Leftover Rescue: 10 Dinners From Yesterday's Dal and Rice

Almost every Indian kitchen has the same container in the fridge: half a bowl of yesterday's dal, a little rice, maybe some sabzi. Most nights it gets reheated and eaten without much excitement.

It deserves better. Cooked dal and rice are a head start on dinner. Add a few fresh ingredients and fifteen minutes, and you have something new. Here are ten ideas, from the very lazy to the slightly fancy.

With leftover dal

1. Dal paratha

Knead thick leftover dal into whole wheat flour instead of water, with a pinch of ajwain and some chopped coriander. Roll and cook like a normal paratha. Soft, filling and great with curd.

2. Dal soup with vegetables

Thin the dal with hot water, add whatever chopped vegetables you have (carrot, spinach, tomato) and simmer for ten minutes. Finish with lemon and black pepper. A light dinner that feels like a hug.

3. Dal chilla

Mix leftover dal with a few spoons of besan, chopped onion, green chilli and coriander to make a thick batter. Cook small pancakes on a hot tawa with a little oil.

4. Dal khichdi in one pot

Combine leftover dal and rice in a pan with a little water, a pinch of turmeric and a tempering of cumin and ghee. Five minutes and you have a soft, comforting khichdi.

5. Dal-stuffed toast

Spread thick dal on bread, top with onion, tomato and a little cheese if you like, and toast on a pan with a lid. Kids tend to love this one.

With leftover rice

6. Lemon rice

Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, peanuts and a pinch of turmeric in oil. Toss in the rice, squeeze over a lemon and add salt. Day-old rice works better than fresh here because the grains stay separate.

7. Curd rice

Mash rice lightly with curd and a splash of milk. Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilli. Add grated cucumber or pomegranate for crunch. Cooling and easy on the stomach.

8. Vegetable fried rice

High heat, a little oil, chopped beans, carrot, capsicum and spring onion. Add the rice and a splash of soy sauce or just salt and pepper. Push it to the side, scramble an egg or some paneer, and mix through.

9. Rice cutlets

Mash rice with a boiled potato, chopped vegetables, spices and a little besan or breadcrumbs to bind. Shape into small patties and shallow fry until golden.

10. Rice and vegetable upma-style stir fry

Temper urad dal, chana dal and mustard seeds, add onion and peas, then the rice. Finish with grated coconut. Breakfast for dinner, and nobody complains.

A few leftover rules worth following

• Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate them within a couple of hours of cooking.
• Use cooked rice and dal within a day or so, and reheat until steaming hot.
• Reheat only what you will eat. Repeated reheating is not your friend.
• When in doubt about smell or texture, throw it out.

Small swaps, every day

Leftovers are a good example of how RiteFood thinks about eating well: start with what is already on your plate and make it a little better, rather than throwing out everything you know. Add a vegetable, swap some oil for a tempering, put curd on the side.

RiteFood builds personalized diet plans around your health information and lifestyle, with recipes that fit the food you actually cook. Find it on Google Play or visit ritefood.onehealthdigital.com.