Trader Joe’s Madras Lentils are a tasty vegetarian meal of lentils and red kidney beans in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce that can be quite filling. I really enjoyed the Madras Lentils from Trader Joe’s and usually pick up a couple pouches whenever I am in the store.
Nutrition, Ingredients and Labelling
Let’s take a closer look at what comes in this 10 ounce pouch.
Nutrition Facts
One pouch of Madras Lentils contains two servings but I always eat both so I am reporting the nutrition for the whole package.
- Calories: 300
- Fat: 13g (17% DV)
- Cholesterol: 25mg (8% DV)
- Sodium: 1040mg (45% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 35g (13% DV)
- Protein: 13g
From a nutrition standpoint I will rate the dish as about average. This is a great 300 calorie meal but the sodium content is higher than it should be.
Ingredient List
The Madras Lentils have the following ingredients:
- Water
- Lentils
- Red kidney beans
- Onions
- Cream
- Tomato paste
- Butter
- Sunflower oil
- Salt
- Ginger
- Cumin
- Red chili powder
Labelling
The labelling indicates that this product is:
- Kosher
- A product of India
This product is not labelled as Organic.
Heating and Serving
Here is how I heated the lentils before they became my lunch 🙂
Heating Instructions
The heating instructions for this product are:
- Cut a two inch slit in the top corner of the pouch to vent.
- Heat in the microwave on High for one minute.
- Carefully pour out the contents of the pouch and serve.
With my microwave I have found I get better results when I heat these meals for 90 seconds instead of 60 seconds.
Taste!
I have loved all of the Indian meals I have bought at Trader Joe’s. Their Chicken Tikka Masala is fantastic, as is their Yellow Tadka Dal, so I went in with high hopes for the Madras Lentils.
My verdict on the flavor is that the dish is exactly what I was hoping for!
The meal offered plenty of lentils and kidney beans making it extremely filling which is great considering that the meal only has 300 calories. The sauce was flavorful and creamy and the lentils were tender.
The “spiciness” of the meal is mild but the ginger, onions and cumin bring plenty of flavors to the party!
I was surprised that these lentils tasted, and looked, almost identical to the Tasty Bite Madras Lentils I usually get at Costco. The only real differences that I could tell between the two brands is packaging and price.
The Trader Joe’s Madras Lentils cost me $1.99 for a single 10 ounce pouch while the ones I buy in bulk from Costco cost about $1.62.
I am very happy with these Trader Joe’s lentils and will be buying them again.
