Journey to India Mini Naanpanadas

We love Indian food in my house. We also enjoy Mexican food, including empanadas, which are a type of turnover or pastry filled with meat, cheese, vegetables, and/or seasonings popular in Southern European, Latin American, and Filipino cultures. Aldi has been known to sell a variety of ethnic foods, and recently, the grocer offered a blending of Indian and Latin American food when it sold Journey to India naanpanadas, which is a wordplay based on naan (a flatbread common in western and southern Asia) and empanadas. Aldi’s naanpanadas look similar to samosas, a traditional Indian pastry.

Journey to India Mini Naanpanadas cost $4.79 per 10.2-oz. box at the time of publication, and they’re found in the freezer section. They are Aldi Finds (Special Buys), which means they are only in stores for a limited time.

They come with 12 naanpanadas (3 servings) per box and are available in two varieties: Butter Chicken and Chickpea Curry. They are described as Indian butter chicken or curried chickpeas wrapped in a golden naan crust. Both come with tamarind dipping sauce.

They’re a product of Canada, and the box states they are “a registered trademark of Aliya’s Foods Limited.” Aliya’s Foods Limited manufactures Indian food (including samosas, chicken tikka masala, beef vindaloo, butter chicken, pakora, and also naanpanadas) under the Chef Bombay name, and some Chef Bombay products can be found at Walmart. Aliya’s Foods Limited is based out of Alberta, Canada, where its products are all prepared.

The box for the Journey to India naanpanadas has instructions for baking them from frozen in the oven. To do so, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the frozen naanpanadas from the packaging and place on a baking sheet. Cook for 14-15 minutes on the middle rack, flipping halfway through the cooking time. Remove carefully from the oven, and let stand 2 minutes before serving. They should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

If you’re looking out for allergens, both of these varieties contain wheat and milk.

My family members who enjoy samosas liked both of the naanpanada flavors. While they look like samosas, the crust is not flaky like samosas. It’s more of a thin doughy bread, like an empanada, not surprisingly.

Here’s a closer look at each of the flavors:

Journey to India Butter Chicken Mini Naanpanadas

Journey to India Butter Chicken Mini Naanpanadas nutrition info and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

These feature a pastry made with ingredients including enriched wheat flour, yogurt, and butter, with a filling that includes chicken, onions, mozzarella cheese, potatoes, whipping cream, crushed tomatoes, garlic, ginger, salt, butter, yogurt, paprika, and turmeric. The ingredients list is fairly straightforward, with mostly easily recognizable foods.

These are full of rich, seasoned chicken and sauce. One of my family members who does not like Indian food as much even ate a few bites of one of these.

A 4-piece serving plus 1 tablespoon of sauce (95 grams) has 220 calories, 6 grams of total fat (8% DV), 2 grams of saturated fat (10% DV), 350 mg of sodium (15% DV), 33 grams of total carbohydrates (12% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), 5 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of added sugars (only in the sauce), and 9 grams of protein.

Journey to India Chickpea Curry Mini Naanpanadas

Journey to India Chickpea Curry Mini Naanpanadas nutrition info and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

These feature a pastry made with wheat flour, yogurt, and butter, with a filling of ingredients including chickpeas, mozzarella cheese, onions, crushed tomatoes, garlic, ginger, salt, and turmeric. Again, the ingredients in the list are pretty easy to identify.

These are a little more spicy than their butter chicken counterparts, but they’re not overly spicy. We enjoyed the blend of chickpeas and seasonings.

A 4-piece serving plus 1 tablespoon of sauce (95 grams) has 210 calories, 7 grams of total fat (9% DV), 1.5 grams of saturated fat (8% DV), 410 mg of sodium (18% DV), 32 grams of total carbohydrates (12% DV), 3 grams of dietary fiber (11% DV), 9 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of added sugars (only in the sauce), 7 grams of protein.

The Verdict:

Journey to India Mini Naanpanadas come in Butter Chicken and Chickpea Curry flavors. They’re a combination of Indian naan and Latin American empanadas. They look a bit like samosas, but the crust is different. If you like Indian food, you’ll probably enjoy this unique appetizer.