Why Bother with Batch Cooking?
Let’s be honest, cooking a fresh meal every single night is a tall order. For a bachelor juggling work, life, and everything in between, it often feels impossible. That’s where batch cooking comes in. The idea is simple: invest a couple of hours over
the weekend to prepare foundational sauces, and you set yourself up for incredibly fast, delicious, and healthy meals all week long. It saves a significant amount of money compared to ordering in, reduces food waste, and, most importantly, eliminates the dreaded daily question of “What’s for dinner?” By having a ready-to-go base, you’re just 15 minutes away from a home-cooked curry that tastes like it took hours to prepare.
The Ultimate North Indian Base: Onion-Tomato Masala
This is the mother of most North Indian curries. It’s a rich, flavourful sauce made from slowly caramelised onions, tangy tomatoes, and the essential ginger-garlic paste. To make it, heat some oil in a large pan and sauté finely chopped onions until they are soft and golden brown; this is the most crucial step for developing flavour, so be patient. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute until fragrant. Then, stir in pureed tomatoes and basic spice powders like turmeric, red chilli powder, and coriander powder. Let this mixture simmer until it thickens and you see the oil begin to separate from the masala. Once cooled, this base is your canvas.
From One Base to Many Dishes
With your onion-tomato base ready, making dinner is a breeze. Want Chana Masala? Heat up the base, add a splash of water, throw in some boiled chickpeas, and finish with a sprinkle of garam masala. Craving Paneer Butter Masala? Sauté cubes of paneer, add them to the base along with a bit of cream or cashew paste, and your rich, creamy curry is ready. You can do the same with boiled eggs for a quick Egg Curry, mixed vegetables for a hearty Veg Sabzi, or pre-cooked chicken for a simple Chicken Masala. Each dish will have its own character, yet all spring from the same time-saving foundation.
The Go-To South Indian Base: Coconut & Spice
South Indian curries often feature a lighter, distinctively tangy or coconut-based gravy. A versatile base can be made by grinding fresh or desiccated coconut with a bit of water to form a smooth paste. To build the flavour, start by tempering spices like mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chillies in coconut oil. Add some chopped onions and sauté until translucent. You can then add your coconut paste along with turmeric powder and a souring agent like tamarind paste or chopped tomatoes. Simmer this mixture gently until the raw taste of the coconut disappears and the gravy is fragrant. This base is lighter than its Northern counterpart but just as versatile.
Effortless South Indian Meals
This coconut-based sauce is your ticket to a variety of delicious South Indian dishes. For a simple vegetable korma, add steamed vegetables like carrots, beans, and potatoes to the simmering base. For a coastal-style curry, you can add fish or prawns and let them cook gently in the sauce. It also works wonderfully as a base for a Kerala-style egg roast; simply add boiled and slit eggs. You can adjust the consistency with water and check the seasoning to suit your taste. The combination of coconut, tempered spices, and a hint of tang creates a refreshing and satisfying meal every time.
Storage for Success
Proper storage is key to making your batch-cooked bases last. Allow the masalas to cool down completely before storing them. For short-term use, you can keep the bases in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, the freezer is your best friend. A pro-tip is to freeze the paste in ice cube trays. Once frozen, you can pop the cubes into a zip-lock bag. This allows you to grab just the right amount you need for a single meal without having to thaw the entire batch. These frozen cubes can last for up to three months, ensuring you’re always prepared for a curry in a hurry.
