Nutriquo’s Protein Pan’lette Mix Gets A Lukewarm Response

High-protein meals are beneficial for everyone. Why? Protein is the only nutrient that enhances metabolism (because it takes longer to digest protein as compared to other macronutrients) and provides a feeling of fullness, hence, keeping cravings at bay.

So whether you’re looking to shed some pounds or put on some muscle, a high-protein breakfast takes you one step closer to the goal. While protein bars and beverages offer substantial quantities of protein, they can’t beat the desi flavors a chilla or masala omlette has. Nutriquo, a relatively new brand, comes with the promise of being ‘irresistibly nutritious’ and protein-rich. In our Nutriquo Protein Pan’lette Masala Mix review, we discuss the pros, the cons, and whether or not this is worth purchasing.

Here’s all you need to know about Nutriquo Protein Pan’lette Masala Mix.

What were the parameters we set for the Nutriquo Protein Pan’lette Masala mix?

The flavors, convenience, nutrition values, and ingredients used were the parameters we gauged this product on. 

1. Flavor

Salt and some oil are the only additions the user needs to make. Are the seasonings balanced, are the veggies in adequate quantities and fresh? 

Too spicy, bland, or just right? How is the flavor profile?

2. Texture 

Omelets/chillas are essentially fluffy and soft. Did the texture of these pan’lettes retain these characteristics? What about the veggies, did they have a soft bite?

Taste and texture of the vegetables, collectively, account for freshness.

3. Nutrition Label and Ingredients

Clean, high-protein, and nutrient-dense ingredients? Additives, preservatives? Supplements? Or something completely out of the box?

A proper meal should provide anywhere between 300-500 Kcal with a balanced breakdown of the three principle macronutrients. Does Nutriquo offer the same?

4. Other Parameters 

The shelf life, price, packaging, value for money were tested here. 

Price + Packaging

The pan’lette mix is packed in an orange and teal pouch which is resealable. It holds 240 grams of content and is priced at Rs 270/-. This has a nine-month shelf life. There are six servings in a pack. 

The main ingredients are lentil and cereal flours (68%) (gram flour, mung dal, refined wheat flour), soya protein powder (15%), dried vegetables (6.5%) (onion, corn, green capsicum, tomato, green chilli), spices and condiments (black salt, iodized salt, coriander powder, mustard powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, black pepper powder, garlic powder), raising agent (INS 500 II, INS 341 II), thickener INS 407, hydrolysed vegetable protein (soya) (0.7%), corn starch, flavor enhancers (INS 631, INS 627)

Nutrition Quotient

Nutriquo claims each pan’lette offers 16% protein, 27% essential amino acids, and only 4% fat of the RDA of a 2000-kcal diet.

Our findings

As claimed, each 40-gram pan’lette provides approximately 8.4 grams of protein, 24.4 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.4 grams of fats rounding it to approximately 150 Kcal per pan’lette.  You’ll need to have 2-3 such pan’lettes when consuming as a meal. 

Comparing this to besan chilla (only chickpea flour), a 40-gram chilla offers 5.3  grams of protein, 3.3 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and approximately 110 Kcal. 

Essential Amino Acids, what they do, why are they ‘essential’?

These nine essential amino acids cannot be produced by our body- histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. These help with metabolism, energy balance, and enhance immunity.

Preparing the Pan’lettes

We added 40 grams (two heaped tablespoons) of the pan’lette mix with 100 ml water and mixed it well until a smooth batter was formed. We also added a pinch of salt. The consistency is thin and would make flatter, thinner pan’lettes. If you want thicker, fluffier chillas we would recommend adding a little less water.

Next, we preheat a pan, spread 2 tsp oil, and poured the batter evenly. Once the edges were crisp, we flipped, and cooked the other side. 

PS- must be cooked on a low flame, high flame will result in an uncooked center. 

Taste + Texture

There was a generous quantity of veggies that looked and tasted quite fresh. Primarily, this mix had a dal and chickpea flour aroma with notes of mixed spices. 

Texture-wise, this was soft and fluffy with a bite from the veggies. While cooking the pan’lette, we could see that it had risen slightly.

Coming to taste. Despite only adding a pinch of salt, the salt level was so high, it masked all other flavors. We paired this with a chutney, but this couldn’t fix it in any way. We recommend not adding any salt. We then made another pan’lette without any salt to check for its original flavor. The pan’lette mix already has higher-than-average salt as is, adding some of your own will make it overbearing. Moreover, the blend of masalas used is very average to taste. 

The protein content is impressive when compared to an egg omelet (60 grams approx provides 6 gms of protein) or a plain besan chilla. And yes, this packs in a lot of convenience, but the mix doesn’t taste good enough to keep going back for it. Pairing it with a homemade chutney might help improve the taste.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Nutriquo protein pan’lette masala mix.

We liked the nutrition profile, but not the ingredient list. We liked the texture, but the flavors? Not so much. Overall, Nutriquo Protein Pan’lette masala mix is an average product.

Would you be interested in trying this?

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