Eating fresh, home-cooked food is a priority for me. And if there’s one thing that allows me to ensure that I can put a hot meal on the table after a long, tiring work day, then it’s my weekly meal prep.
Having a plan for what I am going to cook, and a part of it already prepped and in the fridge means I am not scrambling around wondering what to cook. Not only is this is a great way to save money, but it’s also a form of self-care for me. Let me explain.
Spending a couple hours over the weekend, prepping some meals in advance means that I am spending way less time in the kitchen on weekdays. So along with eating healthy and fresh, meal prep alsp leaves me some extra time at hand to relax after a long working day. That counts as self-care, right?
If you, too, have been looking to jump onto the weekly meal prep bandwagon, I have got just the thing to help you get started. Here are 7 easy Indian meal prep ideas that that are going to make your life a lot simpler…
- Doughs
An Indian household is incomplete without its rotis and parathas, and mine is no exception. But I have noticed that on the days when I need to make rotis and I don’t have any dough already prepped in the refrigerator, I will either resort to rice or not end up making it altogether. This is why, I always prep some roti and thepla dough for the week. I simply take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before i need to start on them and they’re ready in no time.
Pro tip – Coat the dough in some oil and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent in from discolouration.
- Pulses
Pulses are not just great source of vegetarian protein, but they are also super versatile. Make a curry, boil them for breakfast or simply toss some sprouts into your salad, either way they only alleviate anything you add them. Plus they last really long. I find having pre-soaked pulses god-sent, especially on the days I have run out of veggies.
Pro-tip: I like to boil pulses like chickpeas and Bengal gram as they are easier to use that way. But for mung bean and moth bean, I simply soak and allow them to sprout for a day or two before tossing them into salads as is.
- Chutneys
I love how chutneys can totally take a dish from 0 to 10, and they can be eaten with so many different things. Spread it on a slice of toast, use it in sandwiches, have it with parathas and chillas, there’s seriously a tonne of different ways you can use this one throughout the week. It also helps that most chutneys are really easy to make. Simply put everything in a mixer jar, blend and you’re set for the week.
Pro tip: I usually make a the coriander green chutney and coconut chutneys for dosas and idlis every week, while the sweet dates and tamarind chutney has a much longer shelf life, so I make that once a month.
- Bhuna masala
There’s no curry base as versatile as the famous bhuna masala and it is one thing I highly recommend you add to your weekly meal prep. Takes 30 minutes from start to finish, and literally saves you SO much time and effort throughout the week. Simply add in the veggies, paneer, chicken or mushrooms, cook for a couple of minutes and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal that everyone’s going to love! Believe me, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Pro tip: I make a big batch and store it into small jars that make for individual servings before popping them all into the freezer. This way I don’t have to thaw out the whole batch every time I need to cook.
- Chop veggies for salad
I feel super lazy when I have to chop carrots and cucumbers for my salad before a meal. It is also why I would avoid eating it for a long time. Not good, I know. But then a friend suggested that I cut those veggies and keep them ready in the fridge. Sure, they may lose some nutrients, but hey, at least veggies are better no veggies, right?
If you are new to meal prepping, I have an article with my best meal prep tips for beginners. I highly recommend reading that to help you get started.
Apart from this, I sometimes I also blanch and blend spinach leaves to make a paste for easy palak paneer or palak parathas. You could also make peel garlic or make ginger garlic paste. Doing all of this takes me less 90 minutes to 2 hours on a Sunday, but the amount of time and energy it saves me on weekdays is insane. Plus, it feels pretty great to eat a home-cooked meal that took your less than 30 minutes to put together on a weekday. This is what makes spending time on this on a Sunday evening so worth it!