Basic Recipes for The Indian Freezer | Essential Indian Freezer Dishes |

Many of us are very particular about freshly-cooked food. Of course, there is reason enough for that. Fresh food definitely has an appetizing aroma and tantalizing flavour that nothing else can beat. So particular are we about it that even after a long day at work, we prefer to come home and cook a simple dinner rather than have something out of the fridge.

So, how can you strike a balance between cooking fresh food and getting it done quickly on a busy work day? The solution lies in stocking your freezer with the right ingredients. Imagine how easy it would be to fix a chaat if you had the chutneys and boiled potatoes ready. Or, how simple it would be to make a subzi if you had tomato puree and masala pastes ready? How long would it take to conjure up a Chinese delight if you had the right sauces and ginger-garlic paste handy? 

Well, here are some basic ingredients we suggest you prepare on a free weekend. Store them in your freezer, so you can prepare fresh and tasty food in a jiffy, even on the busiest of days. 

• Tomato pulp is a must for most Indian dishes. Whatever be the curry you are preparing, be it a dal or a veg preparation, it usually calls for a dash of Tomato Pulp. So, do make a sizeable batch and store it in the freezer. 

tomato pulp recipe | fresh tomato pulp | tomato pulp at home |

• Flavour-givers like ginger-garlic paste, ginger-green chilli paste and chilli-garlic paste are handy in the preparation of tongue-tickling curries, one-pot meals and starters too. Be it Pav Bhaji, Nylon Khaman Dhokla or Gujarati Kadhi, you can prepare it in a jiffy using these handy ingredients. 

ginger garlic paste recipe | homemade ginger garlic paste | how to make ginger garlic paste | how to store ginger garlic paste |

• Basic pastes are most essential to prepare the main course. These basically give the volume for your curry, acting as the base gravy. Different pastes give different tastes to your subzi, making it easy for you to bring variety to the table each day! The Thai Red Curry Paste and Basic Chettinad Paste are handy when you are in the mood for a spicy treat, when you want to indulge in rich and aromatic dishes reach for the Basic Hyderabadi Paste or Basic Nawabi Paste, when you wish for something more subtle try the Basic Goanese Paste, and for herby notes try the Thai Green Curry Paste or Basic Green Paste. You have nothing to worry about if your freezer is stocked with these basic pastes, because cooking becomes as simple as cooking boiled veggies with the chosen paste for a few minutes! You can even surprise a sudden guest with a large spread. 

Thai red curry paste recipe | vegetarian Thai red curry paste | Thai red curry paste for Thai curry |

• If your family is fond of chaat and other roadside recipes, then you must definitely stock some chutneys like Green Chutney, Sweet Chutney, and Garlic Chutney in the freezer, so you can quickly assemble a tasty chaat anytime you wish to. 

lahsun ki chutney recipe | lehsun ki chutney | red garlic chutney for chaat |

• When you find time, boil potatoes, peel, cool and stow into the freezer in a Ziploc cover. It will save a lot of time while preparing breakfast on week days. 
• You can also squeeze lemons, pour into an ice-tray and freeze. Once frozen, remove the cubes and store in an airtight container or Ziploc cover. You can use these cubes in your cooking, as well as to make lemonade within minutes without any fuss. 
• Apart from these, you can store shelled green peas and corn in the freezer. Just shell them, dry them under the fan for a while and store in a Ziploc cover in the freezer. Legumes will last for months in the freezer. 

Although these sound like simple things to store in the freezer, they are very handy, and you will realise that your cooking time gets cut by almost half if you use these frozen basic ingredients. It also helps you find a balance between cooking every day versus saving time. Rather than cook and freeze entire meals for a whole week, you can stock up on these essential pastes and chutneys, so that you can treat yourself and your family to fresh and yummy meals, cooked in the blink of an eye!

Happy Cooking!

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