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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
6 Min
23/01/2026
Indian festivals celebrate abundance, and cooking plays a significant role in this celebration. Indian kitchens make curries that are enough for guests and also usable the next day. But eating the same sabzi after festivities can be a bit boring. This article examines the transformation of curries into cutlets, sandwiches, and frankie fillings, which breathe new life into the curries. This ensures that there is no waste, and you don't have to eat the same thing again. Dive deeper to know more.
Indian kitchens have a reputation for being places of abundant cooking. There is a belief that guests should not arrive on an empty stomach, and the kitchen should always have some extra food available. While this belief is understandable and aligns with the Indian saying, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, it also leads to excessive food consumption at times, especially during festivities.
The paneer curry, aloo matar, chole, and dal are stored in a container and then transferred into the fridge. They stare back at you, and you stare back! Indian tradition also does not allow food to go to waste, leaving you with no option but to reheat and eat.
But this option is a no-no, especially during festivals. Reheating the same curry and eating it again is the last thing you would want to do during festivals. This is where the repurposing of curries steps in! There are multiple ways to transform the previous night’s curry into different dishes, such as cutlets, frankies, sandwich fillings, stir-fries, and others. This ensures that no curry goes to waste, and you don't have to reheat and eat it again. Read this article to know ways you can transform your curry into cutlets and many more.
Dry sabzis, such as aloo-gobi, beans, cabbage, or even paneer bhurji, can be beautifully transformed into cutlets and given a second life! Mash the remaining sabzi and add some boiled potatoes to it. Mix it with breadcrumbs and add garam masala. Shape the mixture into patties and shallow fry them until they are crispy. You can pair this with green chutney or ketchup. This can act as a breakfast option or an evening snack. This is a great way to turn sabzis into something interesting, so that kids who don't enjoy any particular vegetable can eat it too.
If both sabzi and roti are waiting for you in the kitchen or fridge, Frankie Rolls is the perfect makeover you can give to them! To make this dish, reheat the rotis and sabzi. Add green chutney or ketchup to the roti and the reheated sabzi on top. You can add onions and some chaat masala for some extra zing. Paneer makes for a protein-rich sandwich filling, while aloo makes a perfect filling, accompanied by some grated cheese. Frankies are easier to carry in tiffins, or you can also have them on the go.
Another creative way to repurpose leftover sabzis is to use them as sandwich fillings. Sabzis like aloo and paneer bhurji make for a perfect sandwich filling. All you need to do is toast the bread, add the sabzi on top, add chutney, mayonnaise, and some cheese, and then toast it again on the tawa to enjoy a home-style yet fancy sandwich!
Parathas made from leftover sabzis taste the best, sometimes, even better than freshly made ones. Take any kind of curry, dry sabzi or even dal, and you can turn it beautifully into a paratha. Curries like aloo matar, paneer, while dry sabzis like aloo methi, paneer bhurji, and dal just need to be added to the wheat flour and kneaded into a dough. Roll out parathas from it, and pair them with curd, pickle, and you have a wholesome meal ready for you! These can be used for breakfast or even for lunch the next day, and no one will be disappointed to savour these!
Indian festivals are characterised by sentiments of abundance, joy, and celebration, and food plays a crucial part in them. From offering it to the Gods to eating it as prasad, sharing it with best wishes, and giving it as gifts, food holds an irreplaceable place in Indian festivals. But what matters at the same time is to respect the food and not let it go to waste. With a bit of creativity and a few hacks, you can turn your leftovers into delicious foods that are not only practical and easy to make but also taste like something entirely different from leftovers. Whenever a curry is left, its flavour automatically deepens throughout the night, adding depth and nutrition to the newly made dish. This festive season, do not worry about leftovers and turn them into delicious next-day meals.
