So you’ve just ordered the most amazing Indian takeout, but you’re not really able to eat all of it in one sitting. Delicious as it is, it’s gonna have to become leftovers. But what do you do with leftover curry, can you reheat it ? If yes, is there any special precaution you have to take ?
Can any curry at all be reheated ? What about the rice, and you reheat that too ? Does it matter if there’s cream or yogurt ? How do you even store leftover curry ? Let’s take a look at all of this.
Can you reheat curry ?
Yes, you can reheat curry as long as you’ve kept it safely in the fridge beforehand. There are a few ways to reheat curry, but the best seems to be the microwave, as long as the container is safe and also has a lid. Do not use high heat, instead use medium heat and stir every couple of minutes.
Keep in mind that any veggies in your curry will become softer, but the meat will generally be the same. Curry always tastes better the longer it sits, so next-day curry may be even better than day of !
If you’d like to reheat curry in the oven, remember that the edges will dry out and possibly burn. You’re better off using a stovetop if you don’t want or don’t have a microwave.
How many times can I reheat curry ?
You can reheat curry as many times as you need, though after a point it’s easy to ruin the texture of the dish. We recommend only reheating it once, and it’s likely that you won’t have to reheat it more than once.
Whenever you’re reheating the second or third time, you’re giving bacteria a chance to spread and develop if you don’t store them properly.
Cream, yogurt, coconut milk curry
If your curry has cream, milk, or yogurt it’s still perfectly fine to reheat, even in the microwave or on the stove. Just remember to stir every not and then, and do no let it come to a boil, or even a simmer. As long as you keep stirring, the sauce will heat the entire dish, so all the ingredients should be equally hot.
Read also: Can You Reheat Spring Rolls ?
Larger chunks of veggie or meat may not be properly heated, but if you have to stop to save the sauce, do so.
If your curry has coconut milk there’s even less to worry about. It won’t split or turn grainy so you can even bring that one to a simmer, as long as there is no dairy involved.
Can you reheat rice ?
Yes, you can reheat the rice for curry but you need to be careful. If you’re heating both at once, you need to cover the plate with a bowl of some sort, to keep steam trapped. Otherwise the rice will dry out and even born here and there.
The thicker part, where more rice is clumped up, will end up colder than the rest of the food. Rice is much more dry than curry sauce, and a microwave will heat up liquids much faster than dry items.
As long as you heat up the rice and it’s steaming hot when done, everything should be fine, Keep in mind that rice has a native bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which can survive cooking and even spread while the rice is cooling. If you keep it at room temperature for more than a few hours, it can easily spread.
It’s best to keep rice in the fridge at the lowest setting possible, to slow down the spread of germs. Then, when you do heat it up, make sure it’s screaming hot and steaming. Otherwise you’re just giving the bacteria a better chance to spread and cause food poisoning.
How do you store leftover curry ?
You can store leftover curry in airtight containers, with a good seal on them. If you’re only storing until tomorrow, then you can store the rice and the curry in the same container. Make sure it’s a single portion of each, enough for a single person. If you’ve got 4 portions left, store the curry and the rice separately. Both need to be in airtight containers.
Leftover curry is even better the next day, because that’s just how spices work. The more you let them ‘soak’, the more they release their flavors. Even at a lower temperature, curry is able to extract the flavors from the spices and become that much more flavorful.
Read Also: Korma vs. Tikka Masala
Can you freeze curry and rice ?
Yes, you can easily freeze curry and rice. You can freeze then together or separately. We recommend freezing in individual portions made of of rice and curry. This way whenever you’re in the mood for some curry, you’ve got an entire meal ready to go. No need to take out two containers.
If you decide to freeze an individual portion, make sure the curry is next to the rice, not on top. This is because in the microwave the bottom always heats up last. So by the time your rice is done, the sauce, veggie and meat are burning hot.
All in all, curry is a very easy to reheat kind of meal. It’s delicious and always a comfort food, so having a bit leftover may be a common occurrence.
Conclusion
So, curry, more precise chicken curry is a great food to prepare for the next day. Reheating chicken curry is fairly easy and it doesn’t lose it’s quality compared to many foods that are reheated in the microwave or oven.
