Hi Mamta,

I am going to India for a long trip so If u have an idea about how to freeze food that will be a great help for me.

I want to know the following questions:

1. for how long can I freeze food. like can i freeze it for 1 month or so.

2. which vegetables can i freeze? I was thinking of mix vegetables, matar paneer, palak paneer, black gram etc.

3. do i need to add any preservatives?

4. what is the best method to freeze it? in ziplogs? in plastic containers?etc.

5. and how can i freeze rotis?

The one tip I know of is to freeze in small packets so that u dont need to defreeze it everytime u have to eat it.

Waiting for ur reply.

Thanks in advance.

Deepti Goyal

Hello Deepti

I presume you mean you want to freeze food for your family in UK? In India, unless your family have an generator, it is not a good idea, as electricity supply is often interrupted several times a day, specially in summer. This is not good for frozen food. I will try to answer your questions one by one:

1. for how long can I freeze food. like can i freeze it for 1 month or so.

Ans. Yes you can. Food must be at room temperature before being put in the freezer.

2. which vegetables can i freeze? I was thinking of mix vegetables, matar paneer, palak paneer, black gram etc.

Ans. The vegetables you mention, freeze well. They must be defrosted fully and re-heated fully before consumption. Things like baingan bhurta, karela, kadhi, patra, pakoras, chapatties, parathas, poories also freeze well. Most vegetables will freeze, but they should be left slightly undercooked so they don't get too soggy whne re-heated. You can freeze some cooked masala mixes; like onions, tomatoes, spices cooked up to the stage where you would add vegetables. Freeze it in desired portions. Your family can then add it to any vegetable they want to eat/cook, for example tinned chickpeas, black eyed beans and fresh vegetables. Koftas can be frozen separately to their gravy and put together at the re-heating stage. Potatoes curries do not freeze well in my experience. They go a little crumbly.

3. do i need to add any preservatives?

Ans. No

4. what is the best method to freeze it? in ziplogs? in plastic containers?etc

Ans. Either will do, as long as they are clean. The things that have gravy, are better frozen without adding water. The person defrosting and eating them can do add water, when re-heating.

5. and how can i freeze rotis?

Ans. Do not butter them. If possible, do not add oil/ghee to the dough. Cool completely. Freeze in bags in small numbers, for example 5-10, one or two days portions only. They can be reheated on a hot griddle/tawa. If you coax them into ballooning up again, by pressing gently with a kitchen towel, they become almost like fresh.

The one tip I know of is to freeze in small packets so that u dont need to defreeze it everytime u have to eat it.

Ans. Exactly right!

It is going to be hard work cooking for a long time away. Try to encourage the person/s you are leaving all this food behind for(husband and children?), by leaving them simple recipes and spice mixes, ready to use. They might actually enjoy it! :-)

So where in India are you going? I am off there myself soon, but only for a short time.

Best wishes.

Mamta

don't freeze anything just point your family to this site and leave them a map of where the shops are.... Ha ha...

Thanks Mamta. That was of great help to me.

I live in US. I am going to Chandigarh. Its a good feeling to go to home country.

Where r u going?

I have already taken a printouts of few recipes from this site. Thanks for that suggestion too. :)

Bye. Take care.

Deepti

Hello Deepti

I am going to Delhi and then Haridwar. I go to India twice a year, so it doesn't feel like i have been living away from my family. It is of course harder to do that when you have a young family. I am retired, so free to travel!

Mamta

hi mamta,

i have a question on the same topic...

once i tried to make some rotis in advance for the weekend..and kept them in the fridge...i cooked them on the tava..to the point when they start balloning...

but they turned out to be rubbery and hard when i re-heated them.

should i cook it completly and then keep in fridge

and also...when reheated..should the tava be very hot or medium

Hello Sia

Rotis freeze reasonably well, though never the same as fresh. I would just undercook them a bit, cool completely, make sure they are fully wrapped in foil or in a plastic bag, before putting them in the freezer. For re-heating, heat a tawa/griddle and heat rotis on both side, gently pressing with a kitchen towel. They should balloon up and look almost like fresh.

Mamta

thanks a lot.....surely will try accordingly this time

Reason why am writing here is that am also going for vacation in india with my two young daughters but leaving behind husband in america who is a decent cook but lazy as well only to cook.....I was browsing for tip

S to freeze parathas and came across this blog .I felt like am in company of good friends chatting happily.....lifted my mood instantly.....love you all ladies...you are so sweet to take care of your families...great job....

:)

we aren't all ladies :-)

Steve

:) :) ;

Hi. I tried freezing cooked dal fry but when i reheated. The texture of the daal changed. It veacame more soggy n particles seperated. Is thr any specipic wat to freeze dal? Should i remove water before freezing . Pls suggest.

Hello Divya

Dal generally freezes quite well, unless it is overcooked to start with. In this case, it will become soggy and mushy when re-heated. Dal generally appears a bit thicker when de-frosted, just like it does after it has been chilled in the fridge. Before serving, add a little hot water to thin it, stir it in gently and then reheat gently. If you stir it too much, it will become mushy.

Hi, I recently made a large batch of veggie pakora batter & was wondering if I could freeze it?

I am sure you can. Alternatively, you can use it to make Chilla Pancake, lovely for lunch or dinner.

Hi

Can i freeze kadhi pakora?

Yes, most definitely. I always make extra and freeze them. They should be fully cooled and then frozen in a freezer bag.

Hi,

Can we freeze Kadhi n for how long?? Also what is the best way to do it?

Hello Puja

Yes you can freeze kadhi, I often do it. Make sure it is fully defrosted before you stir it, or you will break up pakoras.

I freeze it in either small glass containers or Some old plastic boxes that I still have.

Mamta

I m planning to open pakoda junction. Need to know. How can I freeze fried pakoda in freezer for 1 month kindly advice me. Thank you

Hello Santosh

What s Pakora Junction? Will you be serving hot pakoras? Difficult to offer advise without knowing your set-up.

Pakoras are always served best straight from the pan, hot and crisp, if you are planning to serve fresh, like in a tea and pakora shop.

If you have to freeze them, cook them halfway then cool and freeze. You must re-fry them before serving, to give them the crispness that is essential to any good pakoras.

Tell me more details, then I may be able to answer properly.

Mamta