bit like a leather shoe
05:27so will the next offering be more to our diners liking diners it's time to taste onion bargy b
05:35i think the spices are better than a definitely so is bargy b hitting the spot for our curry loving tradesmen
05:46are you very well versed in curry yes i'm a hell of a bargy guy i thought that b
05:52was very oniony is oniony a word tom it is absolutely a word
05:58so it seems onions are key but what exactly is a bhaji
06:06the word bhaji means fried vegetables in hindi and they can be made using a variety of them
06:13it's believed bhaji's originate from southwest india and were traditionally eaten as a snack with a cup of
06:19tea during the colonial era brits who spent time in india developed a taste for these spicy fritters
06:27and brought the idea back to the uk but it was the 1960s and 70s which saw a boom in uk curry houses
06:36and the onion bhaji becoming the popular dish it is today
06:45but when it comes to the supermarket variety will onion bhaji c be as popular
06:50i'm looking for onions
06:58i mean you wouldn't know it was onions no how does it rate with our spice loving sisters
07:04tell me about onion bhaji c c was very crispy to be fair had a nice crisp to it it's just missing
07:11texture it was just very thick and kind of dry at the same time
07:17so with all three tasted it's crunch time for these starters
07:22diners it's time to vote for your favorite onion bhaji would it be a b or c while our diners cast their votes
07:34in the kitchen chef mike suspects he knows the reason why the diners have found some of the bhaji's
07:42underwhelming that flour for me in here is very very spongy using the morrison's bhaji as an example
07:53mike can see that several different flowers have been used usually you would use a gram flour or chickpea
07:58flour for onion bhaji's but they're using wheat flour maize flour rice flour and gram flour so by
08:07using wheat flour it's a cheaper flour than the others but wheat flour would make it that little bit
08:12denser in fact it's only the mns product which doesn't contain wheat flour they use chickpea and rice
08:20flowers to illustrate what a difference the type and quantity of flour can make mike's going to make his
08:27own traditional bhaji's starting with plenty of sliced onions ground turmeric and other spices and
08:35seasonings for flavor and then i've just got a couple of sliced red chilies i like a bit of spice in my
08:42bhaji's and then the big difference is the chickpea flour no other flour going in this then a little water
08:51so the biggest difference between mine and the supermarkets is they've just got a lot more flour
09:00whereas here you can see the onions and the flour really is just a binding agent
09:08he fries the balls for two to three minutes
09:10you can see the onions everywhere the spices beautiful crisp on the outside nice and soft in
09:23the middle that's an onion bhaji
09:29back in the restaurant with the votes now counted it's time to see which supermarket bhaji's curried
09:35favor with our diners diners diners we have a winner but by a hair's breadth it's onion bhaji
09:45b which is from m and s
09:53and it's very very closely followed one vote in it by onion bhaji c
10:00which is from morrison's and the last training behind is onion bhaji a which is from asda
10:11so in the contest between the starters the winner by a nose is m and s food indian takeaway onion bhaji's
10:19at two pounds 75 for 168 grams
10:22and coming last it's asda onion bhaji's at one pound 73 for 200 grams per bhaji the winner is over 50
10:41more than the other two
10:45but when it comes to taste it seems there's not that much difference between the premium
10:51and mid-range supermarket dishes
10:57coming up our diners put prawn boona to the test b needs more prawns and less tomatoes
11:04yeah agreed agree and some chutneys cause a right pickle
11:13it's very sour but i really like it
11:21welcome back to the taste test restaurant where we're taking our taste buds to india tucking into
11:37supermarket versions of one of britain's very favorite cuisines our diners are discovering which
11:44shop bought foods deliver spice and all things nice and which are perhaps less worthy of your trolley
11:53three versions of the same dish will be put to the taste test in each round our next dish is something
12:00you can dip dollop and dunk into it's that most convivial of condiments mango chutney
12:09all right guys let's plate up these chutneys now please ready to go man i love mango
12:18this is a battle between a brand and a mid-market and a premium supermarket but remember our diners will
12:27have no idea which is which they're just labeled a b and c the options are m s food mango chutney
12:39gita's premium mango chutney and co-op indian menu mango chutney
12:44they'll all be served with the same plain poppadoms
12:51let's go let's go let's go thank you all right let's get these up oh here we go oh blimey wow
13:01smells lovely diners it's time to taste mango chutney a
13:07jammy yeah not too much heat at all in a what do our home cook couple feel about this one
13:22what do you think of the composition of it do you good flavor but the sweetness was too much
13:28very well spice flavors is there tweak the balance that's right
13:31perhaps mango chutney b will get the blender flavors right
13:46it's very sour but i really like it fermented baby food you're just harsh you're just too harsh
13:54not too thick not too chunky simple i like it
13:57it will mango chutney c earn its place on the poppadom
14:05that's really good that's lovely there's lots of mango in it perfect it's kind of a good combination
14:13between sweet and sour could this chutney have that star quality oh my ineffably beautiful bollywood
14:21dancers have you been dazzled by c c was the balance between a and b it wasn't too thick
14:27it wasn't too wet it wasn't too sweet and it wasn't too bland oh gosh do you feel the same way girls
14:34no i don't i like a sweet mango chutney and a was the sweetest for me
14:42so divided opinions from the dancers but which dish will top the bill diners won't you please vote for
14:49your favorite mango chutney a b or c and while the guests cast their votes
14:59in the kitchen chef mike wants to investigate these three mango chutneys
15:05he's looking at spice and texture starting with the co-op chutney not much mango in there
15:11it's mainly this sauce this liquid the chutney should be much thicker and shouldn't pour on the
15:18plate like that so that's texture but what about the spices in the co-op chutney you've got paprika
15:26chili powder and cardamom i would expect to see a lot more spices in there
15:33moving on to the brand gitas which looks thicker in texture
15:36so you can see lots of different spices going on here this is a whole piece of garlic
15:44big chunky pieces of mango there's a whole clove
15:50i know it's going to pack flavor but i don't really want to be chewing on a whole clove either
15:58will the mns food chutney be similar given it contains many of the same spices as gitas
16:03definitely smaller spices i really like the big juicy chunky pieces of mango it's a nice fit
16:10consistency and probably a little bit looser than gitas but obviously nowhere near as loose as the
16:17co-ops version we've got some very different chutneys here i wonder which way the diners are going to go
16:23and back in the restaurant those mango chutney results are about to be announced diners your votes
16:29have been counted and we do have a winner by country mile it is mango chutney
16:38c which is from m and s
16:46now in second place with a mere three votes was mango chutney a which was the brand gitas
16:54and in third place with no votes at all was mango chutney b from co-op
17:05well thank you for being so conclusive diners in the competition between a premium supermarket
17:12a brand and a mid-market supermarket the results are
17:16in first place is mns food mango chutney at two pounds for 300 grams
17:25second is the brand gitas premium mango chutney at two pounds 40 for 320 grams
17:33and coming third is co-op indian menu mango chutney at one pound 40 for 230 grams
17:40so when it comes to mango chutney it seems our diners prefer a tangy taste and chunky texture and that's
17:49worth paying a bit more for now the guests are looking forward to their main course dear diners we
17:59couldn't lay on an indian banquet for you without a stonking great curry
18:04oh and the joy of a ready-made curry is that the supermarkets have done the hard work
18:11for us it's boona prawn boona to be precise
18:20all right boona time
18:26this round sees a premium supermarket pitted against a mid and a budget supermarket
18:31the contenders are asda bombaya king prawn boona
18:38aldi gastro by specially selected king prawn boona
18:43and waitrose prawn boona
18:47service thank you very much guys let's go
18:51oh that looks love
18:55i'm struggling to find prawns oh hang on there's one there's one there's a token pro
19:00diners time to try prawn boona
19:15the prawns are chewy it's very tomato
19:17it's all right it needs salt the girls need a bit of salt but the prawns are a good size though
19:29at least one redeeming factor then but how will the next candidate compare
19:33i think b's definitely got more flavor b needs more prawns and less tomatoes yeah agreed agreed
19:47so will b be a hit for our globe trotting mother and daughter
19:51i did like that one it's got a good flavor it's like lots of spice but it doesn't knock your head off
19:57like i did you just have to watch out for the whole tomato because if you dig into that
20:02your white top is gone that's very very true careful of your white blouse then vicky
20:11but what are the origins of this saucy dish
20:14historically the word curry wasn't used in india dishes were referred to by their specific names like
20:21korma rogan josh and boona the name boona refers to the cooking style in urdu boona means to be fried
20:29the dish which originates from bengal is typically prepared by frying spices at a high temperature
20:37the word curry may come from the tamil karel or kari which portuguese settlers in india used to refer to
20:44a sauce or gravy poured over rice british colonialists came to use the word for any dish cooked in a spicy
20:52sauce when indian spices became widely available in the uk curries caught on even queen victoria was
20:59fond of chicken curry dull and pilau
21:02our diners are in good company then but will the next offering take the crown
21:15c has the biggest prawns
21:21that's really sweet isn't it when it comes to taste our couple who love home cooking are curry connoisseurs
21:28definitely billy tell me what you think of sea sea i think it's got good all-round flavor yes it's
21:35got a good combination of spices the prawns are the best quality out of all the others oh so that's
21:40what i tasted i think c's a proper booner gosh thank you very much you're welcome but which dish will
21:48our diners think is top-notch and qualifies for the winning position it's time to vote for your
21:54favorite prawn booner a b or c
22:04coming up chef mike gives his verdict on the prawns in the booners they're overcooked and supermarket black
22:11dolls are put to the test it tasted the most authentically indian to me
22:34welcome back to the taste test restaurant and we're sampling some of the nation's favorite
22:39indian foods my delicious diners are trying a range of supermarket prawn booners but before i
22:47reveal their verdict mike's going to reveal the secrets of that classy curry in the kitchen mike's
22:55taking a closer look at the three products our diners have tasted they are asda bombaya king prawn booner
23:03aldi gastro by specially selected king prawn booner and waitrose prawn booner each pack serves two
23:17our diners expressed strong views on the prawns in the booners so mike is going to look at how they've
23:23been prepared he's cooked the curries according to the instructions the challenge the supermarkets have
23:30is that prawns can really overcook quite quickly and that will affect not only the taste but also the
23:36texture of the prawn all the supermarket booners can be cooked in the microwave or in the oven for 25
23:43minutes or more at at least 170 degrees centigrade so mike wants to examine the impact the cook time
23:51and temperature has on the prawns in each curry when a prawn is overcooked it dries and curls up
23:57he starts with the asda booner you can see they've really curled they're really tight they're really
24:05firm to touch and that's basically because they're overcooked it's such a shame because i'm sure it was a
24:11beautiful prawn but now it's just a little bit overcooked and it's going to be quite tough it serves two
24:18so you would basically get four and a half prawns each i'd like a few more prawns next he looks at the eight
24:26prawns in the aldi booner from their specially selected range they're very small king prawns
24:32really really tough to touch really tightly curled and overcooked
24:38prawn i'm afraid when you start with a small pawn and then overcook it this is what's going to happen
24:45and moving on to the waitrose booner which also serves two so we've got 10 prawns in the waitrose one
24:53which is the most out of any of them straight away for me these waitrose prawns look visibly better
24:59they haven't curled as much they're probably not as firm as the first two but they're still
25:06quite firm to touch which makes me think they are overcooked the pawn should be the star here but they're
25:12not but hopefully there's enough in the sauces for the dynasty love so they can make a choice
25:17so mike thinks this round is going to be all about the sauce back in the restaurant we're finding out
25:26diners we have a pretty clear winner that managed to amass 12 of your votes it is prawn booner
25:35b which is from aldi and trailing quite a long way behind it uh prawn booner c which is from waitrose with
25:51just two votes and with only one vote prawn booner a from asda the leaderboard is in first place aldi
26:03gastro by specially selected king prawn booner at three pounds 99 for 460 grams coming second is
26:12waitrose prawn booner at four pounds 95 for 350 grams and in third place bombaya by asda king prawn booner
26:23at four pounds 98 for 400 grams so would the price have made a difference to any of the voters
26:30billy i came to you when you were trying c and i know you really loved it c for me was the winner
26:38simply the quality of the prawns i might be able to change your mind now because the curry you chose
26:44was 60 percent more price wise than the curry that won wow i still prefer the prawns
26:57so it seems you don't have to pay top whack for a winning supermarket prawn booner
27:01time now for chef mike to prep the next dish for our guests to test you know for me one of the great
27:15joys of food from the indian subcontinent is the vast variety of side dishes so your next course is the
27:24increasingly fashionable black dial in this challenge of the dull dishes two premium supermarkets take on
27:38a mid-range one i've got high expectations with these it's definitely one of my favorite indian dishes
27:44as ever they're only identified as a b and c the dull options are mns food collection eight hour black
27:55doll waitrose number one slow cooked black doll and asda bombaya black lentil doll black doll is an on
28:06trend food craze which has given a new name and a new lease of life to traditional dal makhani
28:12all right let's go service please thank you first two trays there we go thank you i'd imagine it's
28:21either got cream or butter in there diners time to tuck in to black doll a
28:34these have got a bit of a crunch to them which is okay yeah
28:37smoky barbecue doll that was the smoky one that's awful did the bollywood dancers say barbecue
28:50tom wants to find out more hello all hello hello it barely touched their tongues and they all went no
28:57there is an awful lot left i have to say yeah it's just got a weird barbecue
29:02barbecue texas barbecue flavor which is just so random i'm so confused by it that belongs nowhere
29:08near a dark yeah nowhere near so not the real deal for our bollywood dancers
29:15will our next option be deemed more authentic
29:18so lacking a bit of kick according to our couple who grew up on authentic flavors
29:36will our curry loving tradesmen agree how's dull bee it's very creamy a lot of texture
29:42but yeah no zing no particularly like vibrant taste you expect a bit of a punch or a bit of a zing
29:49or something like that oh gosh i'm really sorry about that perhaps the final tasting will spice things up
29:56can i use the word plant definitely oh dear do our spice loving sisters agree
30:11tell me about darcy i don't know if black dolls are supposed to be spicy but a few chili flakes wouldn't
30:18hurt anybody definitely the best out of a b and c other than lacking a little bit of a kick
30:24oh it's a very successful dial for you yeah from somebody who's never tried it before it's nice
30:32so c may be a winner for our sisters but what do the rest of the guests think
30:38diners please now vote for your favorite black dial a b or c and while the diners vote for their first
30:48choice in the kitchen chef mike wants to discover how the supermarkets achieve a luxurious sauce so
30:58he's examining the dolls before they're cooked and has found something rather surprising you can see
31:04in each one there's this big block of butter which as it cooks is going to melt down and really add to
31:11that velvety creamy texture that you would expect with a black doll and the supermarkets have an extra
31:19trick up their sleeve it's quite a clever thing the supermarkets have done here because it's more than
31:24just butter they've flavored it with i can see spices in there i can see herbs in there so it's going
31:29to really add to the layers of flavor within this black doll it's not just butter that creates the
31:36doll's texture all three contain cream too the cooking method used by the supermarkets also adds
31:43to the dish breaking down those lentils in a slow cook really thickens the sauce looking at the waitrose
31:51slow cook dial for example this is what i'm looking for in a dal the consistency of the sauce is nice and
31:58thick and creamy the lentils you can see have broken down quite a bit but then there's still
32:05speckles of whole lentils in there as well in comparison the asda doll doesn't say it's slow
32:11cooked i can see a lot of big lentils i want to see those slightly more broken down finally the mns
32:19black doll which is slow cooked for eight hours they're definitely more broken down than asda but still not
32:27as broken down as the waitrose one and it's not as creamy as the other two as well the diners had some
32:35very strong opinions about these so it's going to be interesting to see which one comes out on top
32:41and up in the restaurant it's time to find out diners you have voted and there is what i would
32:48describe as a comfortable winner it is black doll
32:57see
33:01we've got 10 of your votes and this doll is from waitrose
33:10so in the match between the black dolls it's a clear win for a premium supermarket
33:15first is waitrose number one slow cooked black doll at four pounds 95 for 400 grams
33:26coming second is asda bombaya black lentil doll at two pounds 97 for 300 grams
33:34and third is mns food collection eight hour black doll costing three pounds fifty for 250 grams
33:41since black doll c had quite a sizable victory would anybody else like to extol its virtues
33:50i will it tasted the most authentically indian to me it tasted like a black doll i've had before
33:57my mom's made really good that excites me hugely and you know your dolls this room
34:03so when it comes to black doll our diners have chosen a premium supermarket based on taste and texture
34:15coming up naan bread goes under the knife see it's a unanimous no a unanimous no and chef mike
34:23reveals the supermarket's special ingredient so it's something they've added to their naans to make it a
34:29little bit softer
34:47dearest diners the loveliest thing about any feast is mopping up at the end the last droplets of juice
34:57the very last remnants of sauce and is there any finer food for the great mop-up the naan bread there is
35:07actually garlic and coriander naan bread
35:16let's get these in the oven now all right let's go chefs
35:18in this final round it's premium versus mid-market versus budget supermarkets
35:28and with each side dish just labeled a b or c the diners and tom won't know which is which
35:34the dishes are waitrose garlic and coriander naans tesco garlic and coriander naan breads
35:47and aldi garlic and coriander naan breads there are two naans in each pack service please i need three sets of
35:57hands of hands please
36:01they smell fantastic really smell the garlic diners it's time to taste naan bread
36:16eyes is lovely and fluffy crispy we've got lots of air in it it's quite bready
36:22crispy crispiness is good crispiness is good but it's just very doughy on the inside yeah and
36:33there's no flavor in it to be honest maybe naan bread b will rate better cheers cheers
36:40this has the more like charred look that authentic naan look very garlicky and i can taste the herbs
36:51as well it is a bit chewy a bit doughy as well but overall it's a good naan but i think i prefer aim
36:58actually so mixed reactions from our spice loving sisters
37:04but how did naan make its way onto the modern menu
37:07naan is thought to be named after the persian word for bread
37:13and is traditionally cooked in a hot tandoor oven in the ground
37:18or on wood charcoal it's been eaten in india for centuries records suggest that in the 16th century
37:27it was a delicacy eaten only by the upper classes because of the special way it's cooked
37:33moogle emperors even ate naan for breakfast but by the 1700s it had become a staple for all indian
37:41classes a british clergyman william took wrote about naan in a travel log at the turn of the 19th
37:49century and it's been a huge hit in the uk ever since
37:53but will today's supermarket versions be a hit with our diners they've still got one more to sample
38:07diners time to taste naan bread sea
38:11oh now c is crispy compared to the other two which were very doughy i think c is the nicest texture
38:22do you but b is the best flavor interesting and how is it going down with our bollywood dancers
38:30c is a unanimous no a unanimous no yeah it just didn't taste of anything also it was
38:36so dry it was like a summer day in august in london we just feel like it's not a naan it's just
38:42honestly like a pizza bread they also all need loads of butter yeah you cannot have naan without
38:49the slab of butter on there well i'm very sorry about that not a hit there then time now to find
38:57out which naan comes out on top diners please vote for your favorite naan bread a b or c
39:07and while they vote in the kitchen chef mike is revealing how the supermarkets create
39:15that winning mix of fluffy and crispy so starting with the tescos this one feels particularly doughy
39:23quite soft to be honest with you and that's something they really work towards and i know
39:28that all of the supermarkets use spirit vinegar in their naan breads and that helps to break down the
39:35gluten so it's something they've added to their naans to make it a little bit softer and on the
39:42waitrose naan mike spotted evidence of another trick the supermarkets use to create an authentic
39:48texture the other thing the supermarkets work really hard on achieving is that classic look of a naan
39:55the speckles of golden crust that you'd usually get from cooking in a tandoor or a clay oven i think
40:01the supermarkets replicate that by cooking it over a gas burner which gives you that almost charred look
40:11the supermarkets suggest grilling or baking their naans but mike's cooking the aldi one
40:16in a dry pan so you can see it's much more charred on this side and his chef's tip is to baste with
40:23clarified butter known as ghee now we're just gonna give that a nice hit of this ghee and that's gonna
40:31soak in that flavor rehydrate a little bit hopefully go softer with a little bit more smokiness in there as
40:37well and you can see the difference you can smell the garlic now you can smell that coriander you've
40:45got the nice char marks on there from the pan as well it's just it's a completely different product
40:56back in the restaurant it's results time for the supermarket naans which haven't been given the mic
41:02treatment diners your winner has scooped up 10 of your votes and it is naan bread
41:15b which is from tesco and in second place with half that number of votes five votes is naan bread a
41:27from waitrose and trailing with no votes is naan bread c from aldi so in the contest between the
41:38budget premium and mid-range supermarket naans the results are soundly in first place it's tesco
41:47garlic and coriander naan breads costing 90 pence for 260 grams
41:52taking second place is waitrose garlic and coriander naans at one pound 25 for 220 grams
42:04and third it's aldi garlic and coriander naan breads priced at 69 pence for 350 grams
42:13there are two naans in each pack
42:16so with the winning naan bread costing less than the one in second place
42:20it seems the right taste and texture doesn't have to come with a higher price tag
42:26we do in the room have a clear winner and it is something of a bargain so bravo diners
42:34our indian feast is at an end
42:36but before we say namaste there's just time for one final thought from the restaurant you know it's
42:49a funny thing with curries they used to be so rare and exotic i mean wars were fought over spices and
42:56these days they come in all shapes sizes and price ranges i mean look at our diners they picked premium
43:04mid-market and budget supermarkets i suppose it just proves what those five very wise women once
43:11told us spice up your life cheers
43:25so
43:29so
43:33so
43:35so
43:37so
43:39so
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