Why is rice so expensive in Indian takeaways?
Posted by Any-Tomato-2915@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 344 comments
I have thought about just buying the curry and not buying any rice from them and heating it myself. Does anyone else do that?
Laescha@reddit
English people tend to think of rice as something you just bung in with some water and maybe a bit of salt if you're feeling adventurous. Cooking rice using Indian methods is a lot more involved than that, and can come out amazing (or not, depending on how much the person cooking can be bothered with it).
Nothing wrong with doing your own rice to save money, but you're not getting the same thing that you'd get from a good Indian chef. But then, your local Indian might not have a good Indian chef.
OurSeepyD@reddit
I can't say the rice I've had from indian takeaways has ever been significantly better than homeboiled rice. I'm only talking plain rice though.
Leading_Study_876@reddit
Plain boiled basmati is the single easiest rice to cook.
You don't even need a rice cooker.
With basmati you can just use the "pasta method" and cook it in lots of excess water.
I'd recommend washing it first to get rid of excess starch, add it to an already simmering pan of water. Stir gently until it comes back to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Then just drain, maybe rinsing in the sieve with some hot (but not boiling) water.
Cover the pan with a lid and let it steam in there for a few minutes before fluffing it up with a fork and serving.
Other kinds of rice (shorter grain) like Thai Jasmine or Japanese really need to be cooked by the absorbtion method, which is trickier to get right.
bart007345@reddit
I have via trial and error, have a failsafe method for making basmati rice via absorption method.
300/600 - 300g rice and 600ml water.
Wash the rice and the water and a touch of salt. Bring to boil, cover and simmer on lowest setting for 15 minutes. Then turn off heat, DO NOT LIFT LID! leave for 15 minutes. Then fluff and its ready.
Marshwiggletreacle@reddit
No soaking?
And no making allowances for age and brand of rice?
The 1-2 method is not great especially if you don't soak.
IR2Freely@reddit
1 cup of rice to 1.5 cups of water. 10 mins simmer. 10 mins rest with lid on. No washingn or soaking. I only use tilda basmati rice. I eat quite a lot of rice.
Rh-27@reddit
In that case, you might want to rinse your rice. It's been stored in a warehouse, probably made contact with weevils and all sorts. It's also tastier if you wash, less of that horrible distinctive starchy taste.
IR2Freely@reddit
How is washing something gonna do more than boiling it? You're just washing away flavour. It's only starchy if it's bad rice or you're cooking it wrong.
Rh-27@reddit
Try the drain method. It's usually what we South Asians do with rice and it's far superior in taste. Absorption method leaves a distinctive starchy taste in comparison.
LostLobes@reddit
I always pop some foil over the pan then lid on, as all our lids have holes in to let out steam.
budgiebirdman@reddit
How am I supposed to wash the water? Lolololol
Icy-Initial2107@reddit
Generic white rice is good for that, but with decent basmati if you get the amount of water right (and leave the lid on) you can cook it to perfection without having to drain it afterwards, bonus points for having rice sticking upright at the top. Going all the way to making tahdig is a bit more involved, but that is proper chef stuff anyway.
Rh-27@reddit
South Asians don't really use the absorption method. We use the drain method. It's far superior and has less of that starchy taste associated with rice cookers etc. this method is marginally healthier too.
Icy-Initial2107@reddit
You do you :).
Rh-27@reddit
Definitely, but try it at least!
Namiweso@reddit
Japanese Rice (Sticky rice as it’s often called) is piss easy once you know the right heat for your pans.
Pretty sure it was 100g rice, 300ml water, bring to boil and simmer for 20. Stirring every 5 (more often in the last 5). Boom perfect rice every time.
sookietea@reddit
This is how my mum (indian) cooks basmati. Not sure she rinses after but definitely cooks in excess water and drains.
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
Throw in a few anise star. It really elevates the flavour.
JoeDaStudd@reddit
Most british Indian restaurant rice is just steamed rice with a few extras mixed in.
Get a rice cooker and your 90% the way their, hell your already on par with restaurant steamed rice.\ Temper a few spices and mix it in with any extras and your as good in not better then not better then 99% of British Indian restaurants.
Rh-27@reddit
Don't get a rice cooker. That's not how we do it in the restaurants (Bangladeshis own 85% of the trade).
Exact method below -
Curry house boiled rice uses the parboil and oven steam method.
Wash rice 3-4 times until water runs clear. Leave it to soak for 30mins.
Boil the rice and water (cold water) until boiling and lower it to a gentle rolling boil.
Parboil the rice until it's just a little soft.
Fully drained the rice in a colander and rest for a minute.
Empty the rice into an oven proof dish, seal with foil (and lid if oven safe) and then place in the oven at around 180c for 12-15mins.
Remove from oven, leave covered for another 10-15 minutes to finish steaming. Very important.
Fluffy up rice and enjoy.
If you want pilau rice, when the basmati rice is boiling, throw in a few pieces of cardamom, stick of cinnamon, cloves and a star anise to season the water with some salt. Follow the same process as above.
After the rice has finished resting, fry ghee in a pan with a 50/50 mix for ginger garlic paste and fry off the rawness for a couple of minutes until golden. Do not burn it.
Once complete, pour this mixture over the boiled rice and fluff it up.
JoeDaStudd@reddit
A good rice cooker makes steamed rice pretty much exactly as you described it only instead of doing it all manual you measure, wash, set and forget.\ I guarantee you wouldn't taste or feel a difference between rice made using that method and a rice cooker.
Adding spices and salt to the rice cooker then adding some tempered aromatics you do in a small frying pan is a easier and possible using a rice cooker.
Rm2339@reddit
My partner is Indian; she never wants an Indian take away, however I will occasionally get my way mainly due to the greasy bhajis and variety in curry (her cooking is a staple of our weekly meal rotation). She’ll insist on doing her own rice as she sees that as the prime waste of money.
incrediblepepsi@reddit
If i were prepared (and understood how to) cook authentic Indian food, I'd never want an Indian takeaway either!
Rh-27@reddit
Curry house boiled rice uses the parboil and oven steam method.
Wash rice 3-4 times until water runs clear. Leave it to soak for 30mins.
Boil the rice and water (cold water) until boiling and lower it to a gentle rolling boil.
Parboil the rice until it's just a little soft.
Fully drained the rice in a colander and rest for a minute.
Empty the rice into an oven proof dish, seal with foil (and lid if oven safe) and then place in the oven at around 180c for 12-15mins.
Remove from oven, leave covered for another 10-15 minutes to finish steaming. Very important.
Fluffy up rice and enjoy.
If you want pilau rice, when the basmati rice is boiling, throw in a few pieces of cardamom, stick of cinnamon, cloves and a star anise to season the water with some salt. Follow the same process as above.
After the rice has finished resting, fry ghee in a pan with a 50/50 mix for ginger garlic paste and fry off the rawness for a couple of minutes until golden. Do not burn it.
Once complete, pour this mixture over the boiled rice and fluff it up.
Rm2339@reddit
I get you! And believe me, her and her families meals are perfection. But I grew up on curry house curry’s that are very different and I will occasionally need to scratch that itch. Their food is South Indian food which is closer to Sri Lanken than the traditional curry house I’ve had.
slaff88@reddit
https://youtu.be/O7oFwiRWjNo?si=1tl_aoaxsX8U-3Xr
Watch some of his videos! I am by no means a cook or chef but I've dome quite a few of his recipes now and they are all as good as takeaway.
It does take a bit of effort and a bit of prep work but the satisfaction makes it worth it IMO. Also alot of the things can be batch cooked and frozen!
Rev_Biscuit@reddit
Thought was going to be Al's Kitchen!
Excellent-Ad-4770@reddit
I read your comment without clicking the link and thought to myself "I hope that's latifs" a click confirmed this 👍🏻 this guy stepped up my home cooked curry from meh to that's pretty good. I'd highly recommend anyone try it, especially his one-pot series!
-Po-Tay-Toes-@reddit
I'd recommend the Dishoom cookbook, it's very very good. But you absolutely still would want a takeaway sometimes because it's not exactly a quick meal to whip up, they're all quite involved. The good thing is that the sauce does freeze so you can just do a massive batch.
Steamrolled777@reddit
We just don't have the same lack of sanitary conditions.
AskUK-ModTeam@reddit
Don't be a dick to each other, or other subreddits, places, or people.
Don't be a dick to each other, or other subreddits, places, or people. AskUK contains a variety of ages, experiences, and backgrounds - consider not everyone is operating on the same level or background as you. Listen to others before you respond, and be courteous when doing so.
babygirl7106@reddit
Spot on
Rh-27@reddit
Curry house boiled rice uses the parboil and oven steam method.
Wash rice 3-4 times until water runs clear. Leave it to soak for 30mins.
Boil the rice and water (cold water) until boiling and lower it to a gentle rolling boil.
Parboil the rice until it's just a little soft.
Fully drained the rice in a colander and rest for a minute.
Empty the rice into an oven proof dish and place in the oven around 180c for 12-15mins.
Remove from oven, leave covered for another 10-15 minutes to finish steaming. Very important.
Fluffy up rice and enjoy.
If you want pilau rice, when the basmati rice is boiling, throw in a few pieces of cardamom, stick of cinnamon, cloves and a star anise to season the water with some salt. Follow the same process as above.
After the rice has finished resting, fry ghee in a pan with a 50/50 mix for ginger garlic paste and fry off the rawness for a couple of minutes until golden. Do not burn it.
Once complete, pour this mixture over the boiled rice and fluff it up.
amlamba@reddit
Bhajis in an air frier will likely cost you a 10th of what a restaurant charges you, and much less greasy. Eating out is a waste of money, but we all waste money out own ways.
Letzer-Mensch-hunter@reddit
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Possible-Highway7898@reddit
If you're talking about pilau rice or biryani then fair enough. I don't mind paying more for those. But when it comes to white basmati rice then it's the easiest thing in the world to cook and I refuse to pay the prices they ask in the takeaway.
Wash it until the water is clear, measure out your rice and water according to the package instructions and cook it in cold water on a high heat covered with a lid until it boils, then turn it down to a low simmer and leave it for twenty minutes.
That's it. No need to season, stir, or interfere with it in any way. All you have to do is turn down the heat once, then turn it off at the end. Once it's cooked, leave it covered in the pot until your ready to eat. All the water will have been absorbed, and your rice will be perfect.
fixitagaintomorro@reddit
Or just use a rice cooker, way easier than managing a boiling hob, add some aromatics, salt, cardamon pods etc.
Possible-Highway7898@reddit
I agree, and I do use a rice cooker lol. I just assumed that most people in the UK don't have one.
Making biryani rice is another question entirely. It's entirely possible to make it at home, but I don't mind paying a few quid for it either, it's a bit more involved than chucking a few spices into a rice cooker with your rice and water.
fixitagaintomorro@reddit
Wouldn’t Biriyani be considered a full meal and not a side? I’d pay for a Biriyani as if it is a full meal
Possible-Highway7898@reddit
A full biryani with the meat/egg/fish etc would be a proper meal. I'm talking about just cooking biryani rice.
Aggressive_Chuck@reddit
So why is boiled rice so expensive? And pilau just means putting a few bits into the pan when you cook it.
Mehchu_@reddit
Are you talking about biriyani rice? Or just basmati rice? Cause is it more involve than bunging it in? Yeah sure. But washing then soaking rice and cooking it with aromatics and ghee isn’t exactly a hard ask.
Laescha@reddit
I mean, there are lots of different kinds of rice which can be cooked in lots of different ways, some of which are very labour intensive, some of which are not. I'm not saying that every takeaway box of rice has been slaved over for days, just that there's a world of possibilities there that a lot of English people don't know exists.
p4glu@reddit
Let's be real. Takeaways are not spending that much effort on rice. Even restaurants in UK don't spend enough time and effort to cook real Indian food. They make British Indian style which is much different. And actually some of them not bad but they never take as long as usual Indian food. Plenty of YouTube videos by British Indian chefs about how they cook stuff.
I have been spent half of my life in India and other half here, and I cook both style regularly - so I think I have a pretty good understanding.
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
Totally agree. My friend when making food for friends starts making the sauces at least a day before. In particular the onions have to cook for hours. Even a quick evening meal she scoffs at anyone cooking onions for under an hour.
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
Boil basmati rice with a few anise star thrown in. No it's not pilau rice, but it is easy and delicious.
Mysterious-Sock39@reddit
I don't care rice is rice thanks I'm not paying £4
CarpetPedals@reddit
Plain boiled rice is still £4
Electricbell20@reddit
Give over.
blue_rizla@reddit
Come on now, it’s not a lot more involved than that
Cultural_Tank_6947@reddit
No local takeaway is a paragon of fine dining. This is agnostic of cuisine.
So I get your big speech about rice but these are takeaways.
SnooHabits8484@reddit
Aye but the vast majority of takeaways aren’t making a proper pilau, they’re just bunging in a bit of red and green rice and calling it good
Tyruto@reddit
It's not hard to flavour your rice. Oil, salt, pepper, saffron, turmeric, star anise, cardamon, coconut milk, lime etc.. you can just pick and choose what to flavour your rice with to match your meal. I doubt the chef is doing much more than that
mothsugar@reddit
Yeah I just chuck in 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamom and some salt. Makes a world of difference.
SorryNotSorryMatey@reddit
You mean putting it in a rice cooker?
ydktbh@reddit
That's understandable at a restaurant, not a greasy oily takeaway
Rh-27@reddit
I can justify buying the protein but not the carb.
With fried chicken, I order a box from local bossman and use my deep fryer at home for chips.
£10 for 15 wings plus £7 more for 3 chips. Potatoes are pennies. I cannot justify spending that much on french fries.
Artistic-Ad-3567@reddit
All the time - not paying £7.95 for bloody rice
Sad-Garage-2642@reddit
What are you gonna do, not ordering rice,
(That's me, I'll shove some rice in the rice cooker when I get an Indian, like fuck am I paying four quid for some rice)
zero_iq@reddit
I ditch the rice for a peshwari naan.
Curious-Draw5354@reddit
Peshwari nann and sag aloo are the foundation blocks of my Indian order...
EntirelyRandom1590@reddit
Just a naan bread, try it!
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Naan is also a rip off. Plain £4 and anything interesting £5+ around my way. Same at all indians. It's like price fixing or something. It's fucking bread ffs.
Othersideofthemirror@reddit
Its almost as if energy, rent, transport and staffing costs are absolutely mental at the moment.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
It's almost as if this didn't start 2 weeks ago..
Lol, you think the average indian takeaway is paying staff minimum wage?
Illustrious_Pen_6304@reddit
almost if you aren't perpetuating racist stereotypes
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Stereotypes don't come from nowhere.
Illustrious_Pen_6304@reddit
you're correct, stereotypes don't come from nowhere, they come from racists. and to which you are one.
I bid you good day and I hope you one day see the error of your ways.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
How do you square that with the fact that positive cultural stereotypes exist? Racists going around spreading that certain cultures are brill? Seems unlikely.
Illustrious_Pen_6304@reddit
racist stereotypes as per my first comment.
Othersideofthemirror@reddit
What started 2 weeks ago? Sky high energy costs?
It's very cool that toddlers can post on reddit, but energy costs has been a headline issue for a decade now, so i suggest you use your highly advanced toddler skills to use the search function.
and since you rely on mummy and daddy to feed you, you wont also know that every restaurant and cafe is charging sky high prices for years now, for all these reasons.
Very nice of you to assume all Bangladeshi's are breaking employment law. Stereotype much?
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Mate it's saturday morning and this is what you're deciding to do..?
toon_84@reddit
SJWs dont care what day of the week it is.
Delicious_Aside_9310@reddit
I mean, can you make naan at home though? That’s the difference. I have fine it and it was ok, but definitely not the same. A good garlic naan is easily worth £5+
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Thing is an artisan loaf of sour dough in london isn't even £5..
The price seems so far out of whack with ingredient cost and skill needed to make. There's not much to a naan.
Technical_Version936@reddit
Yeah but I want a keema naan I am getting a keema naan
I mean ffs mate you are called aircon guy do you get paid? We survived thousands of years without aircon what a waste of money just get a fan and open the window
Delicious_Aside_9310@reddit
I disagree on the skill. There’s definitely skill involved. As I said, I have made naan from scratch so I know it’s pain in the arse. Note if they are buying them in I obviously agree, but assuming there are home made you are paying for a skill you don’t have.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Paying for lack of tandoor oven really. The actual recipe and technique for naan is not an issue. It's an equipment issue.
Satanic-nic@reddit
Can confirm. Source - used to work in kitchen at an Indian restaurant for yrs.
tobsco@reddit
If you're in a big city, go to the Asian parts of town and you'll often find takeaway's that do curries, kebabs and all sorts, and you can get 2 for a pound. They're super fresh and tasty, if a little smaller than the ones aimed at British people, but shows how much they could cost
EntirelyRandom1590@reddit
Peshawari naan is not just bread, it's a moment in time.
tmr89@reddit
Peshwari naans are minging with overly sweet powdery desiccated coconut
EntirelyRandom1590@reddit
Oh well. I'm glad you went to the effort of telling me what I like to eat.
tmr89@reddit
Everyone has different standards, I guess
MantisToboggan25@reddit
*different tastes
HotOutlandishness991@reddit
Naan is serious business. People catch hands because of Naan.
PTeeling22@reddit
Rumour has it that it's that that inspired Whitney Houston for the song 'One moment in time'
Aggressive_Chuck@reddit
They have to make up their margins somewhere.
BuckfastAndHairballs@reddit
Noo proper naan is lovely and worth it. Rice is just rice.
I actually never order rice haha. It's just an extra thing that stops me from being able to shove even more curry, naan, and pakoras in.
TheDucksAreComingoOo@reddit
Yeah I'll get one or two microwaveable coconut rice packets from Lidl for like £1.50. Job done in minutes
That-Antelope8305@reddit
Lol I do the sameee
YouGotTangoed@reddit
Mmm rice with extra microplastics
TheDucksAreComingoOo@reddit
I am pro5% micro plastic at this point lol
prettybunbun@reddit
Pilau at my indian is like £2.50. Much rather pay the extra quid and get good quality rice.
TheDucksAreComingoOo@reddit
Damn, its £5.70 at mine 😕
amlamba@reddit
The moment you learn to do it yourself you'll see Lidl as low quality rip off
riverend180@reddit
Not even close to being the same as a decent pilau. You might as well get a Lidl curry while you're at it
YouCantGiveBabyBooze@reddit
god isn't it awful when people have different tastes 😡
riverend180@reddit
Nobody with taste buds prefers microwave plain rice to buttery spiced pilau rice
ButterscotchTop194@reddit
I hate takeaway pilau and much prefer plain with my curry. And some microwave rice is very good now.
Good pilau is lovely but rarely do takeaways do good pilau. Plain is better with a rich curry anyway.
YouCantGiveBabyBooze@reddit
certainly on your watch hey
kernowgringo@reddit
Of course it's not close to a pilau, it's a completely different style of rice
ghodsgift@reddit
Hoose rice!
No-Club3690@reddit
We r having hoose rice the day?
ChangingMonkfish@reddit
Ye cannae have hoose rice with an Indian takeaway man!
Competitive_Ad_429@reddit
Leftover Chinese fried rice with an Indian currry…. The unholy matrimony
No-Club3690@reddit
Currently hungover and this sounds like a great shout
Competitive_Ad_429@reddit
Extra points if you dip the tikka in the Chinese curry sauce and use prawn crackers instead of poppadoms
ChangingMonkfish@reddit
I can get behind that to be fair
Competitive_Ad_429@reddit
The issue is that I often have both in the fridge. Need to stop ordering takeaway 😂
tommybhoy82@reddit
Naan
BlueFox789@reddit
Are you from Newcastle?
wolftonerider67@reddit
Hoose rice is such a riddy man
LukeyC224@reddit
This evening has took a sinister turn
Bobo3076@reddit
Alarm bells are ringing, we’re having fuckin HOOSE RICE?
Macatord@reddit
He’s driving a Ferrari is he, who HOOSE RICE
Academic-Chocolate57@reddit
£1 for a poppadom too…
Oghamstoner@reddit
My housemates used to think I was such a skinflint for doing this.
Adept_Application_74@reddit
Your housemates were 100% correct.
deadlygaming11@reddit
Your willing to spend 4 quid on rice?
Adept_Application_74@reddit
Yes.
young-lust@reddit
Yes
glasgowgeg@reddit
Yeah, I usually get naan and chips with a curry rather than rice.
glaucusb@reddit
https://youtu.be/pXvtEImH_L8?si=lRrB8ssTewj6y3CQ
Chris-TT@reddit
Rice cookers don't stir fry the rice the rice though unless I'm behind the times? If I could do mushroom fried rice or egg fried rice in the rice cooker, I'd stop ordering the rice takeaway sides.
jamesdownwell@reddit
Rice is cooked in the rice cooker then stir fried.
AggressiveAd5248@reddit
Are you called Mr Cassidy?
Standard_Response_43@reddit
💯
LiteratureSelect3280@reddit
Probably because no one buys it anymore ? Wether it's a Chinese or Indian takeaway, we stopped buying the rice a couple of years ago now. We always have packets of rice that go in the microwave for 2 minutes on a takeaway night, at 50/60p a pop, it just makes sense, tastes just as good, and you're not getting ripped-off 😉
BigDawny1@reddit
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWg6flZDlBR/?igsh=MXMwMjd4YW1oOWYwag==
Financial-Deer1447@reddit
Kevin Bridges did a fantastic stand up routine about going to a friends house for a takeaway to find out they cook their own rice instead of ordering it
RElNHARDT@reddit
i fucking love indian rice and i’m not sure of the price point that’ll stop me from ordering it so i’ll continue until then
p1971@reddit
same rea
ExcitementKooky418@reddit
Laughs in cinema popcorn
Lopsided_Warning8287@reddit
I remember one thing from my business studies A level: the two most profitable things in the world are heroin and popcorn. I don't know how legit that is but I can believe it.
ExcitementKooky418@reddit
Makes sense, they're both quite moreish
hodgey66@reddit
Mushy peas aren’t expensive though.
Even if they’re £2.50 which would (should) be sit in price it’s not quite £4 + like rice
Marshwiggletreacle@reddit
Have you seen the price of rice nowadays?
JoeDaStudd@reddit
The good basmati is about £1/kg if you bulk buy and that's for the average person. A business is likely getting at a fraction of that.
A portion of rice is about 100g of dried rice so 10p, likely closer to 5p due to there bulk buying.
Marshwiggletreacle@reddit
Really? I think super markets get good deals to pass on to their customers..cash and carry type shops are not as cheap as you may think. In addition to cost you need to get the kind of rice that the chef can cook easily, doesn't break after soaking and stirring, doesn't go off/ spoil quickly after cooking, doesn't have debris in.
It's not just ordinary basmati,there are different types just like potatoes. You won't use a jersey new potato for your fluffy roasts, they can use sella rice, they can use hybrids This is before you think of the additional costs
Getting the right type of huge pans to cook the rice in, fridges and containers
And then you add cooking costs, the energy bills have what quadrupled? Water prices have increased, the cost of the chef and the kitchen assistants.
JoeDaStudd@reddit
Just look in the world food aisles you can get good quality branded for about 1/kg if you buy the 10kg+ bags.
For sella, Amazon has Laila Sella Basmati Rice 10 Kg for £12 delivered on subscribe and save.
Literally googling Indian cash and the first result had branded basmati at under £1/kg.
The cost of cooking the rice reduces with volume. I'm not saying the overheads aren't there but the rice itself isn't expensive.
EhDinnaeEvenKen@reddit
And you can get a cheapo rice cooker that'll do enough for 4 people, for about £20. and it'll last you decades.
I'm still 'Hoose Rice'-ing it up on an old rice cooker I got from BHS 20+ years ago for about a fiver.
That £4-6 rice money is going towards something good, that I can't just make in thirty seconds, like a keema naan and mango lassi.
dunneetiger@reddit
You can make a mango lassi in about 45sec
EhDinnaeEvenKen@reddit
No with staple ingredients that costs literally pennies and keeps in the cupboard untouched for months or even years on end.
That's a specific list of ingredients that'd need to be gone out and paid for at the time.
If I'm going to the supermarket and ingredient shopping, I might as well just cook the fucking curry at that point tbh.
dunneetiger@reddit
The ingredients for a mango lassi are mangoes (in the UK, frozenones are better than the fresh ones from the supermarket anyway), milk and plain yogurt.
Sure you need to buy some frozen mangoes once in a while - which you can do whenever you buy your toilet paper
TheBrownMan_89@reddit
We use tinned mango pulp, but yeah, still very easy to make yourself.
Loquis@reddit
And that is just one cost to running a business, add in wages, business rates, utilities etc
Obvious-Water569@reddit
Because they know people are going to order it. The margins on rice are massive but they can get away with it because it's a vital pert of the experience, like popcorn in cinemas.
Short_Maize5806@reddit
Capitalism
NoNeedleworker5422@reddit
This is not only indian takeaways - pretty much all restaurants make their profit margins from sides, soft drinks and alcohol.
Look at it this way - people buying the rice are subsidizing the curries to be a little cheaper for everyone.
Spid1@reddit
Lol because the curry is so cheap? Yeah right
NoNeedleworker5422@reddit
Im not saying currys are cheap, im saying if the profit from sides didnt exist, the currys would be more expensive.
Spid1@reddit
I say this as an Indian curry is cheap to make compared to restaurant prices, especially veg curries.
But even if you look at a chicken curry: it's around £5-6 per kilo of chicken breast. I have around 200g per portion when I have one at home but in restaurants it feels like less than that and they fill it out with sauce or other stuff if it's dry one. Obviously you have overheads etc but you get my basic point
NoNeedleworker5422@reddit
everything needs to be cheaper to make compared to prices in the restaurant, otherwise restaurants couldnt exist. Im not saying curries dont make any profit.
My point is that sides, soft drinks and alcohol are what drives the profit margin in the hospo business.
tmr89@reddit
No, the curries have huge margins. A BIR curry sauce costs pennies per portion. Spices are dirt cheap, too. Many Indian takeaways and restaurants charge over a tenner a portion
NoNeedleworker5422@reddit
Yeah, but they are more expensive to make too. More ingredients, more time cooking, more waste if something goes wrong/doesnt get sold, more energy&time to clean up the cooking crockery. Rice goes to the rice cooker, perfect every time, small amount of dry rice needed per serving, huge profict margin in comparison to curries.
RadicalDog@reddit
Per portion yes, but also cooking large amounts of curry means more variable waste depending on how many people buy (and you'd always want to make slightly too much than too little). In addition to the usual business premise costs.
fosterthepensioners@reddit
The same people say that tea and coffee from a coffee shop costs 3p to make and margins are 99%. They don't know how business works and what the real costs are.
RadicalDog@reddit
Yeah, and no-one's becoming a millionaire from Indian restaurants.
HistoryDisastrous493@reddit
BIR curry is made more or less to order. They don't just make big pots of all the different curries and wait for people to order it
TuMek3@reddit
No they aren’t. The base sauce/curry is pre-made and some additions are added to produce different types of end curry.
HistoryDisastrous493@reddit
That is exactly what I meant by "more or less to order"....
TuMek3@reddit
Sorry, I was under the impression that made to order meant made from scratch, when ordered.
HistoryDisastrous493@reddit
Fair enough, I guess "assembled to order" is a better way of putting it, but assembling a dish from as many pre-prepped components as possible and only doing the scratch stuff when it can't be done in advance is how all restaurants work.
Indian restaurants are really good at this as the base gravy and different pre cooked meats all last a few days and freeze well so they're great at reducing waste (which was why I meant by my reply to the other guy in the first place)
totalcrazytalk@reddit
I thought it more like a couple big vats of a base curry which u add to the individual made to order spice / paste blends
tmr89@reddit
Sorry to break it to you, but Indian takeaways operate with 50-70% profit margins, whereas McDonald’s have about 40%
ras2703@reddit
Nah where I stay the most popular Indian, which used to be unreal but has fell of a cliff in recent years, it’s £14-£15 for a curry and £3/4 odds for rice it’s ridiculous.
NoNeedleworker5422@reddit
Yup, but per protion the rice is mich cheaper to make aka the profit margin from it is way higher than from curries.
DelosHR@reddit
Not all heroes wear capes
AnythingPeachy@reddit
Wait... Does everyone here have a rice cooker?
arpw@reddit
You don't need a rice cooker to cook good rice. Sure, it makes it easier, but it's really not that difficult to get the same result in a saucepan with a bit of practice.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
The secret is just cook rice like you do pasta if using a pan. Shove it in loads of water and boil for 9 minutes. Strain. Then the important bit is to put it back in the pot and put a plate on top and leave it 5 minutes to steam in its own steam.
Identical rice to a rice cooker (which I have an love btw), none of the having to wash rice, none of the measuring water and praying you got it right, and none of the having to buy a rice cooker
hodgey66@reddit
1 cup rice to 2 cup water
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Yeah, doesn't work in my experience. Very rice dependent how much water you need to use to volume of rice.
AnythingPeachy@reddit
Oh good, thought I was missing out on something haha
stephenbennyhat@reddit
Lakeland mini rice cooker. Best £25 I've ever spent. If I'm working from home I'll stick some rice in it some-time-in-the-morning and it'll be waiting for me for lunch.
KeremyJyles@reddit
I do but the idea of using it when I get a takeaway is honestly laughable anorak shit
BorderlineWire@reddit
I have one somewhere. I only use it when cooking for a crowd though. It’s useful when you need to do quite a bit of rice and/or are going to be busy with other stuff but I don’t find it worth the bother for day to day.
Mundane-Topic-8214@reddit
Yep. But I also know how to make rice perfectly in a pan.
Adept_Application_74@reddit
You can’t answer “yep” to that question because I don’t have a rice cooker.
J-H2000@reddit
I can’t make rice like they do at the takeaway, I’ve tried and it’s never as good. For £3.50 I’m happy to pay for their rice
Responsible-Walrus-5@reddit
Yup, rice and naan used to cost hardly anything whilst the main dish was the expensive item. Popadoms were basically free.
Now the main curry prices haven’t really gone up all that much but the sundries are extortionate. People don’t look at the cost of sundries when choosing where or what to eat usually.
itsfourinthemornin@reddit
Don't get hem much now, only me and child, child isn't keen on Indian as yet. None walkable, most have a £15-20 minimum spend via delivery apps, and can't smash a full portion and extras like I once could (said with great sadness).
Rare times I do, I'll order one - two mains, make rice and extras at home (garlic naan always), have them over a day or two for lunch/dinner, sometimes supper. Not usually a supper person but have an Indian friend who kept taunting me with their homemade suppers and I had to try it for supper (lovely choice).
Swallow33@reddit
Sounds soul-destroyingly depressing. At this point, why even bother
itsfourinthemornin@reddit
Please don't project your personal depressing outlook on life towards mine, especially when you don't even know me. It's lovely food, reheats perfectly fine those two days and makes little waste alongside not wasting my own money. I generally make my own at home anyway hence "rare times".
Swallow33@reddit
I very much do not care to know a miserable skinflint subsisting on two-day old side-less curries in any way, thanks.
AskUK-ModTeam@reddit
Don't be a dick to each other, or other subreddits, places, or people.
Don't be a dick to each other, or other subreddits, places, or people. AskUK contains a variety of ages, experiences, and backgrounds - consider not everyone is operating on the same level or background as you. Listen to others before you respond, and be courteous when doing so.
itsfourinthemornin@reddit
You seem miserable yourself, enough to come try tear down and insult a stranger completely unprompted... I hope things improve for you and you stop projecting on strangers.
Adds9@reddit
In my local thai place, the rice is also sold seperately but it's like £4.50 so I just order whatever I am getting and throw my uncle bens basmati rice in microwave
BulldenChoppahYus@reddit
This is why you pay +20p or whatever for Pilau or Egg Fried or Saffron or Mushroom or Vegetable Rice every time. B Even then you’re being rinsed but at least it’s for something you wouldn’t be arsed to do before. Rice is rice.
Unless it’s TahDig. Pay for that one.
tuskedAlbinoRabbit@reddit
I used to have a flatmate who did the opposite: curry from a jar, rice and naan from the takeaway beneath the flat.
scudinho@reddit
This is strange
xxx654@reddit
That’s the saddest short story I’ve ever read.
LuckInternational336@reddit
I would cook some frozen chips at home if I was getting a takeaway curry.
mrshadders@reddit
never have i thought of cooking my own rice when having an indian takeaway. seems impossible to me to time the making of the rice to arrive at the same time as the delivery. for the sake of a few quid i deem the worry of timings to be of little consequence. if rice was to hit the £6 barrier i may reconsider my thoughts until that time i shall continue.
SpaTowner@reddit
A rice cooker with a keep-warm function is your friend here.
mrshadders@reddit
i fear not buying rice would rule me out of the indian restaurant calandar christmas gift though
Remote-Pool7787@reddit
The same reason that chips are expensive everywhere, and sides in general. Because the majority of people are going to order them
sousou4893@reddit
I do the same. Rice cooker does the job and saves a few quid. Curry places make their margin on the sides, not the main dish. No shame in skipping the overpriced rice.
BigDawny1@reddit
Hoose rice 🤣🤣
-oioimate@reddit
Take oot the whole family wi one jab to the da'
MediocreEquipment457@reddit
OP is a Cassidy for sure
coraIinejones@reddit
Omg I need to know this reference I can’t remember it!!
sc_BK@reddit
Alarm bells are ringing. We're having fuckin hoose rice!!
fuckinyaldi@reddit
Hahaha iconic!
ThatSamShow@reddit
You're paying for the convenience of high-quality, perfectly cooked basmati rice without the effort of making it.
It's also a high-margin "subsidy" item. In many ways, it's similar to why pizzas from regular takeaway are expensive. They have some of the highest profit margins in the industry.
ZaphodG@reddit
I put basmati in the rice cooker and then go pick up my food.
JohnCasey3306@reddit
Presumably because they have to cover the cost of buying food, packaging, paying for premises, IT/POS hardware and support, local marketing, maybe delivery app fees, local business rates, gas, electric, water, liability insurance, business insurance, waste management, staff wages, national insurance contributions, pension contributions, servicing any business loans, corporation tax, accountancy fees, legal fees and god only knows what else.
You could.always of course cook your own rice at home.
Puzzled-Mycologist61@reddit
Pasta is just eggs and flour or something and we’re paying £15 for a bowl of it with the spicy sauce.
HotOutlandishness991@reddit
I'm convinced there is a rice and naan agreement amongst the takeaways regarding their uniformed pricing. Then you'll just see that one rogue take away try and charge £6 or summat breaking ranks. They get reigned in of course.
buy_me_a_pint@reddit
plain rice and chips are the same price at the Indian takeaway near us
If you want other type of rice like coconut etc, these are more then chips
broadarrow39@reddit
Always make my own pilau. Freeze it in double portions and chuck it in the microwave, dead easy and saves about £8. Happy to share the recipe if anyone wants it.
ReliefZealousideal84@reddit
Get a rice cooker. You shouldn’t be paying for rice ever from any takeaway, Indian or Chinese.
KeremyJyles@reddit
Ridiculous advice. Defeats the point of getting a takeaway.
ReliefZealousideal84@reddit
No it doesn’t. Cook rice before hand and either refrigerate or freeze. Then it’s 2 mins in the microwave while you’re dishing up the rest. Do you really think it’s reasonable to pay £3-£4 for a handful of rice? Don’t be stupid all your life.
KeremyJyles@reddit
Away and clean your anorak.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Rice cookers are set and forget though. It's 20 seconds of work.. They turn off when done, and go into warm mode.
KeremyJyles@reddit
I own a rice cooker, I know how they work (you're having dogshit starchy rice if you take 20 seconds though). It defeats the point of a takeaway, will also will almost never simply be plain boiled rice with literally nothing else to it.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Okay, 60 seconds if washing rice by hand. Still worth it unless you value your time at £240 per hour.
toon_84@reddit
What about cleaning up after? Another 2 or 3 minutes added to the process and that's if it's not welded to the dish.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
That's true. Cleaning plates too though surely, I wouldn't say it's minutes. You clean one pot. But yeah, I guess it adds a bit.
Acceptable-Split6348@reddit
Now add the cost of the rice, water, electricity, and depreciation.
KeremyJyles@reddit
I value getting a takeaway when I don't want to cook, and also getting something better than deadass plain boiled rice lol like the majority of people.
Emergency_Mistake_44@reddit
That's like saying get a deep fryer, why pay for fried chicken or get a coffee machine, why pay for Costa.
I do neither but some people like ordering food for the purpose of not having to do anything and that's fine imo.
mothsugar@reddit
I resisted for a long time but I got a tiny one that was literally £22 and I haven't ever had to think about cooking rice again
Technical-Rooster432@reddit
Why is soup over a fiver in restaurants? Profit margin boosters..
Army-Status@reddit
I think poppadoms at £1 each is the biggest rip off.
Any-Tomato-2915@reddit (OP)
They used to be free 😔
Army-Status@reddit
I’d been ordering poppadoms for years without giving it a second thought then once time I glanced at the menu, I nearly fell off my chair when I saw they were £1 each. I remember when they were like 20p each
MacSamildanach@reddit
If I'm buying a curry, it makes far more sense to buy rice with it as well.
I can make curry that looks and tastes exactly like the takeaway. I can also make Pilau Rice that tastes like the takeaway (this isn't Pilau in this photo - just plain Basmati).
The difference is that I have to make an effort to do it.
If I'm going for a takeaway, messing around making my own rice to go with it kind of defeats the purpose.
Acceptable-Split6348@reddit
No you can't.
Any-Tomato-2915@reddit (OP)
Great 👍
Teawillfixit@reddit
I just use the rice in my cupboard and get the curry etc from the takeaway.
trustmeimabuilder@reddit
I'm always happy to pay for the rice at my local Indian, as there's no way I can make or even buy proper coconut rice as good as they sell. Everything else is considerably more expensive than the equivalent sized meals in the Chinese though.
tuckedupnuts@reddit
All I can hear is Kevin Bridges being appalled by "hoose rice".
ForwardAd5837@reddit
Because they can.
Gravyb0y@reddit
Should see how expensive Rice was for Arsenal.
acceberbex@reddit
Nope, because I wouldn't order just plain boiled rice (which I can do at home). I probably don't have the right ingredients on hand for more authentic rices (for Indian or Chinese) and the point of the takeaway is convenience and something I'm not going to cook myself. If I'm going to cook my own rice, I could have got a tin of curry and done it all myself far cheaper (on the convenience side - otherwise we'd do it properly and do a more homemade version)
frustratedworker1989@reddit
Tip : Always cook your own rice, even drop some cardamom and ghee in it
Get your best curry and sides from the takeaway and enjoy
DinkyPrincess@reddit
I do this with a Chinese because I have a rice cooker and my homemade rice is generally better.
Puzzled-Night-2590@reddit
Everything's expensive everywhere
Voy-urgh81@reddit
Because everything is so fucking expensive these days.
Milky_Finger@reddit
Indian takeaway has become extortionate.
mrdibby@reddit
Does that just mean an Indian takeaway has finally become the same price as everything else?
They've historically been underpriced. Imagine any other restaurant charging like £7 per main.
Milky_Finger@reddit
Where i live (London), a main without rice at an Indian is like £16+. Add the rice, and its around £20. Almost all indian takeaways are like this.
It's the only cuisine I know that charges THIS much. If I want Pad Thai or even a Katsu Curry, they aren't charging £20. This is just my experience however and I know London is its own country.
mrdibby@reddit
Not sure if you've seen the prices of Turkish food but they've also increased to very high amounts these days compared to what they used to be. A small shish plate (incl rice) can hit £20 on Green Lanes.
The Ukraine war caused the largest increase in energy prices for businesses I think they'd ever experienced. Every meal seemed to increase by at least £5 over the space of a year or 2, and every business that was historically cheap caught up. Now the only places for an "affordable" meal (£6-8 for an actual meal) is a streetfood market focused on serving the work-week lunch hour (like Petticoat Lane or Leather Lane).
The weirdest thing for me is decent sandwiches and pizzas now seem to cost around the same.
Milky_Finger@reddit
I will never understand £10 sandwiches. Some things really shouldn't be boujee'd
mrdibby@reddit
i dunno, an italian stuffed foccacia has always been somewhat gourmet - and its pretty hard to find a cheap italian sandwich spot these days
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
I agree. You pay £14 for a main where I live outside London if you want anything decent. Rice £4. I paid £18 yesterday for a main Turkish meal with pitta and dips thrown in.
incrediblepepsi@reddit
Is that eat-in price to you though? I eat out regularly and have done for many years, and Indian restaurants tend to balance out the same as others. Could pay £8 for a main but that is always accompanied by rice, naans, etc. then starters and drinks on top comes to average dining out price
tmr89@reddit
Not as extortionate as chippies
overcooked_biscuit@reddit
Yeah I find the cost of food, and especially drink is getting hard to swallow, no pun intended. How expensive is a meal for one from a local Indian compare to frod from a kebab shop, or a chippy?
I live in Suffolk and at my local Indian, a take out for 1 costs me around £18 (ish). Is a hell of a lot more expensive than pre-covid but so is everything's else. A large donner with chips is £14 from my former go to fast food joint, or £12.50 for a large cod and chips with tartar sauce at the local chippy. I feel the Indian is better value for money than most place. For value, a Chinese takeaway is hard to beat but the Indian feels as if it is cooked fresh and to order.
With the shit that's going down in the Middle East, I wonder if I'm a years time, will we be wishing to the cost of food is what it is today.
txe4@reddit
I guarantee: we will be wishing that.
rickyhatesspam@reddit
So has every takeaway. Maybe you need to shop around not every Indian / Chinese / takeaway restaurant charges the same. There high end, mid and low. Takeaway food isn't like petrol prices.
Namiweso@reddit
When I compare it to how minimum wage has changed, takeaways aren’t even the worst offenders.
Minimum has more than doubled in the last 20 years but my takeaways haven’t.
This is obviously compounded by things like tax, rent, shopping, etc which feels like it’s more than doubled which makes it feel like they’re spiralling out of control cost wise - but they’re not.
Basically - I don’t find takeaways comparatively more expensive than they used to be, just that I have less expendable income to spend on them than I used to (that’s kind of a lie as I’ve had a fair few promotions in the last decade but my point still stands for most).
ThrowRA_DANK@reddit
This.
itsheadfelloff@reddit
I've always felt all Indian food to be overpriced, but dear god I love it.
junkiefeker@reddit
Theres a whole joke about this in scotland. Hoose rice.
Financial_Search_246@reddit
In my neighborhood we do things the other way round. Cook curry at home, get naan from the shop.
Super Taste Bakery. They sell ONLY naan bread. 3 for £1. Open from 4pm until 6:45-ish (whenever they run out of the last batch of dough).
You get your naan maximum 30 seconds after it's come out of the Tandoor.
Unfortunately almost all of the local curry places are overpriced luxury restaurants. If you want a cheap takeaway then you're going Generic Middle-eastern (mostly run by Iraqi Kurds), Ethiopian/Eritrean, or Fried Chicken
thesaint2000@reddit
when i do a indian takeawy/delivery i always cook my own rice
AirconGuyUK@reddit
A rice cooker costs about the same as 10 takeaway rices. If you have a lot of takeaways, it pays for itself.
tmr89@reddit
Mmm, plain boiled rice
AirconGuyUK@reddit
You can add food dye to it for that authentic british indian cuisine effect.
RamblingManUK@reddit
Because people look at and remember the price of the main.
A vast majority of any restaurant's profit is from the sides and drinks, not the mains.
Ok-Ship812@reddit
Only on Reddit can a discussion about rice turn into a Saturday morning shitfest.
Sharktistic@reddit
If you're worri d about the added cost of a portion or rice, perhaps a takeaway shouldn't be at the top of your list of financial priorities to begin with?
Ok-Ship812@reddit
A cheap rice cooker and frozen parathas in the freezer can save you 15 to 20 quid a take away.
LibrarySoggy6644@reddit
You're not just paying for the value of the rice
LumpyCheeseyCustard@reddit
Make your own rice.
Here's how: ½ cup of rice: (1 serving). Wash a few times until water is clear not starchy.
Soak for 30 minutes to get rid of phytic acid (an anti-nutrient). Then drain in a sieve.
Put some water to boil - more than the rice - id say 2 or 3 cups for ½ cup of rice. Add either some whole spices into the cold water or some powder garam masala and cumin powder.
Once the water starts to boil add 1.5 tsp salt. Add the strained rice and put timer on for 9 minutes.
As 9 minutes finish drain the rice + water in a sieve or colander and leave for 2 minutes. Add back into the pot. Dollop a teaspoon of ghee and fold it gently , you do not want to mush the rice. Close the lid. Leave for 5 minutes.
After that open the lid, give the rice a gentle mix , moving it from bottom up. And done.
toon_84@reddit
What I do is scroll down a little bit and then pay £3 for somebody to do all that for me.
LumpyCheeseyCustard@reddit
Lol I guess since I cook for the family I don't make ½ a cup. I make 2 or 3 cos and with the same amount of effort we have rice for 2/3 days.
Of it's not a staple in your diet it makes sense to just pay
toon_84@reddit
We make our own rice if we're having a meal cooked by ourselves but the whole point of a takeaway is because you can't be arsed cooking.
Repulsive-Echidna-74@reddit
So they can make some money
seven-cents@reddit
It's their bread and butter in terms of profit margins
tmr89@reddit
Profit margins on curries are insane, too
OrganicPoet1823@reddit
I’ve sometimes ordered 2 curries and had an uncle Ben’s microwave rice with one and then the same the next day hits the min delivery charge and no money wasted on rice 😂
WastelandOfConfusion@reddit
Just stay home. Cook your own rice, and cook your own curry. It’s so cheap and so easy.
RagingMassif@reddit
I did that.
£3.95 for pilau? Nope. Phone in the order, fire up the rice cooker.
Then I lived in Bombay/Mumbai for a while and dropped rice altogether in favour of naan (Rice is more a South India thing, North goes for bread).
Then I watched this guy and learned to cook genuine British Indian Restaurant quality cuzzers.
https://youtu.be/2uKsbLosUBM?si=Ie95BEydGBnNT7NO
So now I don't even buy curries!
jinxamor@reddit
My Chinese friend refuses to order rice from the Chinese, we have to make it ourselves while the food is coming 😂
Silverdodger@reddit
Bros really need to try Nigerian food if you haven’t already? It’s a shock to the system how tasty it is and blows Indian food out of the water (maybe not a high end Indian, but 99% of them), in my humble opinion. If you can- try egusi and pounded yam.
Fantastic_Feed_9821@reddit
Even better is don't buy at all.
Daninsg@reddit
It's worse when chips are like £6
whiskeyislove@reddit
All restaurants have high-margin items like sides and drinks where they make more money compared to other options. I tend to order a naan with my curry which is usually cheaper than the rice for some reason.
tgy74@reddit
It's because when you buy food from a restaurant most of the cost you're paying is to pay for wages, utilities, rent etc, associated with the production of the food, not the cost of the ingredients themselves. I mean, you're literally paying someone to cook your rice for you, so they need to charge enough to offset their costs and get paid.
taskkill-IM@reddit
For a Curry, Rice and Naan you're looking at £20+
I remember 10 years ago the local curry house near me you could get all that for about £9-12. That place has since long closed down after Covid hit.
I don't know whether it's just not profitable running a takeaway/restaurant anymore, or if everyone is trying to claim back losses during covid??
Either way it's probably done me a favour as I don't eat takeaways anymore so it's probably better for my overall health.
South_Leek_5730@reddit
There was a time in the not so distant past where the majority of dishes included the rice (or chips or even both). Sides were also cheap and plentiful. On a side note, I placed an order for KFC the other week and I was shocked at how much they charge for tiny sides. 2.39 to 2.99 each. How are these places still in business?
As for doing it myself, sure I do that but I'd rather not. Whilst I can make good rice 99 times out of a 100 there is always that 1 time whereas takeaway rice is good every single time.
Artonox@reddit
Because takeaway food margin is quite tight. There has a to be a winner item in there somewhere I suppose.
starsandbribes@reddit
Rice being a third of the price of a meat dish is hilarious. You go to China and its like 3% if the meat dish cost, its pennies. It truly is a con.
whyy_i_eyes_ya@reddit
Yeah why doesn’t everyone sell everything at cost price and work for free while covering the rent and rates out of their own magical pockets. It’s not fair.
underwater-sunlight@reddit
On the rare occasions I order in a curry, I order rice as well because that's the point of a takeaway, to save on cooking.
When I do my own curries, I often just do boiled rice, but sometimes I do onion and cumin pilau rice and it is as nice as you would get from a takeaway.
It's expensive because it's an easy cost to inflate. Instead of turning the 8 quid lamb dish into a 9 quid dish to account for higher costs, increasing the price of the rice using as noticeable
accountsdontmatter@reddit
It’s chapatis for me, they used to he included in the price and now cost £1.50 each. It’s flour and water. I make them myself and don’t order rice either.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Bro a Naan is £4-5 around my way. Literally can't find it cheaper.
It's fucking bread!
Iammildlyoffended@reddit
Oh I love getting a chapatti instead of
txe4@reddit
We don't eat takeaway anymore for several reasons but yeah we used to chuck a 49p (I think they were 29p back then) sachet of rice in the microwave when having curry.
RecognitionWestern86@reddit
I always make my rice too. Really don’t like the flavour of pilau rice and it saves me a tenner (for two portions). I’ll pay for egg fried rice at the Chinese though.
Rishtopher@reddit
Cook rice while its being ordered. Also have frozen parathas at home - if you havent tried them, do. They only take a few minutes to cook on a pan and are lovely and flaky.
Only carb we will occasionally order is a garlic naan.
dwair@reddit
I just buy Paratha and a main. I honestly can't remember when I last bought rice as well.
General_Membership64@reddit
Why would I buy rice when I got get twice the naan and have that instead?
Marshwiggletreacle@reddit
It's like buying battered fish from the takeaway and making your own chips at home
Spiritual-Peach-4032@reddit
We often buy just the curry, and I’ll cook rice and make naan at home. That said I’ve perfected my lamb dopiaza and butter chicken recipes now so very rarely order Indian in.
Excellent-Ruin6779@reddit
If I'm ordering in I never order white rice.
Proper naan requires a tandoor to make and I can't just make it at home. So I'm ordering naan with my curry.
If I do order rice, it will not ever be white rice. It just makes no sense to in my mind.
NecroflangeFacility@reddit
The Curry Guy books by Dan Toombs are about making curries at home the way they do in restaurants. You can make a vat of base sauce and freeze batches, then knock up various takeaway standard curries as and when in half an hour.
Revolutionary_West56@reddit
Yes my mum always did it when we were growing up . But it never tasted the same 😔
These days I buy the rice. I moan about the cost but if I’m treating myself to a takeaway I go all in. The rice I make at home doesn’t compare
PKblaze@reddit
Can't say, my local place does takeout rice is between 2.50 - 3.50
Best-Hovercraft-5494@reddit
this is what they all used to do. it's like a window into a kinder, more gentle time.
ams3000@reddit
Essential item. Opportunity to mark up and make the most profit. Same as bottled water in European restaurants. Their biggest mark up.
Jolly_Psychology_506@reddit
Bang some chips in the air fryer instead
Tigereyesxx@reddit
It is a money maker, buy Nan bread instead, more tasty and traditional. Rice is not that popular in Northern India, which is a more wealthy area.
DameKumquat@reddit
I only get naan and other breads with my curry anyway.
I can cook rice just as well as they can, and do parathas from frozen, but can't make good naan myself without a tandoor.
People paying the premium for rice, poppadoms and especially soft drinks keeps the rest of the prices down.
Ditto Chinese - I put the rice on, order online, collect the food from round the corner, rice is done on my return. Boss lady approves because it makes me regular customer.
baddymcbadface@reddit
I make my own rice for Chinese. Just buy high quality rice and a rice cooker. You can learn to do it properly on a job but a rice cooker is easier.
Eltothebee@reddit
Because the paid £100 million for him /s
StereotypicallBarbie@reddit
Takeaways in general have gone expensive..
the last time we had Chinese it was £4.50 for egg fried rice.. £4.50! For fried rice with an egg in it.
Admittedly it’s a very nice Chinese takeaway.. but still! That’s just daylight robbery.
But after a glass (or 3) of wine on a Saturday night I’m less outraged at the time.
Unique_Agency_4543@reddit
Egg fried rice is easy to make, cook it yourself if you don't want to pay £4.50
vzzzbxt@reddit
I don't get rice unless it's a biryani. I prefer naan with my curry. Four naan, Jeremy? That's insane
SnooHamsters5480@reddit
Thats what we do, just stick some rice in the rice cooker when we order and its ready by the time the takeaway is done.
SaNaLfC@reddit
"Four naan, Jeremy? Four? That's insane."
SaNaLfC@reddit
But seriously as an Indian, I make the rice at home - its a 15 minute job, and use frozen naans that I cook on a tawa pan (prob £7 on amazon). The margins on the curry are pretty thin , so they make their money from the naan, rice and sauces - all can be sourced cheaper from the supermarket.
boringfantasy@reddit
You may as well just cook the entire curry at that point lad
SaNaLfC@reddit
I would - If I only wanted to eat curries I'm capable of making - But I order curries that I'm unable to make myself
Rickjob@reddit
Here's the easiest recipe for pilau rice. Comes out perfect every time. Might need a few ingredients but if you buy in bulk it will last a while.
https://www.easypeasyfoodie.com/easy-peasy-pilau-rice/#recipe
If you buy an Indian just get the mains, buy the Naans, chapattis etc from the shop.
BrotherClive@reddit
Shop naans? You cannot be serious!
boringfantasy@reddit
My mum does that lol
PauloFulci@reddit
Hoose rice
SeahorseQueen1985@reddit
Haha our local Vietnamese place does amazing food, but a bowl of rice is over £5 so we just order takeout and use rice from home.
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
Yeh we do it every time.
We've got a rice cooker and buy rice in 10kgbags that last us months.
Adept_Application_74@reddit
Not for the purposes of cost by my mate doesn’t order rice from an Indian takeaway (or if we’re sitting down in an Indian restaurant).
He simply orders his curry of choice and a naan bread and eats the curry using the naan bread as a utensil to scoop the curry from its vessel.
He claims it’s authentic and it may well be in some parts of the world. I think it makes him a pretentious prick and I’ve recently thought about punching him in the face when he’s eating.
RegularSlimPro@reddit
I often just cook my own. But I always order rice from a Chinese. It’s superior. (Egg fried)
bentleybasher@reddit
Because it’s an easy way to make the restaurant profitable!? Buy it by the sack sell it by the cup. A few cups sold buys the next sack. Think of the gains.
Glittering_Vast938@reddit
Yes all the time.
I’m funny about rice though and would prefer it to be fresh.
skepsoda@reddit
Because people are lazy and if they're ordering takeaway many cant be bothered to cook rice, so people will pay. Rice has big margins so helps cover cost of everything else
mrdibby@reddit
same reason a coca cola or a juice is £4
Ill_Refrigerator_593@reddit
Yeah I tend to make my own rice/noodles for Indian & Chinese takeaways, it's always been a cost.
My local Chinese have worked a way around this by doing amazing chips I can't pass up on.
Mundane-Topic-8214@reddit
We used to do this as students - cook rice ourselves and just buy mains and naan. No way were we spending a couple of quid on rice when that would have bought us several bags of the stuff.
walkwalkwalkwalk@reddit
yep I put it on before ringing to order, then when it's time to turn off I leave to pick up and let it steam to finish while I'm out
Criticada@reddit
I have a rice cooker and make my own rice.
SeaFaithlessness9732@reddit
Yes you can also get banging garlic naan from most shops
bobbyroberts72@reddit
Rice is rice to me but naan, supermarket stuff doesn’t come close, Clay Oven is the best I’ve had in a packet but it’s still not as good as the real deal.
The raw poppadoms you fry in a pan aren’t bad (but you tend to stink of oil afterwards) but the ready to eat in a packet again fall short for me.
dbxp@reddit
Asian owned corner shops often have better naan
CollectionMundane783@reddit
Or if you are lucky some fresh chapati that the granny has made upstairs that morning.
SeaFaithlessness9732@reddit
You can get clay oven naan from supermarkets!
There’s many authentic tandoor naan places where I live and honestly these sprayed with a bit of water and air fried are as good imo.
https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/the-clay-oven-bakery-garlic-coriander-naan-bread-2-pack/108281465
Rosehiphedgerow@reddit
I mean, I always buy vegetable biriyani. That's a very particular rice dish, but it also always comes with a gravy (the curry sauce), so it's a two for one combo really. And delicious!
steeperturtle@reddit
Why eat out ever
butt3rflycaught@reddit
Because the UK is one big expensive scam. We make ours in a rice cooker.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.