Veeba Chef Ready to Cook Gravies – We Reviewed 4 Variants

Veeba was founded in 2013 by Viraj Bahl as an institutional supply of sauces and condiments. It did not take very long for the brand to become a household name. With its wide range of sauces, spreads and dessert toppings including mayonnaise, ketchup, pasta sauce, and a chocolate fudge topping, everyone has something in this range that they can choose from.

Veeba Chef has recently introduced a range of ready-to-cook sauces from different cuisines like Thai, Chinese and Indian. We selected four variants of the Veeba Chef Ready-To-Cook Sauces including one from the Chinese range, one from the Thai range, and two from the Indian range.

We tested the Hot Garlic Gravy, Thai Green Curry, Makhani Gravy, and Kadhai Gravy with two different types of protein – paneer (cottage cheese) and chicken. The taste test was done over a period of two days and we have a unanimous favorite! For more details, read our Veeba Chef Gravies Review.

In this section, we will be discussing all the Veeba Chef Ready To Cook Gravies. Which are the variants that are available? How are they priced and packaged? Do they have any preservatives? Which other ingredients go into it and much more.

Available Variants

The Veeba Chef Ready-To-Cook Sauces comes in 10 different varieties –

• Veeba Chef Makhani Gravy
• Veeba Chef Kadai Gravy
• Veeba Chef Biryani Mix
• Veeba Chef Thai Red Curry
• Veeba Chef Thai Green Curry
• Veeba Chef Chilli Chinese Gravy
• Veeba Chef Hot Garlic Gravy
• Veeba Chef Kung Pao Gravy
• Veeba Chef Sichuan Gravy
• Veeba Chef Chilli Black Bean Gravy

Main Ingredients

The list of ingredients varies from sauce to sauce. The common thing across the four variants we tried was that none of them have any added preservatives. The Veeba Cooking Sauces do not contain any synthetic colors or artificial flavors. All the sauces are vegetarian.

Price Range

A 240/250-gram jar of Veeba Ready-To-Cook Sauce is priced at Rs 149/-. All the sauces are priced the same. There are no variations in the price. 

Packaging

Veeba Chef’s Ready-To-Cook Sauces come in glass jars with a lid. The glass bottles are recyclable and reusable. 

Nutritional Facts – Calories

The calories differ in the entire range. The Veeba Chef Hot Garlic Gravy has 144.40 Kcals, while the Thai Green Curry has 126.80 Kcals and the Makhni gravy has 181 Kcal per 100 grams.

Usage Information

These ready-to-cook gravies can be cooked with different proteins depending on your preferences, like paneer, tofu, chicken. The steps to make these gravies are very similar but the vegetable or protein differs. 

The basic procedure includes mixing half the bottle of the gravy mix into the same amount of water. In a pan, after sautéing the vegetables, add the gravy-water mix and the protein. Cook and serve. There is no need for additional seasonings.

Specialty of Veeba Chef Gravies

As per the information provided on the pack of the Veeba Chef Gravies, this is the broad information we gathered – 

• The Veeba Chef Gravies have no added preservatives.
• These do not contain any synthetic colors.
• There are no artificial flavors.

For any review, we set a batch of factors that help us gauge the product, its utility, and usage in a more structured manner.

While design, sturdiness, and safety features might be the deciding factors for a kitchen appliance, an edible product has a different set of parameters. For our Veeba Chef Cooking Sauce Review, we set the following parameters – 

1. Taste And Flavor

For any taste-test-based review, the top deciding factor is just one thing – the flavor. How good does the final dish taste? How well are the gravies seasoned?

Are the signature fragrant aromatics of that particular dish present in the gravy? For example, the presence of lemongrass and kaffir lime in a Thai curry or bursts of khada masala in a kadahi gravy. 

2. Consistency

Consistency should be at par with the restaurant-style gravies. Are the gravies too thick and gloopy, too watery, or just right? 

3. Ease Of Preparation

How easy is it to prepare a dish using these ready-to-cook gravies? Was a lot of prep work involved? Were the instructions given at the back easy to follow or too complicated?

4. Pricing – Value For Money

Does the quality of the product justify the price? Are these value for money? Through our review, we found the answer to a vital question – Would we buy this again?

Who is this review for?

Ready to cook sauces are for novices who aren’t really big on cooking everything from scratch at home. There is an inherent convenience attached to such ready-to-cook sauces. This review is also for those who would like to make restaurant-style gravies at home with minimal prep work. People looking for convenience and restaurant-style flavors will benefit from this review.

The Variants We Picked

For our review we picked four variants of the Veeba Chef gravies – 

• Veeba Chef Makhani Gravy (Indian)
• Veeba Chef Kadai Gravy (Indian)
• Veeba Chef Thai Green Curry (Thai)
• Veeba Chef Hot Garlic Gravy (Chinese)

Our Review Process

Our review process included the dry inspection of the gravies at first. After this, we made the gravies using two types of protein – paneer and chicken.

We did not deviate from the procedure and did not add any seasonings on our own. We tasted them alongside appropriate accompaniments like noodles, rice, or rotis.

Here is a comparison table of the Veeba Chef Gravies review. Their price, net weight, key ingredients, calories, and shelf life are discussed in this section.

A 250 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Hot Garlic Gravy is priced at Rs 149/-. The recipe given at the back of the pack is easy to follow and caters to 3-4 people. The contents of the entire bottle make a dish sufficient for 6-8 people. The color of the uncooked gravy is a bright red. We could see a lot of garlic bits throughout the gravy. 

How did we try it? To make the gravy, we followed the instructions given on the pack.

• We tried the Veeba hot garlic gravy with boneless chicken. We prepared our chicken pieces by frying them in egg and cornflour. We used Blue Bird Cornflour.
• After that, we made the gravy mix. We added 125 ml of water to 125 grams of the hot garlic gravy in a bowl. 
• After sauteeing the vegetables (Onions, blanched broccoli, carrot, bell peppers, beans, and green capsicum) in oil for a few minutes, we added the chicken pieces. Then we added the water-gravy mix and cooked the gravy for 4-5 minutes till the veggies were cooked well and the consistency of the gravy had reached medium-thick.
• We did not add any salt or spices on our own. 
• Can be had with noodles and fried rice.
• We served it with plain boiled noodles.

The aroma of the sauce is very nice, pleasant and mimics restaurant-style garlic fragrance. The gravy coats the chicken and veggies very evenly. The chicken in hot garlic sauce tastes very close to restaurant-style gravy, but we missed the freshness of garlic. Even though we could smell a lot of it, when we tasted the gravy, we felt that the robust garlic taste could have been amplified. Other than that, this gravy surely hits the spot. The chilli and salt levels were apt as well.

Features

• The MRP of a 250 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Hot Garlic Gravy is Rs 149/-.
• The shelf life of this ready-to-cook gravy is 12 months. 
• Ingredients – Water, Garlic (15%), Synthetic Vinegar, Sugar, Refined soybean oil, Red chilies, Tomato paste, Iodised salt, Soybean sauce, Emulsifiers and stabilizers, Flavor enhancer, Ginger, Spices and condiments, and Acidity regulators. 
• Contains permitted natural color and added flavors.
• 100 grams of this product provides 144.40 Kcal of energy.
• Store in a cool and dry place.
• Refrigerate after opening.
• Once opened, use it within 7 days.

Pros

• Very fuss-free gravy-making procedure.
• The aroma of garlic is present in a big way.
• The gravy looks very appetizing.
• Consistency-wise, the gravy is very balanced. 
• The Veeba Chef Hot Garlic gravy comes close to a restaurant-style hot garlic gravy, taste and consistency-wise.

Cons

• While this was the tastiest gravy amongst the four variants we tried, we felt the garlic flavor could have been more robust. 

Recipe Options

The pack mentions three variations of hot garlic gravy including chicken, paneer, and vegetables. Some other variations include – 

• Fish in hot garlic gravy
• Shrimp in hot garlic gravy
• Tofu in hot garlic gravy

Best Suited For

This can be a good option for people who are fond of making Chinese food at home but do not know the correct seasoning pairings, or technique to nail that flavor.

A 240 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Thai Green Curry is priced at Rs 149/-. The color of the uncooked gravy is green.  It’s a smooth gravy and we could not see any leaves or lemongrass stalks. 

How did we try it? To make the gravy, we followed the instructions given on the pack.

• We tried the Veeba Thai Curry gravy with boneless chicken. We prepared our chicken pieces by blanching them in water. We did not salt the water as it wasn’t mentioned.
• After that, we made the gravy mix. We added 60 ml of water and 60 ml of coconut milk (Coco mama coconut milk) to 120 grams of the Thai Green Curry in a bowl. 
• After sauteeing the vegetables (broccoli, carrot, bell peppers) in oil for a few minutes, we added the blanched chicken pieces. Then we added the water-gravy mix and cooked the gravy for 4-5 minutes till the veggies were cooked well and the gravy had reached the desired consistency.
• We did not add any salt or spices on our own. 
• We served it with plain boiled rice.

When we think of Thai curries, we immediately think of fragrant lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. Our attention also shoots to the creamy coconut base. We felt that the Veeba Chef Thai Green Curry is a little mild on signature Thai flavors. It’s not bad to taste, but the signature Thai flavors we were looking for were absent. We could smell hints of lime leaves. 

Features

• The MRP of a 240 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Thai Green Curry is Rs 149/-.
• The shelf life of this ready-to-cook gravy is 12 months. 
• Ingredients – Water, Onions, Synthetic vinegar, Sugar, Milk solids, Garlic, Refined soybean oil, Iodised salt, Green chillies, Coconut, Lemon juice, Emulsifiers and stabilizers, Spices and condiments. 
• Contains permitted natural color and added flavors.
• 100 grams of this product provides 126.80 Kcal of energy.
• This needs to be stored in a cool and dry place. Refrigeration is required after opening. Use it within 7 days of opening.

Pros

• The ready-to-cook gravy is very easy to make.

Cons

• The characteristic flavors of a Thai curry denoted by the aromatic presence of lemongrass, galangal, or kaffir lime were found to be missing. 
• The coconut flavor was absent.

Recipe Options

Green Thai curry can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. You can add chicken, vegetables, or both.

Makhani Gravy is synonyms with a silky, luscious, buttery base. Is the Veeba Chef Makhani Gravy similar to the classic gravy we usually eat at restaurants?

A 250 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Makhani gravy is priced at Rs 149/-. The color of the uncooked gravy is ochre.  It is a smooth gravy. 

How did we try it? To make the gravy, we followed the instructions given on the pack.

• We tried the Veeba Chef Makhani gravy with paneer. We used iD Natural Paneer to make this dish. We diced the paneer and sautéed it in a pan with some oil till light golden in color. 
• After that, we made the gravy mix. We added 125 ml of room temperature water to 125 grams of Makhani gravy in a bowl. It mixed well and no lumps were formed. 
• We added the water-gravy mix to the prepared paneer and cooked the gravy for 4-5 minutes until it reached a desired consistency.
• We did not add any salt or spices on our own. 
• We tried it with a plain paratha. 

The Veeba Chef Makhani Gravy became dark in color after cooking in comparison to a restaurant-style/ homemade makhani gravy which is orange-ish.

We could spot flecks of kasoori methi and this could be detected in the aroma as well.

Coming to the main point – Is it buttery? Does it live up to the makhani promise? While this is a tasty gravy on its own with hints of pepper and cloves, we surely missed the buttery ‘makhani’ gravy. 

This is easy and quick to cook and requires minimal effort, the flavors are strong and you might need some cream to mellow it down. The spice levels are somewhere in the middle, so you can tweak it if you’re adding some cream. 

Features

• The MRP of a 250 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Makhani Gravy is Rs 149/-.
• The shelf life of this ready to cook gravy is 12 months. 
• Ingredients – Water, Tomato paste, Refined soybean oil, Onion, Sugar, Butter, Synthetic vinegar, Milk solids, Iodised salt, Emulsifiers and stabilizers, Cheese, Garlic, Spices and condiments, Ginger, Green chillies and herbs.
• Contains permitted natural color and added flavors.
• 100 grams of this product provides 181.07 Kcal of energy.

Pros

• This is an extremely simple gravy to make and requires only the protein from your kitchen. 
• It is a quick-cooking gravy. 
• Has a fresh aroma. 

Cons

• We missed the buttery, silky smoothness of a classic makhani sauce.  

Recipe Options

Recipe instructions for paneer makhani and butter chicken are given at the back of the pack.

Kadhai gravy includes charred, well-roasted bell peppers and a masala-rich thick gravy base. A 250 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Kadhai gravy is priced at Rs 149/-. The color of the uncooked gravy is dark red-brown.  

How did we try it? To make the gravy, we followed the instructions given on the pack.

• We tried the Veeba Chef Kadhai gravy with paneer. We used Patanjali Paneer (125 grams) to make this dish. We diced the paneer and sauteed it in a pan with some oil till light golden in color. 
• After that, we made the gravy mix. We added 65 ml of room temperature water to 65 grams of Kadhai gravy in a bowl. Make sure you measure the water accurately. 
• In a pan, we added some oil and roasted cut onions and capsicums. Then we added the prepared paneer pieces. 
• We added the water-gravy mix and cooked the gravy for 4-5 minutes until it reached the desired consistency.
• We did not add any salt or spices on our own. 
• We tried it with plain paratha.

We could smell a lot of khada masalas in this gravy. This is a thick, spicy gravy and the paneer is well coated. Sadly we didn’t like it as much as the makhani gravy, which was slightly more balanced than this one. This has a certain acidic taste which we didn’t like. 

Features

• The MRP of a 250 gm bottle of  Veeba Chef Kadhai Gravy is Rs 149/-.
• The shelf life of this ready-to-cook gravy is 12 months. 
• Ingredients – Water, Tomato paste, Synthetic vinegar, Refined soybean oil, Capsicum, Milk solids, Sugar, Iodised Salt, Spices and condiments, Garlic, Green chillies, Emulsifiers and stabilizers, and Herbs.
• Contains permitted natural color and added flavors.
• 100 grams of this product provides 188.94 Kcal of energy.
• Store in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening. Consume within 7 days of opening. 

Pros

• The gravy has a nice khada masala flavor and aroma.

Cons

• The Veeba Kadhai gravy has an acidic/sour taste which wasn’t liked. 

Recipe Options

Recipe instructions for kadhai paneer and kadhai chicken are given at the back of the pack.

Why did we pick the Veeba Chef Hot Garlic Gravy as our Top Pick?

The Chinese food that most Indians have grown up eating relies heavily on usage aromatics like garlic and ginger. We chose the Veeba Chef Hot Garlic Gravy as our Top Pick amongst all the other variants we reviewed because it hit bulls-eye with the consistency and balanced seasoning. We would have liked the garlic punch to be a bit bolder, but other than that, this is as close as you can get to a restaurant style gravy at home. 

It is easy to make and proves to be a versatile base for different dishes including mixed veggies, tofu, fish, chicken and even paneer. 

Here are some interesting FAQs on Veeba Chef gravies.

Can I use the Veeba Chef Makhani Gravy to make butter chicken?

Yes. As per the instructions given on the pack, you can make paneer makhani and butter chicken with this ready-to-cook gravy. 

What is the shelf life of the Veeba Chef Gravies? 

The shelf life of Veeba Chef Gravies is 12 months from the date of manufacturing.

Do I need to refrigerate the Veeba Chef Gravies? 

You have to refrigerate them once opened. Use them within 7 days of opening. You do not need to refrigerate them if they are unopened.

The Veeba Chef Ready To Cook gravies are all tasty, though not all of them could replicate the classic flavors of specific dishes mentioned. From the four variants we tried, the Hot Garlic Gravy was the tastiest and helps prepare a delicious restaurant-style Chinese dish. The Makhani gravy all though tasty is not quite a classic makhani-gravy. The Thai curry and Kadhai gravy were our least favorites from the ones reviewed. We felt these could have fared better if certain essential flavors were more robust and emphatic. 

Have you tried any of the Veeba Chef gravies before? If yes, how was your experience? Do you agree with our Veeba Chef gravies review? Let us know in the comment section below.

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