This is Week 1 of the freezer meal prep series. The idea is simple: one batch cook on Sunday, and you're set for the entire work week. Every meal is mapped out with protein counts. No guessing, no scrambling at 7pm wondering what to eat.
This week is all Indian. If you grew up eating this food, it'll feel like home. If you didn't, it's a great introduction to the flavors that make vegetarian protein actually exciting.
Sunday Batch Cook
Shopping List
- 12 oz paneer
- 4 large onions
- 1 head of garlic, 2-inch ginger
- 3 cans (15 oz) chickpeas
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 cups toor dal (or 1 cup toor + 1 cup masoor)
- 3 cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 lb spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- Naan ingredients: 3 cups flour, yogurt, yeast
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup mixed vegetables (for egg muffins: bell pepper, onion, spinach)
- 2 cups basmati rice
- Spices: garam masala, turmeric, cumin seeds, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds, oil/ghee, cilantro, lemon
What You're Making
- Chana masala - Double batch (8 servings). 16g protein each.
- Simple dal - Double batch (8 servings). 10g protein each.
- Greek egg muffins - 12 muffins. 10g protein each.
- Naan dough - Triple batch, portioned into 18 balls and frozen.
- Protein jeera rice - Big pot (6 servings). 8g protein each.
- Spinach puree - Blanched, blended, frozen in ice cube trays.
- Onion-ginger-garlic prep - Dice remaining onions, make ginger-garlic paste.
Prep Timeline
- 0:00 - Dice all 4 onions. Mince garlic and grate ginger, mix into a paste. Start the dal on the stove. Knead naan dough and set aside to rise.
- 0:20 - Start the chana masala (uses half the prepped onions). While it simmers, blanch and blend the spinach, pour into ice cube trays.
- 0:40 - Mix egg muffins and put in the oven. Start the jeera rice.
- 1:00 - Dal is done - portion into containers. Chana masala is simmering. Portion naan dough into 18 balls, lay on baking sheet, put in freezer.
- 1:30 - Egg muffins out of the oven. Chana masala is done - portion into containers (4 for the fridge this week, 4 for the freezer). Rice is done.
- 2:00 - Everything portioned, labeled, and stored. Kitchen cleaned.
The Week: Day by Day
Monday
- Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (20g) + 1 cup Greek yogurt (17g) = 37g
- Lunch: Chana masala from fridge + jeera rice (16g + 8g) = 24g
- Snack: Spiced cottage cheese bowl - mix cottage cheese with cumin, chili, and salt (22g) = 22g
- Dinner: Palak paneer - use frozen spinach cubes, add fresh paneer, 15 min total (20g) + thaw and cook 2 naan (12g) = 32g
Daily total: 115g protein
Palak paneer is the one thing you cook fresh tonight, but with the spinach cubes and prepped ginger-garlic paste, it's fast. Cube the paneer, thaw the spinach cubes in a pan, add spices, stir in the paneer. Done.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (20g) + glass of milk (8g) = 28g
- Lunch: Chana masala + jeera rice (16g + 8g) = 24g
- Snack: Cardamom yogurt parfait - Greek yogurt with nuts and seeds (28g) = 28g
- Dinner: Moong dal tadka - quick cook with prepped onions and ginger-garlic (18g) + 2 naan from freezer (12g) = 30g
Daily total: 110g protein
The moong dal cooks fast since it doesn't need soaking. With onions already diced and ginger-garlic paste ready, you're just sautéing and simmering.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Masala egg bhurji - scramble 3 eggs with prepped onions and spices (24g) + 1 naan (6g) = 30g
- Lunch: Simple dal from fridge + jeera rice (10g + 8g) = 18g
- Snack: 2 egg muffins (20g) = 20g
- Dinner: Egg curry - cook the sauce with prepped onions and ginger-garlic paste, boil 4 eggs fresh (26g) + 2 naan (12g) = 38g
Daily total: 106g protein
Wednesday is egg-heavy. Egg curry sauce comes together fast with the prepped base. Remember: don't freeze this curry with eggs in it. If you make extra sauce, freeze it without the eggs.
Thursday
- Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (20g) + 1 cup Greek yogurt (17g) = 37g
- Lunch: Chana masala + jeera rice (16g + 8g) = 24g
- Snack: Masala peanut chaat - quick toss with peanuts, onion, lime, chili (12g) = 12g
- Dinner: Simple dal from fridge (10g) + paneer tikka skewers - marinate and cook fresh paneer (22g) + raita (8g) = 40g
Daily total: 113g protein
Paneer tikka skewers are quick since you're just marinating paneer cubes in yogurt and spices and cooking them in a hot pan. Serve alongside the dal you already have in the fridge.
Friday
- Breakfast: Besan chilla with paneer - use remaining paneer (28g) = 28g
- Lunch: Simple dal + jeera rice (10g + 8g) + raita (8g) = 26g
- Snack: 2 egg muffins (20g) = 20g
- Dinner: Chana masala from fridge (16g) + 2 naan from freezer (12g) + cilantro-mint chutney (10 min fresh) = 28g
Daily total: 102g protein
The Numbers
Across the five days, you're averaging 109g protein daily from food alone. Add a glass of milk here, a handful of nuts there, and you're comfortably at 120-130g. The key is that most of this protein came from Sunday's batch cook. The only fresh cooking during the week was palak paneer, moong dal, egg curry, egg bhurji, paneer tikka, and besan chilla - all fast recipes that take advantage of the prepped ingredients.
What Goes in the Freezer for Later
From this Sunday session, you should also have stashed away:
- 4 portions of chana masala
- 4 portions of simple dal
- 10-12 naan dough balls
- Frozen spinach cubes
That's your safety net for the following weeks, or the foundation for Week 2.