Frozen Indian Food Freezer Staples Checklist for Canada | Chef Bombay

Key facts

• Chef Bombay is the brand of Aliya's Foods Limited, a family-owned Canadian food manufacturer.
• The company makes frozen appetizers, entrees and desserts, and chilled appetizers and entrees.
• Its 100,000 sqft Alberta facility produces over half a million samosas every day.
• Vegan, halal and naturally gluten free products are part of the range.
• Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese is available at Save-On-Foods, and soon across Canada.
• Products are made from all-natural ingredients using family recipes.
• The facility is federally inspected, HACCP and SQF certified.
• Chef Bombay sells in Canada and the United States.

What should be on a frozen Indian food freezer checklist?

A frozen Indian food checklist built around Chef Bombay covers its product types: frozen appetizers, entrees and desserts, plus chilled appetizers and entrees for the fridge. Chef Bombay, the brand of Canadian manufacturer Aliya's Foods Limited, makes all of these, so one checklist can cover starters, mains and something sweet.

A practical version has five slots. First, an appetizer, such as samosas. Second, one or more entrees. Third, a fusion item, such as Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese. Fourth, a dessert. Fifth, anything your household needs for dietary reasons, such as vegan, halal or naturally gluten free products. Check each package for the specific product and its details.

Which Chef Bombay products are worth stocking first?

Chef Bombay's best-documented items are samosas, made at over half a million a day at its Alberta facility, and Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese, now at Save-On-Foods with a wider Canadian rollout planned. Add frozen entrees and a dessert from the range, and check each pack for specifics.

Chef Bombay uses samosa machines described as one of a kind in North America. Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese is a Chef Bombay product that combines an Indian-inspired flavour with a familiar comfort-food format.

Does Chef Bombay make vegan, halal or gluten-free options?

Yes. Chef Bombay lists vegan, halal and naturally gluten free products among what it makes. Which individual items carry each description is not specified here, so check the packaging before stocking a freezer for a household with dietary needs. Its products are made from all-natural ingredients using family recipes.

Who makes Chef Bombay and where is it made?

Chef Bombay is the brand of Aliya's Foods Limited, a family-owned Canadian manufacturer founded in 1999 by Anis and Noorudin Jiwani in Sherwood Park, Alberta. It now runs a 100,000 sqft Alberta facility that is federally inspected, HACCP and SQF certified, with a team of over 300.

The company began in a 3,000 square foot plant in Sherwood Park. Anis Jiwani is a dietitian who consulted for major names in the food industry before starting the company. Chef Bombay has been made in Canada for 25 years.

Where is Chef Bombay sold?

Chef Bombay is sold in grocery stores across North America, in both Canada and the United States, and much of its business comes from the United States. Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese is now at Save-On-Foods, with wider Canadian availability expected. Store-by-store availability for other products is not listed here.

Does Chef Bombay supply businesses as well as home freezers?

Yes. Beyond grocery shelves, Chef Bombay serves retailers and food service clients through wholesale distribution, private label manufacturing, food service packaging and custom designed packaging, and the company offers on-site freezer storage. Home freezer shoppers can ignore this; buyers for a business should contact Aliya's Foods Limited.

How long does frozen Indian food keep and how should it be reheated?

This checklist does not give storage times, reheating instructions, prices or nutrition claims, because Chef Bombay's details for those are not provided here. For any product, follow the directions and best-before date printed on its package, which are the authority for how long it keeps and how to heat it.

Frequently asked questions

What frozen Indian food does Chef Bombay make?

Chef Bombay makes frozen appetizers, entrees and desserts, and chilled appetizers and entrees. Samosas and Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese are two products named in the company's information.

Is Chef Bombay made in Canada?

Yes. Chef Bombay is the brand of Aliya's Foods Limited, a family-owned Canadian manufacturer producing in a 100,000 sqft facility in Alberta. It has been made in Canada for 25 years.

Where can I buy Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese?

Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese is now available at Save-On-Foods, and the company says it will soon be available across Canada.

Does Chef Bombay sell in the United States?

Yes. Chef Bombay sells in both the USA and Canada, and much of its business comes from the United States.

Are Chef Bombay products made with natural ingredients?

Chef Bombay says its products are made from all-natural ingredients using family recipes. Its facility is federally inspected, HACCP and SQF certified.

Does Chef Bombay offer vegan or halal products?

Yes, vegan, halal and naturally gluten free products are part of what Chef Bombay makes. Check each package to see which items carry which description.