Nutritionist Shares Healthy Indian Meal Prep Hack For Serving Dinner In Minutes

Cooking after a long day at work can sometimes be tiring for working professionals. Agreed? In such situations, while some satisfy their hunger pangs by savouring junk or easy-to-make foods, others prefer to skip dinner for the day. These unhealthy habits lead to various medical complications in the long term. But fret not, because nutritionist Palak Nagpal has come up with the perfect solution. In a video that she posted on Instagram, Palak has shared a recipe for frozen cravy cubes that will ease the cooking process and will also meet the health requirements.

Palak Nagpal begins the video by showcasing airtight ice cube storage trays. She reveals, “With these cubes, you can make restaurant-style gravy in under 2 minutes every day. Hi, I'm Palak, your go-to nutritionist, and I wish I knew about these cubes when I was studying abroad.”

Palak Nagpal adds, “Imagine coming home after a long day at work, too tired to chop and cook, but dinner's gonna be served in minutes. Just toss your veggies, paneer or chicken in a pan, add a frozen gravy cube, and voila! Restaurant-style curry will be served in under 5 minutes. Trust me, your tired weekday self is gonna thank you. Save this now and batch prep over the weekend.” Interesting, right? The nutritionist further shares the “budget-friendly, batch-cooked, freezer-friendly” recipe in the caption of her post, and says, “Feels like comfort food, but your body will thank you for the nourishment. Way better than takeout and truly doable even on your most hectic days.”

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A post shared by Palak Nagpal - Clinical Nutritionist (@nutritionwithpalaknagpal)

Healthy red gravy cubes recipe

Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes, chopped
•  1 onion, roughly chopped
•  4-5 garlic cloves
•  1-inch piece ginger, chopped
•  6-8 cashews (for natural creaminess)
•  1 tsp oil (olive or mustard oil)
•  ½ tsp cumin seeds
•  1 tsp coriander powder
•  ½ tsp turmeric powder
•  1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (for color, not spice)
•  ½ tsp garam masala
•  ½ tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
•  Salt to taste
•  ½ cup water

Instructions

1. First, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Then, add cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, and onions one by one to the pan and sauté until the onions turn translucent.
2. Next, add tomatoes, cashews, salt, and ½ cup water to the same pan.
3. After that, let it cook for 8-10 minutes, keeping the cover (lid) closed until the tomatoes have softened. 
4. Allow the mixture to cool for some time and then blend it until smooth.
5. The nutritionist then spills the gravy into the pan and garnishes it with coriander powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, and garam masala.
6. Simmer the smooth paste for 5 minutes, and mix plenty of kasuri methi.
7. You are almost there. Let the gravy cool for some time. That's it, the smooth gravy paste is ready to store in the Ice Cube Trays.
8. Finally, pour it into an ice cube tray, freeze it, and store it in a ziplock bag for up to 1 month.

How to use the gravy ice cubes on busy days

•  The nutritionist takes out 2-3 cubes as needed.
•  She heats it in a pan and lets it form a liquid paste.
•  After that, the nutritionist adds paneer, chicken, or veggies as per choice and cooks for 5-7 minutes.
•  For extra richness, the nutritionist suggests adding a little milk.

Follow this hack to make eating at home easy!

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.