REAL Turmat Asian Curry Review

Overview

REAL Turmat is made in Tromsø by Drytech, which has supplied field rations to the Armed Forces since 1989.

The civilian Turmat line carries that same pedigree into the hiking market, and the Asian Curry is one of the brand’s few fully vegan offerings.

It’s a vegan meal built around a rich mix of vegetables and plant protein — aubergine, edamame, spinach, and tomato simmered in coconut milk with lime and a blend of gentle spices.

At 115 g dry and 537 kcal, it slots comfortably into a multi-day pack for anyone who wants warm, plant-based dinners without compromise on dietary restrictions.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Dry Weight	115 g (4.1 oz)
Prepared Weight	480 g (16.9 oz)
Calories	537 kcal
Caloric Density	~4.7 kcal/g (~133 kcal/oz)
Protein	16.8 g
Carbohydrates	55.9 g
Fat	25.8 g
Sodium	~975 mg (2.45 g salt)
Water Required	350 ml
Rehydration Time	~8 min (hot water)
Shelf Life	5–7 years
Dietary	Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Milk-free
Allergens	Soy
Comparison	See how Asian Curry compares to similar gear

Performance

Caloric density and nutrition

At ~133 kcal/oz, the Asian Curry clears the 100 kcal/oz benchmark that most ultralight hikers use as a floor — comfortably. For context, that puts it ahead of a lot of budget supermarket trail food, though not quite as calorie-dense as some of the high-fat options from competitors. The protein figure — 16.8 g — is serviceable but worth noting: for a 537-calorie meal, that works out to around 12.5% of calories from protein. If you’re doing big mileage days and banking on dinner to aid recovery, you may want to supplement with a protein-rich snack alongside.

The ingredient deck is anchored by rice and a 12% pea protein component (58% pea protein concentrate, with rapeseed oil, spices, and yeast extract), alongside coconut milk, green soybeans at 6.3%, bell pepper and aubergine each at 5.6%, spinach, tomato, ginger, and lime juice.

It’s a genuinely varied list for a freeze-dried meal, and that variety shows up in the bowl.

Flavor and texture

The dish offers a satisfying blend of flavors and textures from the combination of rice, aubergine, and pea protein chunks — with spices that are balanced rather than aggressive, carrying a subtle heat.

The aubergine pieces retained their shape and texture, adding to the sense of this being a real meal

— which, in freeze-dried food, is genuinely unusual. Mushy vegetables are the default mode for most pouches at this price point; intact aubergine is not.

The lightly spiced recipe adds a touch of character while remaining approachable.

That’s accurate — this isn’t a dish designed to clear sinuses. If you’re expecting a fiery Thai or Indian-style curry, recalibrate. Think of it as a well-seasoned Asian-inflected stew: warming, coconut-forward, mildly gingery. That makes it very crowd-friendly, but spice-heads will find it tame.

Rehydration

Preparation is straightforward: tear the top of the bag, add hot water (70–100°C) to the marked level, stir well, and seal with the zip lock. After 8 minutes, stir again and it’s ready.

The rehydration is consistently thorough, and from what’s been reported across multiple reviews, the rice hydrates evenly without leaving dry clumps.

One practical note worth flagging: one reviewer testing the meal with a precise measured pour found the recommended water amount resulted in a watery dish. I’d suggest starting closer to 330 ml and adding a splash more if it looks too thick after the first stir — easier to loosen than to fix a soup.

Stoveless use

The meal can be rehydrated with cold water, with extra preparation time allowed. This flexibility makes it a practical option when conditions don’t allow you to heat water.

For stoveless adventures, it cold soaks really well too.

For SUL hikers running an alcohol stove or no stove at all, that’s a meaningful tick in the “yes” column.

Packaging

The packaging is well considered, with a clear volume marking so you know exactly how much water to add, a resealable top for while the meal is rehydrating, and a second tear-off level for easier eating out of the packet.

The meals are vacuum-packed rock hard, so squeezing the package lets you determine if the food is still protected from moisture.

A hard pack means good to go; any give beyond slight flex is a sign to inspect further.

The shelf life is 5 to 7 years thanks to vacuum packing and freeze-drying — a process that preserves taste, consistency, and color without using preservatives or oxygen absorbers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Genuine vegetable texture — aubergine and edamame hold up post-rehydration
• Clean dietary profile: vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, milk-free
• Solid caloric density at ~133 kcal/oz
• Thorough, even rehydration with clear fill-line guidance
• Cold-soak capable — viable for stoveless setups
• 5–7 year shelf life with no preservatives
• Compact vacuum-sealed pouch with thoughtful eat-from-the-bag design

Cons

• Spice level is mild — not the right pick if you want real heat
• 16.8 g protein is low relative to calorie count for hard-effort recovery
• Water measurement sensitive — slightly too much produces a thin, watery texture
• Soy allergen (soy sauce) rules it out for some dietary needs despite the otherwise clean label
• Price sits at the premium end of the freeze-dried market
• No internal fill line on the pouch — exterior only, harder to read in low light

Who Should Buy This

This meal is well-suited to plant-based backpackers who’ve been burned by bland, gummy vegan freeze-dried options before. It performed well across winter hiking conditions for reviewers who favor a hot meal stop and prioritize plant-based options. It’s also a smart pick for anyone managing multiple dietary restrictions simultaneously — the vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free combination covers a lot of common bases in a single pouch. Stoveless or cold-soak hikers will appreciate the flexibility. Less suited to hikers who benchmark their dinners by protein content or those who want a genuinely spicy meal.

Verdict

The REAL Turmat Asian Curry does the hard thing well: it delivers actual vegetable texture and coherent flavor in a format that checks nearly every dietary restriction box, all from a pouch that packs flat. The mild spicing and modest protein count are real trade-offs, and you’ll want to dial back the water slightly to avoid a soupy result. But as a vegan freeze-dried dinner that doesn’t taste like it was designed by committee, it earns its place in the pack.

Rating: 7.5 / 10