Desi Weeknight Dinners That Take Under 45 Minutes

What counts as quick

When we say under 45 minutes, we mean prep plus cooking from the recipe card. Your own speed will vary, and chopping is usually the slow part. If you are new to a dish, add 10 minutes.

The shortlist

Two of these go past 45 minutes. We have included them because the work is mostly hands-off simmering. Start the pot, then do something else.

A week of dinners

• Monday: Khichdi with yogurt and pickle. Simple, after a long day.
• Tuesday: Chicken macaroni. A bridge dish children like.
• Wednesday: Egg curry with rice or roti.
• Thursday: Aloo gobi with flatbread.
• Friday: Chicken handi for the weekend feel. It takes the longest, but is mostly simmering.
• Weekend: Matar pulao or a family request.

Habits that save time

1. Prep a base once. Fried onion, or ginger-garlic paste, keeps in the fridge for a few days. Use airtight containers.
2. Cook rice while the curry simmers. Rice and curry finish together.
3. Chop the night before. Put chopped vegetables in a container in the fridge.
4. Use the freezer. Cook double and freeze single portions. Reheat until steaming hot.
5. Keep a short pantry list. Lentils, rice, tinned tomatoes, spices, eggs, frozen peas and onions get you through most weeks.

How to cook faster without cutting corners

• Start with the longest step. Put the rice or lentils on first, then chop while they cook. Overlapping tasks is the single biggest time saver.
• Use a wide pan. A wide pan reduces sauces faster than a deep pot, and onions brown more evenly. For a curry for four, a 28 cm (11 inch) pan works well.
• Chop smaller. Onions and tomatoes cut into small pieces break down quickly, so the base is ready sooner.
• Use a pressure cooker or a lid. Lentils for daal or khichdi take much less time under pressure. Without one, soak lentils for 20 to 30 minutes first and they cook quicker.
• Use frozen basics. Frozen peas, spinach, chopped onions and ginger-garlic cubes are real shortcuts, and cost little.
• Do not skip the first step of the recipe. Browning the onions properly takes about 8 to 10 minutes and gives the dish most of its flavour. It is better to save time elsewhere.

Rough amounts for four

If you are shopping from the dishes above, a typical week's list for four people might include:

• 6 to 8 eggs, plus a few extra for breakfast.
• 500 g (about 2 1/2 cups) of rice, which covers four or five dinners.
• 250 g (1 1/4 cups) of lentils.
• 500 g (1 lb) of chicken thighs or breasts.
• 1 cauliflower, 4 to 5 potatoes, a bag of frozen peas and a 400 g can of tomatoes.
• 4 to 5 onions, a head of garlic, a piece of ginger and a few green chillies.
• Natural yogurt, for raita and for sides.

Check what you have first, and only buy the gap.

Keeping spices simple

You do not need twenty jars. A small, fresh set covers most weeknight cooking: turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, cumin seeds and salt. Buy small packets and replace them each year, since ground spices fade. Toast whole cumin seeds in oil for 20 to 30 seconds before adding the onions, and the dish tastes more developed with no extra time.

When the clock is against you

On a night with 20 minutes, choose a fallback: scrambled eggs with onion and tomato, flatbread and yogurt, or a one-pan rice with frozen vegetables. Keeping two of these in mind stops you reaching for the takeaway menu. If you do order in, that is fine. A plan that allows for a night off is easier to keep.

Making dinner work for different tastes

Cook the base mild, and let people add chilli at the table. Children often accept a plain khichdi or macaroni that adults dress up with pickle, chutney or fresh chilli. Having a bowl of yogurt, sliced cucumber or salad on the table also makes a plain meal feel complete.

Weeknight dinner questions

Can I really get a curry on the table in 40 minutes? Yes, with practice. Egg curry and aloo gobi are the most forgiving, because they do not need long simmering or marinating.

What if I am not confident cooking from scratch? Start with khichdi or chicken macaroni. They have few steps and are hard to get badly wrong.

Does this plan work for vegetarians? Khichdi, aloo gobi, matar pulao and daal are all vegetarian as written, and eggs cover the rest if the family eats them.

Is it cheaper than takeaway? Usually, but prices vary by area and shop. Check your own receipts to compare.

British measures

Our recipes show metric amounts first and US cups and spoons beside them. If your oven or hob is different, trust your own eyes over the clock. For example, an electric hob holds heat longer than gas, so lower it sooner.

Let the family decide

The family vote feature stops the daily "what shall we eat" argument. Everyone picks from dishes you can cook with what is in the pantry. See the vote guide for how it works.