Have You Tried The Instant Biryani by Meal Of The Moment (MOM)?

Biryani is a much-loved layered rice dish that is time and labor intensive. Needless to say, it is worth every bit of the effort. For those, looking for a quick biryani indulgence while traveling, camping, hiking, or during odd hours, an instant Biryani meal can come to your rescue.

MOM (Meal Of The Moment) offers an extensive range of instant meals, from poha to Mexican rice. We ordered the Veg Biryani with Shahi Gravy meal and tested it for its taste, texture, authentic aroma, and convenience.

How close does this RTE meal come to a freshly made biryani? Let’s find the details in our Meal Of the Moment Ready To Eat Veg Biryani review.

Quick details have been mentioned in the following table. 

What were we looking for in MOM Ready to Eat Veg Biryani? Decent flavors, a pleasing texture, appropriate portion sizes were certain parameters we set. More details in the following section. 

1. Taste

Commonly, RTE meals are too salty or straight bland. Either they taste artificial or stale to the point that they are inedible. In MOM RTE Veg Biryani, we looked for fresh veggies with a wholesome blend of spices and seasonings. Do flavors of the gravy complement that of rice? 

2. Texture

Khila-khila, non-stick rice grains, vegetable bits that rehydrate well, and some whole spices, some bits are always appreciated in a bowl of biryani. Since this offers gravy separately, we gauged if these were proportionate and if the texture/consistency of the complements the biryani.

3. Convenience

What are the methods of cooking suggested? Does one need to have access to an appliance like an induction cooktop or microwave? Does it call for ingredients from the pantry? What about cutlery, is it included?

4. Other Parameters

The price, packaging, shelf life, ingredients were noted here. 

We tested Tata Sampann Yumside Vegetable Biryani in our review kitchen. Know more on this review here.

Price + Packaging 

The rice and gravy are packed individually in silver pouches. These are placed inside the cup with a spoon. It holds 85 grams of biryani rice and 55 grams of gravy. This is priced at Rs 99/- with a shelf life of one year. 

Main Ingredients

Ingredients for the veg biryani are – Rice (67%), Vegetable oil (refined sunflower oil), dehydrated vegetables (Onion, Carrot), Milk solids, Iodised salt, Spices and condiments (Red chilli powder, Turmeric, Coriander, Bay leaf), Ghee, Potato powder, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Tomato powder, Flavoring substances, Garlic powder, Dehydrated herbs (coriander, mint, fenugreek leaves), Anticaking agent (INS 551), Acidity regulator (INS 330), Flavor enhancer (INS627, INS 631), Antioxidants (INS300). 

Shahi gravy is made using Water, Onion, Edible Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Oil), Curd, Vegetables (Potato, Green Peas, Carrot, Beans), Tomato Paste, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Salt, Green Chilli, Rose Water, Kewra Water, Spices And Condiments (Coriander, Chilli Powder, Cumin, Black Cardamom, Green Cardamom, Mace, Nutmeg, Bay Leaf, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Clove) Lemon Juice.

How did we make this?

Following the instructions on the pack, we emptied the dry biryani rice in the cup, added boiling water upto the mark, gave it a stir and let this sit for eight minutes. Once done, we poured the gravy directly, mixed the contents and tasted them.

Aroma + Appearance 

On opening the pack, we were welcomed by a pleasing aroma of mixed spices, similar to what homemade garam masala smells like. 

What we liked best- it was not artificial. Next, we could see bits of carrots and onions. The rice was a blend of long and short grains. The gravy was a deep brown-red color and had some green peas. 

Taste + Texture 

Once cooked, the veggie bits had rehydrated well. Rice grains were fluffy and non sticky. It looked appetizing and had come together pretty well. The gravy was poured on top and mixed in the rice. 

We tasted the biryani with and without the gravy. And to state it simply, this tasted better without the gravy.

It may be due to the fact that the gravy wasn’t heated- which caused the green peas to feel dry and hard. 

On the other hand, the biryani without the gravy was way better. We quite liked the seasoning, it was a mix of essentially warm spices, some notes of garlic, all wrapped with the earthy, herby flavor of fenugreek.

Here are some interesting FAQs on MOM ready to eat veg biryani.

Quick Read : Daawat Biryani Kit Review – 30 Minutes To Biryani Heaven.

Mishry had a pretty decent experience with MOM RTE Veg Biryani. While the convenience and freshness this offered were impeccable, we feel the gravy could have been better. We recommend skipping the gravy and relishing the biryani with a fresh raita, given a choice. 

What are your preferred biryani accompaniments? Share with us.

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.