Maggi Magic Meals : Ayam Masak Merah

Ayam Masak Merah - just dump the meat in the bag and dump the bag in the rice cooker.





Yes, it's a new product from Maggi which comes in 3 different variants : Aromatic Chicken Curry, Spiced Soya Chicken and SavoryTomato Chicken (Ayam Masak Merah).  Of the 3 variants, what enticed me most was the Ayam Masak Merah though I honestly have not the slightest notion how it could be translated to  "Tomato Chicken" in English. Anyway, I tried it out today and I bet my colleagues are fervently waiting for my feedback.



That's how it looks like right after I've completed the cooking. Yea.. I mentioned rice cooker but I ain't have one at home so I substitute it with my steamer pot instead.

To start off, it is an awfully convenient way of cooking a dish in a rice cooker.  Just throw in the chicken parts into the Maggi cooking bag provided, add in the packet of seasoning, seal the bag and lastly, place the bag on top of the rice and switch on the rice cooker. Once rice is cooked, leave it on at "Warm" mode for another 25 mins. Chicken will be totally cooked and you've just completed a dish while the rice cooker was cooking the rice for you. Now... isn't that convenient especially for people like me who's constantly complaining of 'insufficient time'?

Magic Meals comes in 3 variants.

 I bet you are worried about placing a plastic bag in the rice cooker for health reasons. Well, the bag used was of food grade and tested to be safe and durable under the heat. Apparently, this method of cooking is not new in the market, I was told but it's definitely the first time I've heard of it.

 

Okay now.. my verdict on the taste. While it's no doubt a perfectly convenient way of getting a dish ready to eat, it doesn't have the 'wow' factor when it comes to taste. It's edible nonetheless but to me, it is lacking in the flavor. Perhaps I should try marinating the chicken in the bag for a longer period before throwing it into the rice cooker. This way the taste would probably absorb into the meat to give a more intense and kicking taste. 

Another angle of the Ayam Masak Merah from Maggi Magic Meals

 Although it says just add chicken and onion rings in the bag, I've added some tomatoes in it because it just doesn't do any justice to the name "Savory Tomato Chicken" if I don't add any real tomotoes in. 

 Dont' just rely on my verdict. Go grab a packet of these Magic Meals. It's available now in most major hypermart (except Tesco Paradigmn!). Try it out this fun and convenient way of cooking and let me know of your verdict instead. Have fun!