The Cumin Club Review 2024: The Taste of India!

Cumin Club Menu: Authentic Indian Food

The menu features a selection of 30+ traditional dishes prepared and cooked by expert Indian chefs from various regions of the country. To make it easier to browse, the menu is split into 7 food categories: Simmer Sauces, Curries, Lentils, Millets and Rice, All Day Eats, One Pot, and Desserts.

All the dishes are 100% vegetarian and include only natural ingredients (no preservatives). This makes The Cumin Club’s recipes a great option for those of you who want to follow the principles of clean eating. 

To provide an authentic dining experience that’s difficult to find elsewhere, The Cumin Club uses high-quality ingredients and spices that are specific to each region of India. Additionally, the meals are cooked by authentic Indian chefs who follow traditional recipes. This dedication to authenticity is evident in the depth of flavors and the variety offered.

Meal Options: Plenty of Variety & Dietary Options

The Cumin Club features different authentic recipes from various regions of India. From the spicy flavors of the North to the tangy and savory dishes of the South, the menu is a culinary journey through India's diverse food landscape.

You can choose between 30+ vegetarian recipes cooked by Indian chefs using traditional spices. This ensures you get to explore the true taste of Indian food, which is extremely flavorful. Also, with every new addition to the menu, you have the chance to try new textures and spices. 

The menu doesn’t rotate weekly, but I don’t think you’ll have time to get bored. With each delivery, you can choose between curries, lentils, dishes based on millet or rice, and more. Plus, if you have a pressure cooker, you can put it to good use – there are around 5 recipes that need to be cooked with pressure.

The Cumin Club's menu is thoughtfully designed to accommodate your meal planning needs for lunch and dinner throughout the week. Almost all dishes work well for lunch and dinner, and you have around 3 delicious dessert options as well. 

I also find the menu is well-equipped to cater to a range of dietary needs, such as vegan, gluten-free, peanuts-, tree nuts- and soy-free. There’s also a good selection of high-protein meals, so almost anyone can enjoy these amazingly flavorful recipes.

Be Adventurous with the Bundles Option

There’s also a Bundles section, where you can select predefined bundles that allow you to try a little bit of everything (5 recipes in every bundle). At the moment of my review, there were 3 options available: Bestsellers Bundle, Vegan Bundle, and Intro to Indian Food Bundle.

Once you've chosen your main dishes, the website conveniently suggests a selection of sides as add-ons, including Chutney, Papad, Rotis, and more, enhancing your dining experience. Additionally, not all dishes are designed to test your spice tolerance. In fact, the menu includes several mild recipes perfect for those with a lower spice threshold or children.

Cumin Club Offers Ready-to-Eat Meals (No Customization)

All the dishes on The Cumin Club menu come almost ready to eat. Usually, you only have to add water according to the instructions on the package. Therefore, it’s easy to see why the company doesn’t offer any customization options when it comes to ingredients. 

However, you are free to experiment with your food at home. For instance, even though these meals are 100% vegetarian, no one will stop you from adding the sauteed meat of your choice to the curry. You are also free to add spices, but make sure you taste the original recipe first.

Filters Make It Easier to Find the Food You Want

You can filter the dishes on the menu by level of spiciness, dietary needs, and place of origin. This way, it’s easier and faster to find the recipes you want. Speaking of spiciness, each dish clearly indicates how hot it is underneath the presentation image.

You also have the option to filter based on the equipment you need to prepare the food. For instance, if you don’t own a pressure cooker, you can filter out the One Pot dishes by checking the Does Not Require Instapot/Cooker checkbox under the Equipment filter.

Cumin Club’s Menu at a Glance 

Unboxing: Shelf-Stable Meals in Sealed Packages

Your meals arrive in a regular cardboard box (curbside recyclable), neatly stacked and individually packed. Unlike Green Chef or HelloFresh meal kits, where you have to keep the ingredients in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them, The Cumin Club meals are shelf-stable. They stay fresh for around 4 weeks in your pantry at room temperature.

Each meal has clear cooking instructions, list of ingredients, nutritional facts, and Best Before date printed on the packaging. You’ll also notice the food doesn’t contain any preservatives and that all the ingredients are natural and easy to recognize. However, I didn’t like that the bags that contain the food are not recyclable.

Cooking With the Cumin Club: No Culinary Skills Required

The Cumin Club delivers meal kits that require minimum preparation before you can enjoy a delicious dish. Unlike traditional meal kit services, you don’t have to prep and cook the ingredients. Most meals only need around 5 minutes from the moment you’ve opened the bag to transform into hot, steamy goodness.

This is due to the revolutionary method The Cumin Club uses to preserve ready-made foods. These meals are freeze-dried to retain all the flavors and nutrients and have a longer shelf-life than foods that are delivered fresh. The Cumin Club co-founder, Ragoth Bala, told us more about this method in an interview with my colleague.

Most recipes need to be mixed with a bit of boiling water and are ready to enjoy. Several recipes require a few extra steps and equipment (like a pressure cooker), but everything is explained clearly on the website and on the food package. Plus, you can see a short how-to video for each recipe if you check The Cumin Club’s blog section.

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

I like that The Cumin Club features a variety of flavors and meal types, but this makes it difficult to choose favorites. Therefore, for this section, I chose recipes marked as bestsellers on the menu.   

Paneer Butter Masala

A staple of Indian cuisine, this rich and creamy dish features succulent cubes of Indian cottage cheese (paneer) that are gently simmered in a flavorful gravy. The base of the sauce is a smooth blend of tomatoes and onions, thickened with cashews for an extra layer of flavor. Ground spices add depth and complexity, while a generous amount of butter gives the curry its characteristic velvety texture and luxurious taste.

To cook it, you only need a pot of boiling water and the package from The Cumin Club. Follow the instructions to ensure the flavors meld together beautifully. This dish is best served hot, accompanied by roti (which you can get as a side dish), for a satisfying and hearty meal.

Despite its indulgent nature, Paneer Butter Masala is not too over the top when it comes to calories. Each serving contains 420 calories, 6.4 grams of protein, and 30.4 grams of carbs. 

Sambar Idly

This traditional South Indian dish pairs fluffy steamed rice cakes (idly) with a tangy and spicy stew known as sambar, which is rich in lentils and mixed vegetables. The result is a harmonious blend of textures and tastes that prove simplicity does not sacrifice depth of flavor.

Due to the special preservation technique used by The Cumin Club, you can have an authentic Sambar Idly in less than 10 minutes. All you need is boiling water, a wide bottom pan, and the food package. 

To bring everything together, add some chutney (available as a side dish). This dish serves as a hearty breakfast or a light dinner, catering to various dietary preferences and times of day. Plus, each serving boasts a modest 128 calories, making it an ideal choice for those monitoring their caloric intake.

Thinai Bisibelebath

This dish is a modern twist on the classic South Indian dish, making it a perfect vegan-friendly meal. It uses foxtail millet, a nutritious and sustainable grain, as its base, cooked in a rich and tangy stew that combines tamarind, lentils, vegetables, and a blend of ground spices. 

This combination delivers a hearty and flavorful dish that is both satisfying and aligns with a plant-based diet. However, it requires a pressure cooker, so it’s a bit more complex to cook. 

Each serving packs 248 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 43 grams of carbohydrates. So, if you’re looking to enjoy a balanced meal that is rich in flavors and health benefits, this dish is an excellent choice.

Prices: Good Deals for Larger Orders

Prices with The Cumin Club start at $5.99 per serving, with the largest box size, which is 20+ meals per box. You can order as many meals as you want over the initial 20, but if you want a smaller box size, you’ll pay $6.99 per serving for 10+ meals and $8.49 per serving for 5+ meals per box.

Additionally, you can add as many side dishes as you want. Each side dish is $3.49 per item, and you can choose recommended side dishes for the meals you selected, or you can add whichever side dishes suit your fancy. 

If you choose bundles, each box has a selection of 5 meals, which makes it a 5-meals box size. Therefore, you’ll pay $37.45 per bundle (there is no shipping fee). However, if you choose all 3 bundles, The Cumin Club will remove the recipes that overlap and combine everything into a new box of 10 meals. This means you’ll pay $59.90 per box.

Lastly, The Cumin Club offers a 100% money-back guarantee on your first order. If you don’t like the food, you can send everything back for a full refund.

Shipping & Delivery: A Wide Reach

The company delivers to the US, Canada, the UK, and India. In the US, The Cumin Club delivers nationwide via services like UPS or FedEx. 

Delivery usually takes 3 to 5 business days from the moment the order starts making its way to your home. While you can’t choose your delivery day, you can track your order in real time via the tracking link you’ll receive via email.

How The Cumin Club Works (Step by Step Guide)

To start a subscription, you have to place your first order. With The Cumin Club, you can have orders delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, and you are free to change the content of your order or skip as needed. The cutoff date is 1 business day before your order ships out.

How to Sign Up

1. Start building your box: On The Cumin Club home page, click on the Build Your Box button.

2. Add meals to your box: Start by choosing the box size you want (5, 10, or 20 meals), and then select the meals from the menu. You can choose from whichever menu section you like.

3. Add side dishes (optional): Once you’re done selecting the mains, your cart panel will open up on the right side of the screen. Here, you’ll see a list of all the meals you selected and the option to add side dishes.

Click on the Add Recommended Sides at the bottom of the list to add the sides recommended by The Cumin Club, or choose whichever ones you like. If you don’t want any side dishes, you can skip this step. 

4. Go to checkout: Click on the Checkout button. Here, choose your frequency preferences (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) and add your account details, shipping address, and payment method. Review your order and click on Pay Now if everything is in order.

5. Wait for the confirmation email: The email will include a link to your newly-created account and additional information about your order. 

Managing Your Subscription

The Cumin Club makes it easy to manage your order using your online account. You can skip upcoming orders, pause your meal plan for as long as you need, swap meals, change delivery frequency, or cancel whenever you want to.

The only request is that you change your subscription 1 business day before the following order ships out. To see when your order is scheduled for shipping, check the Orders menu section in your account.

After you’ve received the shipping confirmation email for the current order, you still have a 12-hour window at your disposal for cancellations. So, if you want to cancel, reply to the order confirmation email asking The Cumin Club team to stop the delivery. If your email reaches them in time, your order will be canceled.

Customer Service: Easy-to-Find Information

While the company doesn’t offer a phone number, I didn’t encounter any issues communicating with the customer service team. There is an email address, a contact form, and a chatbot, and you can use whichever channel best suits your needs.

I sent them an email asking about menu changes and rotation, and I received a well-thought and helpful reply within 3 minutes. You can also find The Cumin Club on social media networks like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

But before you reach out to the customer service team, make sure to check the FAQ section (named Help on the website) and the blog. The blog also features how-to videos for each recipe, so if you have any doubts about how to cook a meal, you’ll find step-by-step instructions there.

How The Cumin Club Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

The Cumin Club vs. Factor: If you value a diverse menu and meals ready in a flash, Factor is your go-to. Its eclectic, weekly-rotating menu features ready-made meals inspired by global cuisines. However, if your heart (and stomach) is set on Indian meals, The Cumin Club is still the best option.

The Cumin Club vs. Green Chef: With a passport of flavors and a commitment to organic ingredients, Green Chef is the best choice for diners who appreciate culinary diversity. Still, The Cumin Club remains the go-to choice if your taste buds are loyal to the rich and diverse flavors of Indian cuisine.

The Cumin Club vs. Blue Apron: Blue Apron offers a smorgasbord of cuisines that sometimes include Indian dishes. Its menu is varied, from kid-friendly meals to gourmet recipes, and when you don’t feel like cooking, you can try ready-made meals. However, if you dream of spices and crave the true taste of Indian cooking, The Cumin Club remains unmatched.

The Bottom Line: Is The Cumin Club Worth It?

If you like traditional, authentic Indian food, then yes, The Cumin Club is a great option.  I also think the price is affordable, and the subscription is quite flexible, so it’s easy to tweak it to your needs.

However, if you’re more of a fan of world cuisine, you may want to consider Factor or Green Chef instead. Factor features ready-made meals inspired by various cuisines, such as Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean, and sometimes Indian. Green Chef offers meal kits and steps it up a notch by using organic ingredients most of the time.

FAQ

Is The Cumin Club vegan?

The Cumin Club’s menu is 100% vegetarian, but it does feature a good selection of vegan meals as well. Additionally, you’ll find many gluten-free and soy-free meals (among other dietary restrictions).

How much does The Cumin Club subscription cost?

Depending on the box size you order, prices range between $37.45 (5 meals per box) and $99.8 (20 meals per box) without any side dishes. The cost per meal varies between $4.99 and $7.49 per meal, which is quite affordable.

How spicy are The Cumin Club meals?

You can customize the level of spice in your meals by selecting recipes that fit your level of tolerance. However, most of the recipes on The Cumin Club’s menu are at a medium level of spiciness.