Food Floods

I know many people – especially like us living in foreign countries with little or no help – tend to cook up loads of food and store it in the freezer for future use. I never got around doing it. Any cooked matter more than two days old needs to be used up quickly or taken care of in other ways. Fresh food tastes better, is healthier and much more appealing but of course it takes work. So here’s a tip to ease out work for the lazy cooks like me.

Planning your cooking in advance not only saves money but also eases out your stress but who wants to go to bed thinking of what to cook in the morning?

The 7 Day rotation method for rice and curry

DAY 1: Cook one meat curry for two days. Decide how much you need and cook right away for not more than 2 meals.  When the meal is done refrigerate what is left over. (Do not freeze).

DAY 2: The next day you could cook up a vegetable curry for two days. Cook up extra rice. Store the leftovers in the fridge again.  The extra meat curry, a vegetable and rice should make a good meal. If time permits cook up some lentils always keep extra. Its not worth burning up your entire cooker to cook a small quantity.

Watch some 30 minute meals. Change the channel during the commercial and forget all about going back to it ;)

DAY 3: On the 3^rd day take out the extra rice from the fridge. Prepare a quick egg fried rice with green onions, carrots and anything colourful and interesting. The extra vegetable curry can be added into it. (I’ve tried it with ladies’ fingers and it tastes great) Fry some marinated shrimp to add to the colour and flavour. No one will guess that it has some of yesterday’s food and it gets prepared in no time!

DAY 4:  Time to start rotating. Cook a meat or fish curry for two days. Pull out some dhal curry if you have already prepared. Fry some papadams. Open up a bottle of chutney and cook rice afresh. “Tada” and you have a meal although you just had to cook up only one thing. Now that’s not too much is it?

DAY 5: Relax and get the husband to put his culinary skill into action. Remember to appreciate and thank him for the wonderful meal even if it was just cheese omelets and garlic toast. You need the break and he will be more than willing to repeat it!

DAY 6: Make biriyani (Buy the shan mix it’s the easiest thing in the world and awfully tasty too). Be sure to save the left overs for Biriyani tastes better as it gets older.

DAY 7: Order a large pizza (Don’t forget the soda! Keep it caffeine free if possible) Do your grocery shopping. Repeat DAY 1 with a touch of your own creativity and variation.