SpiceVine at-home Indian meals saved the day for three North Shore families this week! With so many activities in the calendar, easy crowd-pleasing meals take the pressure off at the end of a long day. And family-owned SpiceVine, based on Sydney’s North Shore, prides itself on using the best ingredients with minimal processing and NO additives to create fresh marinades, stir-fry pastes & simmer sauces that are versatile, easy to use and packed full of flavour. Were they a hit? Check out three real mums reviews of the flavour packs below.
SpiceVine flavour packs offer a distinctly (but not exclusively) Indian flavour base, so families can use them to whip up multiple meals (from vegetables, to meats and fish) made any way you like, including BBQ, roast, bake, stew, stir-fry…or anything else you can come up with! And not only are the flavour packs versatile, you can feel confident you’re feeding your family a lovingly crafted product. The flavour packs are preservative and additive free, made with olive oil (not Canola Oil), and most importantly, they’re so fresh they have a 4-6 week shelf life and are kept in the fridge…unlike the processed cupboard products that have a two-year expiry.
Felicity Frankish, mum to three kids (toddler, 3 & 5 year olds)
I love quick and easy meals in our home. More than that, I love lots of flavour. I am that person you will find doubling the spices in a recipe, just to make sure it is as tasty as possible. Thankfully, the rest of the family is fine with this (or are at least silent in their protest). I was excited to dig into these marinades from the SpiceVine at-home Indian meals range.
SpiceVine: Spice Medley
I tested out our first one just after getting back from holiday. The fridge was bare, and my enthusiasm to dive back into cooking was low. I defrosted some mince and decided burgers it was! I mixed the Spice Medley with the mince and two eggs and left it to marinate. I then formed into burger patties and fried them to eat. Voila! Quick, easy and delicious. My husband was particularly impressed with the flavours and has already put it on the shopping list for more.
SpiceVine: Butter Chicken
We also tested out the butter chicken. This is an all-time favourite in our home, but usually something I make from scratch (those jar sauces just aren’t the same). This one was a real hit! So many hidden veggies the kids couldn’t pick out and so much flavour. The best part – very little effort on my part!
I am always strapped for time on weeknights and usually end up having the same easy meals over and over. These marinades are a great way to ‘spice’ up our weekly menu – and make me look like a pro in the kitchen too.
Rachel Chappell, mum to three girls (5, 8 & 10 years)
I love meals that are packed with flavour, but have become ‘stuck in a rut’ of serving the same boring meals to my poor family. I don’t always have the time (or energy) to get creative in the evening, so these marinades from SpiceVine really are the stuff of dreams! Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried out three of the marinades.
SpiceVine: Chilli Lime Smash
The Chill-Lime Smash marinade packs a spicy punch (and is officially rated medium-hot), so was an easy meal to make for hubby and I after my kids had an early dinner. I chopped up some a kilo of chicken thighs, browned them in a fry pan, and then added the whole marinade pouch. The fragrance was incredible! Once cooked through, I added a 400g can of coconut milk to turn it into an Thai curry. I served it with jasmine rice and stir-fried broccoli and green beans. It was delicious! There was plenty leftovers, which is currently in the freezer waiting for another night!
Spice Vine: Butter Chicken
Winner, winner, chicken dinner! It’s very rare in our family to find a dish that everyone likes, so I was thrilled when the butter chicken from SpiceVine was quickly devoured by all three children. Three empty plates! That’s a very rare thing. Even better? It was super easy to cook. I just browned a kilo of chicken thighs, added the dry marinade mix, then once cooked added the simmer sauce. It’s a mild Indian curry, so a perfect way to introduce kids to new flavours.
SpiceVine: Garlic Gluttony
The SpiceVine Garlic Gluttony marinade was perfect for marinating four pork loin chops for a Sunday BBQ with friends. I was actually organised (for once!) and prepared them the day prior, so they had a whole 24 hours to soak up the tasty spices. It’s also great as a marinade for fish or chicken, stirred through a prawn spaghetti or even melted with butter for an indulgent garlic bread. Very versatile!
Lucy Chesterton, mum to two young children (toddlers aged 2 and 4)
Our household is split between chilli lovers and those who will only tolerate milder flavours, so we were curious to see if SpiceVine could cater to all of us at once! Amazingly, we managed to grab a pack of marinades that ensured we could whip up a quick and healthy meal with no complaints from either side of the chilli debate. On top of that, we’re a family with two working parents and two demanding toddlers, so having an easy dinner option for a Friday night (after a hectic week) felt heaven sent.
SpiceVine: Spice Medley
The Spice Medley pack had me wondering if it was going to pack too much for a punch for my toddlers, but the combination of dry roasted spices, coconut and lentils was beautifully mild. The flavours are versatile, which means you can whack it on almost anything you have in the fridge (everything from chicken to a marinated lamb chop). We tried it on meatballs, something the kids already like, and it was a smash – which means we can now try it out on another food they might hesitate to try. It was a snap to prepare- just a squeeze of the pouch and a stir! Plus, the ingredients are super fresh but the pouches are designed with a seal that gives them a six-week shelf life, so a quick dinner is always on hand.
SpiceVine: Garlic Gluttony
The flavour of the Garlic Gluttony pack made it easy to sneak double helpings of veg in for the kids (again!). We whipped this up with turkey mince, mushrooms and rocket and it smelled so delicious (almost like garlic bread!) as it cooked that the kids both kept coming into the kitchen and pestering us about what was for dinner. This pack really won us over for how versatile and crowd-pleasing the flavours are. You could easily have the paste over a fresh penne pasta or a thick spaghetti with prawns for a super-quick dinner, or use it for pizzas, plus match it with any fish, chicken or meat. Even mix with a little butter and turn it into actual garlic bread or flatbread!!
SpiceVine: Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken is a family staple around here, but the extra flavour of the fresh SpiceVine pack meant we could coat a whole set of extra veg with the tasty sauce and watch the kids gobble them up! If you’re like me, watching your kid eat a vegetable is a rare but cherished experience, so the SpiceVine Butter Chicken pack (a marinade spice sachet and the simmer sauce) now has a reputation in my house as a miracle meal. The packs themselves get extra points for their excellent clear labelling that includes a description, allergy info and the level of spice to expect!
SpiceVine at-home Indian meals
SpiceVine’s aim is to help families increase their meal repertoire by introducing them to new flavours while also simplifying cooking.
- For novice cooks it’s a great way to experiment and gain confidence. For the time poor, the products are perfect for avoiding last minute take away meals by providing simple ways to create healthy and interesting meals at home with little effort.
- The accomplished and health conscious cooks, obsessed with every ingredient they feed their families can rest assured the SpiceVine products will live up to their exacting standards.
- Suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians. App products are Gluten Nut & Dairy Free (Butter Chicken Simmer Sauce being the only exception).
- Child friendly options, to introduce the uninitiated pallets to the world of spices, as well as sharper spicier options for those that enjoy a chilli hit.
- Cooking is easy! There are instructions on the back of the packs which allows the chef to be super flexible in making dishes and have it whichever way works best for your family
SpiceVine keep their ingredients as FRESH and raw as possible, ensuring the resulting products retain their natural goodness and vibrant colours. The products are handcrafted – they keep it simple and small, as you would in your own home. This means the products last as long as they naturally should (not years) and are best consumed within six weeks when kept refrigerated. You can try the products yourself by shopping online or see stockist details.