Key Takeaways
Reheat Right: Choose stovetop or oven for better flavor and texture in all curry types.
Storage Smarts: Keep curry in the fridge (1-5 days) or freezer, and reheat only once.
Curry Types Covered: Guidelines for prawn, fish, lamb, pork, chicken, vegetable, frozen, and takeaway curries.
We’ve all been there.
You’ve had one too many with the lads or girls and you think it’s a great idea to get a curry delivered at 1am.
When it arrives, you dig in only to discover you ordered a meal fit for a family of 6 and you are never going to finish it all before you pass out.
So, you are left with containers of curry that you have no idea if it is safe to eat the following day.
Well, you are in luck.
We have put together a complete guide on reheating curry to make sure that ordering that 1am takeaway is not on your list of regrets from the night out.
Here at Cooked Best we’ve looked at all of the various types of curry we could think of and answered two simple questions for each. Can you reheat curry? And, How to reheat it?
Armed with the below knowledge, you can be sure that the next curry you reheat will be the best reheated curry of your life!
If you are looking for a specific type of curry, use the below navigation to quickly find it and discover the reheating method:
Types Of Curry You Can Reheat
Reheating Prawn Curry
Can you Reheat a Prawn Curry?
Yes, you can reheat a prawn curry.
The question is, is it worth it?
The problem is already cooked prawns typically toughen up when reheated and become super rubbery and pretty much, inedible.
Another thing to note is that you can only reheat a prawn curry if the original curry dish was properly handled, cooked and stored correctly (placed in the fridge or freezer within 1 hour of cooking and consumed within 1-2 days).
So if you want to reheat your prawn curry, you can do it, but you must take great care to both avoid them turning into rubber and to store it correctly in the first place.
How to Reheat a Prawn Curry
To reheat a prawn curry, we’d recommend using either your stove top or your oven on a medium-low heat setting.
Whilst you can use a microwave, the heat is less evenly distributed and you may find some parts of your prawn curry are still cold when you tuck in.
Whatever method you use to reheat your prawn curry, you have to make sure that you’re prawns reach an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius before you dive in and enjoy your leftover curry!
A final thing to remember is that you should only reheat your prawn curry once. If you reheat it more than once, you run the risk of getting sick and nobody wants to get sick!
Reheating Fish Curry
Can you Reheat a Fish Curry?
Yes, you can! You can safely reheat fish curry for up to 4 days after it has been cooked however, we’d recommend trying to use up any leftover seafood within 1-2 days of cooking it.
Like reheating a prawn curry, there are some challenges when it comes to ensuring the quality of your fish curry after reheating.
Reheating a fish curry too much can sometimes result in a dry, rubbery mess that you will not want to be eating.
How to Reheat a Fish Curry
To reheat a fish curry, we’d recommend using either your stovetop or your oven.
Set the oven to around 135 degrees Celsius, place the fish curry into a casserole or oven proof dish, cover with tinfoil and reheat for around 10 to 15 minutes.
You are looking for the fish’s internal temperature to be between 51 & 54 degrees celsius.
Again, you can use a microwave to reheat a fish curry, however, the way in which microwaves work mean that the heat will not be evenly distributed. In addition to this. It is very easy to overheat a fish curry in a microwave and you’ll be left with a dry, flavourless dish.
Reheating Lamb Curry
Can you Reheat a Lamb Curry?
Yes you absolutely can reheat a lamb curry! As long as the proper precautions have been taken when storing the lamb curry, when you come to reheat it, it should be just as good as the first time you had it.
It’s worth noting that a lamb curry should be consumed within 1-3 days if stored In the refrigerator and up to two months if stored in the freezer.
There are a few tips and tricks that you should know before reheating your lamb curry however. Like most of the dishes listed in this article, avoiding the microwave would most likely be your best bet.
How to Reheat a Lamb Curry
To reheat a lamb curry, you should use either your oven or your stovetop on medium heat.
Set your oven to around 145 degrees Celsius, place your lamb curry in an oven proof dish and cover tightly with kitchen foil. This will help stop the lamb from drying out when being reheated.
Place the curry into the oven and cook for around 10 to 15 minutes.
You are looking for an internal temperature for the lamb of around 74 degrees Celsius. Once it reaches this temperature, you can safely pull it out of the oven and dig in!
Once you have reheated your lamb curry, we wouldn’t recommend reheating it again.
Reheating Roast Pork Curry
Can you Reheat a Pork Curry?
Yes, it is absolutely safe to reheat a roast pork curry. However, like most of the dishes on our list, It can be difficult to retain the good taste and texture that the was present in the original serving.
When it comes to reheating dishes like a roast pork curry, the meat can quickly become tough and as dry as sand. Therefore, it’s important to take the proper precautions and ensure you follow the below instructions to keep your curry from drying out.
How to Reheat a Pork Curry
To reheat your pork curry, we’d recommend using either an oven or a stovetop.
If reheating in the oven, we’d recommend preheating the oven to around 165 degrees celsius. Place your roast pork curry into an oven-proof dish and cover with tinfoil to avoid the pork from drying out.
Place into the oven and cook for around 20 minutes or so. You are looking for the pork to have an internal temperature of around 75 degrees celsius.
If you would prefer to reheat your pork curry in a microwave, then make sure you consistently stir the dish so that the heat is evenly distributed. Aim to cook the curry for around 5 minutes if you using a microwave and ensure the above internal temperature is reached before you dig in.
Reheating Chicken Curry
Can you Reheat a Chicken Curry?
Yes you absolutely can reheat a chicken curry! In fact, a reheated chicken curry is almost better than a fresh one!
Importantly, you need to make sure the proper precautions have been taken when storing the chicken curry.
It’s worth noting that a chicken curry should be consumed within 2-4 days if stored In the refrigerator and up to two months if stored in the freezer.
A few tips and tricks exist that you should know before reheating your chicken curry.
How to Reheat a Chicken Curry
To reheat your Chicken curry, we’d recommend using either an oven, a stovetop or a microwave.
If reheating in the oven, we’d recommend preheating the oven to around 160 degrees celsius. Place your chicken curry into an oven-proof dish and cover with tinfoil to avoid the chicken from drying out.
Place into the oven and cook for around 15 minutes or so. You are looking for the pork to have an internal temperature of around 75 degrees celsius.
If you would prefer to reheat your chicken curry in a microwave, then make sure you consistently stir the dish so that the heat is evenly distributed. Aim to cook the curry for around 5 minutes if you using a microwave and ensure the above internal temperature is reached before you dig in.
Reheating Vegetable Curry
Can you Reheat a Vegetable Curry?
Yes! Reheating a vegetable curry is both safe and simple. In face, out of all of the curry’s we have listed here, a vegetable curry is the best one to reheat.
A properly cooked and stored vegetable curry will last between 4 to 5 days in the fridge and will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
You may find that when you reheat your vegetable curry, the flavours are more intense and the vegetables within the curry have a much more deep flavour profile. This is because the spices within the curry have had more time to marinate and penetrate the other components within the dish.
How to Reheat a Vegetable Curry
To reheat your vegetable curry, you can use a Microwave, an oven or a stovetop.
If using a microwave, place your curry into a microwaveable dish and cook for around 3 minutes, making sure to stir the dish even minute or so. After 3 minutes, check to see if the curry is piping hot, if not, place the dish pack into the microwave and cook for a further minute to so.
If using an oven, place your vegetable curry into an oven-proof dish. Preheat your oven to 130 degrees celsius and place the curry into the middle of the oven. Cook for around 15 minutes. Once piping hot, remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Reheating Frozen Curry
Can you Reheat a Frozen Curry?
To reheat a frozen curry, you will first want to decide if you are going to reheat it from frozen or defrost it first. There are not really benefits to either, it simply depends on how much time you have. If you are reheating bread or naan, sprinkle a few drops of water on it before reheating to prevent it from becoming overly chewy or soggy.
You can either defrost the curry completely before beginning the reheating process or you can skip the defrosting and jump straight to reheating the curry from frozen. It all depends on how much time you have and how hungry you are!
Whatever method you choose, just make sure the curry is piping hot before you dig in!
How to Reheat a Frozen Curry
To reheat a frozen curry, you will first want to decide if you are going to reheat it from frozen or defrost it first. There are not really benefits to either, it simply depends on how much time you have.
To reheat a curry from frozen, simply place into a microwave and heat until the curry becomes piping hot and is bubbling. Make sure you keep stirring during the cooking process so that the heat is evenly distributed amongst the dish.
If you would prefer to reheat the frozen curry once it’s been defrosted, simply defrost either in the fridge overnight and reheat using either a microwave, oven, or stovetop.
Reheating Takeaway Curry
Can you Reheat a Takeaway Curry?
Yes, you can reheat Indian takeaway! Reheating a takeaway curry is a simple process and often the curry will taste a lot more flavourful as the flavours have had time to bolster their profiles within the dish.
A takeaway curry stored in the fridge should be consumed within 1 – 2 days and if you are storing it in the freezer, we’d recommend consuming it within 1 month.
If you do store your takeaway curry in the freezer, we’d recommend pulling it out 24 hours before you consume it. Defrost the curry in the fridge and reheat using the below instructions.
How to Reheat a Takeaway Curry
To reheat a takeaway curry you’ll need either a microwave, an oven or a stovetop.
If you are using a microwave, place your curry into a microwaveable dish and cook for around 5 minutes. Make sure you stir the curry every minute or so in order for the heat to be evenly distributed.
If you are reheating your takeaway curry in the oven, place the curry into an oven-proof dish and preheat your oven to around 130 degrees Celsius.
Once preheated, place your curry into the oven and cook for around 15 minutes. You are looking to heat the food to around 82 degrees celsius so as to kill any harmful bacteria that may have penetrated the dish.
If you are reheating on the stovetop, empty the curry into a non-stick pan and warm over a medium-low heat. When the curry is piping hot, serve immediately.
Reheating Curry and Rice
Can you Reheat a Curry and Rice?
Whilst reheating a curry is absolutely fine, the same cannot be said for reheating rice.
You should never reheat rice.
Interestingly, its not the reheating process that results in rice becoming a health risk. It’s all about the storage of the rice.
Raw rice carries dormant spores of the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which produces powerful gastrointestinal toxins. These toxins cause unpleasantness, and whilst only mild compared to other forms of food poisoning they are still not desirable and can lead to serious food poisoning.
How to Reheat a Curry and Rice
Reheat your curry using the above recommendations and always cook your rice fresh.
If you struggle to cook the perfect rice every time, then you will be interested in a rice cooker. Perfect rice every time? Yes please.
Reheating Curry and Rice
Depending on the type of curry or if it was homemade or a takeaway, it will last between 1-5 days when stored in the fridge. Re heating leftover curry, whether from a takeaway or homemade, should be done thoroughly to ensure safety and enjoyment.
A good rule of thumb for storing curry in the fridge is to consume it within 1 to 2 days.
Andy
Ever since I started cooking I’ve been fascinated by how different people’s techniques are and how they best utilise the ingredients around them. Even the person living next door will have their own unique way of frying an egg or cooking a salmon fillet.
This fascination led me on a journey across the globe to discover the countless practices and traditions the world of cooking has to offer. I thought you’d enjoy and find value in sharing that journey with me so I created Cooked Best!