Two hours of preparation can make a week easier, but the aim is not to cook five complete meals in advance. The aim is to remove the small tasks that slow down weekday cooking.
In the first half hour, review the meal plan, wash suitable vegetables, check pantry staples and set aside the grains or dals that need soaking. Keep raw and cooked ingredients separate and work with clean boards and containers.
Use the next forty minutes for practical components: chop vegetables that will be used soon, prepare one chutney or condiment, portion spices and make a dough or batter only when it will be used safely within the planned time.
Finish by labeling containers, arranging the refrigerator and writing a short cooking sequence for each day. A note such as ‘temper, add vegetable, serve with rice’ can save more time than a complicated prep system.
Leave the final cooking flexible. Fresh tempering, frying, garnishing and adjustment of salt or sourness are what make a home meal taste freshly made, even when the preparation was organised earlier.