Living alone or cooking solo? It can be a struggle to whip up tasty Indian meals without ending up with leftovers for days — or throwing out spoiled vegetables. But with a bit of planning and a few desi tricks, you can enjoy fresh, home-cooked food without the waste.

Plan around multipurpose ingredients: Think of versatile staples that can work across meals — like onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, and coriander. These go into everything from poha and sabzi to dal and pulao. A few boiled potatoes can turn into aloo paratha, sandwich filling, or quick aloo sabzi.

Batch-cook smartly and freeze: Make a basic dal tadka, rajma, or chole, and freeze portions for later. You can also prep onion-tomato masala (bhuna masala) in bulk and store it in the fridge or freezer — it becomes the base for countless curries.

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Shop with a minimalist mindset: Buy half a lauki, a small bunch of methi, or just a few bhindi from your local sabziwala instead of buying in bulk. Dry groceries like rice, dal, and atta last long, but buy small packs of perishables like paneer, curd, or greens to avoid spoilage.

Treat leftovers as ingredients: Leftover sabzi? Roll it into a roti for a frankie. Extra rice? Make lemon rice, curd rice, or pulao. Even half a cup of leftover dal can be turned into a soup or used to knead dough.

Use your freezer well: Store chopped coriander, curry leaves, or grated coconut in ziplock bags. Freeze small amounts of coconut milk, tamarind paste, or even extra chai decoction in ice trays.

Solo cooking doesn’t have to be boring or wasteful. With a little desi jugaad, you can enjoy homestyle meals that are fresh, flavourful, and just right for one.

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