According to a study, roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption gets wasted. While you might think that food wastage does not affect you, you need to think again. Wasted food is sent to landfills, where it rots and produces methane gas, which is the second most common greenhouse gas. Apart from directly affecting climate change by throwing out food, 24% of all the water that is used for agriculture is lost through food waste every year. That 24% adds up to 45 trillion gallons or about 170 trillion liters. There is a simple way to stop this. By making use of all your leftover food and making sure that you don’t produce excessive food wastage.

Masala idli

Idli is a multi-purpose dish that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. If you have leftover idli in your fridge, cut them into four pieces and pan-fry them with a sprinkle of the spices you want to add. Toss in chillies, tomatoes and onions to make a dish that will tempt your taste buds every time you see leftover idli. We would recommend enjoying your masala idli with khari biscuit and tea to go along with it.

Fried rice

Similar to idli, creating fried rice from leftover rice is quick and easy. Pan-fry the leftover rice with the vegetables, sauces and masala of your choice. You can also add egg to the fried rice to increase its nutritional value. Fried rice also pairs well with almost anything, which makes it easy for you to understand what you need. 

Upma with croutons

The humble upma is a classic that deserves special mention. Made from coarse rice flour or dry-roasted semolina, this ancient dish was what came to the rescue for women across the country who wanted a quick meal. Prepare your upma the way you generally prefer, adding the garnish and masala off your choice. Sprinkle whole wheat croutons on top to add crunch and flavour. This is a dish that you can also pack into children’s lunchboxes. 

Leftovers can be a great meal in and of themselves if you know how to make good use of them. The baked pani puri and baked bhakarwadi are great examples of traditional Indian snacks being adapted to current times. These are healthy and tasty snacks that give customers baked food products with no chemicals, no preservatives and low oil content without compromising the taste of Indian snack food. Know what leftover food items you can pair together to create new dishes from that will have everyone asking for seconds.