Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago.
While perhaps not as crowd-pleasing as a hamburger or buffalo mac and cheese, Indian food provides airlines a great way to please crowds, cut costs, and even virtue signal support for the environment. I’m surprised we don’t see Indian vegetarian dishes more often on airplanes.
On a recent United flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles, I opted for the Indian vegetarian option over a chicken breast. It was described as paneer with rice and since I had never tried this dish before on United, it was an easy choice.
While I was waiting for it, warmed nuts were served and I encountered pistachios in my mix…also a first on United. I’d love to see these every time.
My dish turned out to be paneer over basmati rice in a butter masala sauce with golden raisins. And it was delicious. On the side was a cabbage salad with lima beans and a pretzel roll.
I’m frankly surprised more airlines don’t offer Indian food more often. First, I suspect the paneer costs less than pork or beef. Second, it’s always nice to offer a vegetarian option on any meal service flight. Third, one could argue that offering more vegetarian choices is better for the environment since meat production and transport causes so many emissions. That’s always a stretch coming from an airline, but SAS and KLM seem to be embracing it…
In short, Indian food is generally one of the better dishes for reheating and for maintaining flavor in a pressurized airline environment at 35,000 feet. As United promises to offer more plant-based meals and vegetarianism seems to be catching on, look for more Indian options on future flights. It just makes cents…
I always request the Indian veg meal when flying a US airline, and not just because I’m Indian. Indian food is great for a flight! It reheats well, and the spice makes up for the decrease in taste experiences in low air pressure environments.
The one downside is that good Indian food can have a strong odor, and that can be unpleasant for a flight. Also, it doesn’t seem to be popular among US fliers as evidenced by the paucity of Indian restaurants in most US airports.
Paneer is not plant based
I know. It’s from a cow.
Odd that it had no odor. Paneer butter masala is mild, but usually pungent (as is butter chicken). When my wife and I bring home leftovers, you can definitely tell it’s in our fridge…
I wouldn’t say there was no odor, but it did not overwhelm the cabin.
“First, I suspect the paneer costs less than pork or beef.“
That’s actually not the case. I just paid $6 a pound at the Indian store. By contrast, chicken here is $3 a pound, and $4-5 for beef. So it’s a wash at best, but YMMV as food prices are cheaper than average in DFW. Plus paneer is dairy, so your climate change virtue signalers aren’t going to be any happier with its presence.
What I’m actually (pleasantly) surprised to see is that domestic airlines seem to have upped their game in the Indian food department, at least if that dish is any indication. I have had no shortage of really terrible Indian food aboard US and European airlines over the years, usually due to watery curry or overcooked rice.
As a point of comparison, have you ever tried the economy class Indian meals on United longhaul?
Haven’t had the chance to try UA’s Indian meals. AA’s were consistently awful on the old ORD-DEL route, even in J (admittedly this was years ago). VX used to offer butter chicken in F which was also terrible (2015, so not that long ago). On the opposite end of the spectrum, EK, QR, and SQ usually do a good job with Indian meals.
Agree that smell may be a concern. This dish, however, had no strong discernible odor. I don’t eat paneer very often so I cannot rate it comparatively to others, but I thought it was tasty.
Indian food is straight up diarrhea
Indeed it is for some people. That should never be the only option.
Highly unlikely with this kind of very bland dish.
United is to be commended for offering this innovation: it appeals to many and offends no one.
On longhaul SQ flights, I always order the Indian vegetarian meal for the second meal served on board. SQ does it well, with naan, yogurt and various chutneys accompanying the entree.
Private Room has an amazing chicken biryani, I get it every time.
If there is a country outside India that should have good Indian food, it would be Singapore…
Another good option is the Vegetable Upma, a dish made from cream of wheat with tomatoes, beans,and peas, should serve as an ideal meal on a flight. The spice is very negligent if any and tastes really yummy.
Virtue signaling is Democrats asking Katie hill and al Franken to resign while the rapist is in the white house. Virtue signaling is next Democrat president trying to be president of everyone instead of throwing the Republicans under the bus.
Climate change is not virtue signaling. Frankly we don’t care if your kids and grand kids roast in soaring temperatures or lack of potable water or have to fight off hordes of climate refugee. Too bad we won’t be around to see their crappy life.
Agree with you on both the Hill and Franken resignations…both absurd. I’m in Schiff’s district, but Hill’s is next door. Three-way with staff? Let the voters decide if that is an issue or no issue at all.
I never said climate change is virtue signaling. I simply note the irony of some airlines talking about banning hot towels or reducing meal service “for the environment” when their growth and profitability is dependent upon spewing out toxins into the air…
Don’t feed the troll, Matthew…this one was so bad I think Lucky ended up banning them…
Not all my comments are directed towards the author of the article.
I have also had this meal in United Business and was surprised at how delicious it was. As a 1k vegetarian flyer I really wish United Stepped up their veg offering. The last few veg options I’ve had in Polaris Business have been horrible and I keep wondering why they don’t offer the simple paneer as it’s a much better choice!
I don’t think I can agree. I’m no stranger to strong spice and odor, but strong smelling food has a way of permeating enclosed spaces. The Alaska flight I was on yesterday when the flight attendant opened her broccolli something or other; two hours later and the cabin still smelled like boiled broccolli. Indian cooking traditionally tends to overdose on spices to compensate for low quality or par-spoiled ingredients. This isn’t unique to Indian cooking, mind you, the ingredients they use are just circumstancially problematic with a captive audience.
OMG! Please no to Indian foods on airplanes, no one would like to smell like coconut oil or butter curry at final stop. Secondly, many people now has fragrance allergy and it would nightmare to have a smelly flight and lastly no one want to sleep in kitchen, with Indian foods whole plane would smell like an indian kitchen, so hell no to indian foods.
Also do not forget about farts after consuming indian spices.
It would be nice of United and all the domestic carriers start using halal meat(s), so it would be all inclusive of everyone to enjoy. It is not as strict as kosher, and is readily available now. By doing this, you would have to serve less special meals, which could be a cost saver.
Agreed.
That’s less than 2% of the population. And that’s assuming they all care about eating halal to begin with…
Even being an true blue indian I never order one on flight. Airlines food should be nice simple and non offensive. Continental or Thai cuisine goes well. My worst experience was on Changi Jakarta flight with Singapore airlines , where they had served mutton kima curry with paratha. Taste was good but the whole plane was smelling like a restaurant kitchen .
They could also add eggplant , okra and other vegetables cooked in Indian curries.
I had chicken tikka masala from MIA to IAH last year and it was excellent as well.
I also request the Hindu meal ex-Asia because UA catering is pretty suspect from there, the options have always been extremely tasty, even the midflight sandwich in economy is good. It is a cucumber/mint sandwich vs the process cheese/meat.
I never knew they served meals on US domestic flights! Was this in economy or first class?
First class.