1. A Big Batch of Hearty Dal
A pot of dal is the cornerstone of Indian comfort food, and it’s a meal prep champion. Whether you prefer a simple dal tadka, a rich dal makhani, or a wholesome panchmel dal, the principle is the same. You can cook a large batch on the weekend, and it will
only get more flavourful over the next few days. To prepare, simply cook your chosen lentils until soft. You can then either temper the entire batch at once or store the plain cooked dal and do a fresh tadka for each meal. Dal freezes beautifully, so you can portion it into containers for future weeks. On a busy, rainy evening, all you need to do is reheat the dal and serve it with rice or roti for a nourishing meal that feels like a warm hug.
2. The Ever-Comforting Khichdi
Khichdi is the quintessential one-pot meal, revered for being both soothing and nutritious. It’s also incredibly adaptable for meal prep. You can prepare a large pot of basic moong dal khichdi and enjoy it throughout the week with different accompaniments like yogurt, papad, and pickles. For a simplified prep process, create ‘khichdi jars’ by layering the correct proportions of rice, dal, and dry spices. When you’re ready to cook, just empty the jar into a pot, add water and chopped vegetables, and cook until done. You can also pre-chop vegetables like carrots, peas, and beans and store them in the fridge, making your weeknight khichdi even faster to assemble.
3. Versatile Sambar Base
Sambar, the flavourful South Indian lentil and vegetable stew, is a perfect make-ahead dish for the monsoon. Its magic lies in its versatility. You can prepare a large quantity of the base—cooked toor dal blended with tamarind pulp and sambar powder—and refrigerate or freeze it. One popular meal-prep hack involves freezing the concentrated sambar base in ice cube trays. Whenever you crave sambar, simply melt a few cubes in a pot with hot water, add your choice of fresh or pre-chopped vegetables like drumsticks, carrots, or pumpkin, and simmer until cooked. This way, you can enjoy fresh-tasting sambar with idli, dosa, or rice any day of the week with minimal effort.
4. Make-Ahead Masala Chai Concentrate
Rainy days are incomplete without a cup of hot masala chai. To avoid the hassle of brewing it from scratch multiple times a day, a chai concentrate is the answer. Simply simmer water with your favourite whole spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, then add tea leaves and let it brew into a strong decoction. After straining, you can store this concentrate in a bottle in the fridge for up to a week. When you want a cup of tea, just mix the concentrate with hot milk in a 1:1 ratio, add sweetener if you like, and your perfect cup of chai is ready in seconds. You can even freeze the concentrate in ice cube trays for longer storage.
5. A Versatile Curry Base or Sabzi Prep
The foundation of many Indian curries is a flavourful base, often made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. You can prepare a large batch of this 'bhuna masala' and store it for up to a week. When you need a quick meal, simply take a portion of the base, add vegetables or a protein like paneer or chickpeas, and your curry is ready in minutes. Alternatively, you can prep for a dry dish like Aloo Gobi. Wash, chop, and store the potatoes and cauliflower. You can also mix the required dry spices like turmeric, cumin, and coriander powder in a small container. When it's time to cook, everything is ready to be tossed into the pan, drastically cutting down your cooking time on a dreary evening.
