If you like meal preps, you'll love make-ahead meals. These are meals which can be freezer-stocked and kept fresh for at least 5 days. So you can have a home-cooked meal every week night and reserve takeouts just for the weekend! If you're already a fan of batch cooking, making make-ahead meals would be especially easy for you in Indian kitchens where a selection of handy spices, condiments, dried fruits, chickpeas, lentils, yoghurt, poha is usually available, give or take a few exceptions.
Some Indian ingredients like Paneer, Sambhar, Rajma etc freeze exceptionally well. Most curries (even meat ones) and chutneys are freezable as well; in case they contain starchy vegetables like potatoes, it's best to freeze them in portions. So, if you're planning to give make-ahead meals a go to save some time from your busy schedule, make a note of some helpful pointers:
Cool Before Freezing
Indian food, especially dals and curies should be completely cooled down to room temperature before freezing. You can cool the dishes on the lower shelf of the fridge for 30 minutes before freezing. If you store a bag or container with hot food along with an already frozen one, it might defrost slightly, creating a safety breach.
Divide Larger Batches Into Smaller Portions
To freeze food or sauces in small portions, you can freeze soup, stew, or sauce in muffin cups or ice cube trays, and then transfer them to freezer bags once frozen.Meat, poultry, or fish can be frozen in individual pieces or servings. The goal is to minimize the need to open the container, helping to maintain freshness. If you plan to store leftovers within 3 to 4 days, store them in the refrigerator below 40°F (4°C).
Consider Both Long-Term And Short-Term Storage Options
A cooked dal or lentil chops, a large side of baked tofu or paneer, stovetop tikkas, idli podi, quinoa upma, soya cutlets can be stored in the freezer for 4-5 days. They don’t contain fresh-cut veggies but instead have plant-based proteins which are ideal for batch cooking. Moreover, if you’re planning on making a large portion of some grilled chicken or tandoor and want to use some of it in your salads, or sandwiches later in the week, you can do that.
Midway through the week, take stock of what’s left in your freezer and use up the cooked items to clear space.
Consider Freezing Batter
It’s much easier to freeze batter since most batters can last in the freezer up to a month if kept in an airtight container. If you’re keen on consuming fresher food, you can store batter in an airtight consider and wrap it in a cling film just to be safe and use it to make dosas, pancakes or fries