How to Reheat Rice, Curry and Naan Properly (and How Long They Keep in the Fridge)

To reheat rice, microwave it with the lid slightly open for about three minutes until it is piping hot all the way through, or warm it on the hob with a splash of water over low to medium heat for around ten minutes, stirring now and then. The difference between a curry that tastes like it did in the pan and a curry that tastes like it has been through a microwave is usually low heat and a couple of tablespoons of water. We cook and blast chill every CurryOut meal in our Batley kitchen; the reheating happens in your kitchen. So we have thought hard about how to make that last step easy to get right, whether you are heating a CurryOut order or dealing with leftover takeaway or home-cooked curry, and this guide is the result.

It is in two parts. The first covers CurryOut meals, which are made specifically to be chilled and reheated and come with their own instructions. The second covers ordinary leftovers, where the rules are a little different and food safety matters more. Along the way, we cover how to reheat curries, rice, starters, naan, chapattis, sauces and sides, plus practical tips on storing, freezing and reheating them properly so they keep their texture, flavour and, most importantly, stay safe to eat.

Why CurryOut is not the same as leftover curry

A takeaway curry that has sat in a bag, then on the worktop, then in the fridge overnight is a leftover. It was cooked to be eaten straight away, and reheating it is a rescue job.

CurryOut is different by design. Every dish is freshly cooked with care and made specifically to be chilled and reheated at home. As soon as it leaves the pan it is blast chilled, which takes the temperature down fast to lock in the flavour and texture and preserve the quality of the food. It is then packed chilled, not frozen, and delivered in insulated packaging with ice packs across mainland UK. Reheated properly, it is designed to taste as close as possible to the moment it was made.

That is why the instructions below matter. They are not a way of making the best of a leftover; they are the final step of the recipe.

How to reheat CurryOut meals

Every tub and pack carries its own heating instructions, and if anything here differs from your pack, the pack wins. These are the methods we recommend.

Curries: a low heat in a pan

Tip the curry into a pan, add two tablespoons of water, and reheat over a low heat. Let it simmer gently, stirring now and then, until it is piping hot throughout. Avoid a high heat: the sauce can reduce too quickly and dry out. Heating it slowly lets the sauce warm through and come back thick and glossy, whether that is a creamy Chicken Korma or a thick, reduced Chicken Bhuna. This is the method on the tub marked as recommended, and it is the one to use when you have five minutes.

If you are in a hurry, the microwave works: keep the lid half open and heat for three to four minutes until thoroughly hot, stirring halfway and letting it stand for a minute. Microwaves can heat food unevenly, so check the middle before you serve.

Starters: the best way is the oven or the air fryer, never the microwave

Bhajis, pakoras, samosas, kebabs and chicken tikka pieces all reheat the same way, and the aim is the same: to get them properly crisp again. Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) and heat them on a tray for 15 to 20 minutes, a little less in a fan oven, or put them in an air fryer at 170°C for 6 to 10 minutes and shake the basket halfway. Serve once they are hot throughout.

We do not recommend microwaving starters. It makes them soft and soggy, and a soggy Onion Bhajee is a sad thing. The oven and the air fryer do the job for everything in our CurryOut starters range, from Chicken Samosas and Sheek Kebabs to Chicken Tikka Pieces.

Rice: reheating rice in the microwave

The best way to reheat CurryOut rice quickly is to loosen the lid slightly and microwave for approximately three minutes, or until piping hot throughout. Covering it helps trap steam and restore moisture, so a damp paper towel laid over the top works well. Microwave strengths vary, so treat that as a guide and follow the instructions on the packaging. One handy trick is to place an ice cube on top before reheating rice in the microwave to help keep it soft.

If you would rather use the hob, tip the rice into a pot with a splash of water and heat on low to medium for around ten minutes, stirring occasionally; this heats more evenly and is the better way to warm larger portions through without them going dry or hard. Both methods bring Pilau Rice back fluffy rather than dry.

Naan: foil in the oven, or a damp paper towel in the microwave

Wrap the naan in foil and warm in the oven at 180°C (gas mark 4) for four to five minutes until heated through, or grill on medium for 45 to 60 seconds a side until lightly toasted. When reheating naan from cold, it can turn stiff if overdone, so the aim is to bring back softness; the same gentle approach also works for roti. The microwave will do it in 30 to 40 seconds if you are in a rush, wrapped in a damp paper towel so it steams rather than dries; that short timing is the trick, because the bread goes chewy if you leave it much longer. Unwrap Garlic Naan for the last minute in the oven if you like a bit of crispness.

Chapattis: a dry frying pan

Reheat Chappaties individually in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, turning them as you would a pancake, until they are warm on both sides. It takes well under a minute. Do not put them in a toaster; a chapatti left in a toaster comes out closer to a poppadom.

Sauces and sides

Indian Raita, Yoghurt Sauce, Mango Chutney and the rest are best served chilled, straight from the fridge.

Storing and freezing CurryOut meals

Keep everything refrigerated below 5°C and eat it by the use-by date on the pack. Because our meals are blast chilled straight after cooking rather than left to cool on a counter, they arrive with their full shelf life intact.

Every tub is suitable for home freezing. Freeze on the day of purchase, straight in the tub, for up to two months, and label it with the date. If you decant cooked rice, keep it in a lidded container in the fridge or a resealable bag in the freezer and use it within a few weeks. To use, defrost in the fridge overnight, never on the worktop, then reheat using the methods above until piping hot throughout. Reheat once only, and do not refreeze.

Tomato and onion based dishes such as Chicken Madras and Beef Masala come out of the freezer almost unchanged. Creamy sauces can split a little; a gentle stir while they warm brings them back together. Potato dishes such as Aloo Palak go slightly softer but taste the same.

Reheating ordinary leftovers: takeaway and home-cooked curry

The methods above work for any curry, rice or bread. What changes with leftovers is the food safety, because the food was not cooked to be kept.

How long does curry last in the fridge?

Two days, in a sealed container, in a fridge running below 5°C, provided it was cooled within an hour or two of cooking. That is the Food Standards Agency’s guidance for leftovers and it is a sensible rule. Curry does not always look or smell wrong when it has gone past safe, so trust the clock, not your nose.

Can you freeze leftover curry?

Yes, and most curries freeze well. Freeze it on the day it was cooked, not on day two. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat until piping hot throughout, and do not refreeze. If you are freezing a takeaway, portion it into smaller containers first; a full foil tray takes a long time to defrost evenly.

Leftover rice needs the most care

Rice is the one to be careful with, and reheating leftover rice can be a real challenge because it can turn dry or clumpy if handled badly. The reason is a bacterium called Bacillus cereus. Its spores survive cooking, and if cooked rice is left warm for a few hours they multiply and produce a toxin that reheating does not destroy. So with home-cooked or takeaway rice: cool it within an hour (spread it on a tray if you need to hurry it along), refrigerate it below 5°C, eat it within 24 hours, and reheat it once, until steaming hot all the way through (75°C in the centre). To revive day-old rice, add a splash of water, about a tablespoon per portion, and cover the bowl with a damp paper towel; microwave for a minute, then check and repeat only if needed, so the steam brings it back rather than drying it out.

CurryOut rice has already been cooled properly by blast chilling in our kitchen, which is why it can carry a use-by date rather than a 24-hour rule. Keep it in the fridge and eat it by that date.

Leftover naan and chapattis: reheating naan

Bread keeps for two days in the fridge in a sealed bag and freezes for two months. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven or a dry pan; there is no need to defrost bread first.

The one rule that covers everything

Piping hot means steaming hot all the way through, with the middle as hot as the edge. If you own a probe thermometer, 75°C in the centre is the figure to look for. If you do not, cut into the thickest piece, and if there is any doubt, give it another minute or two on a low heat. Reheating once, properly, is safe. Reheating twice, reheating from frozen without defrosting, or blasting a curry on a high heat until the sauce catches, is where things go wrong.

Frequently asked questions

How do you reheat Indian starters?

In the oven at 180°C (gas mark 4) on a tray for 15 to 20 minutes (less in a fan oven), or in an air fryer at 170°C for 6 to 10 minutes, shaken halfway, until hot throughout and ready to eat. This goes for bhajis, pakoras, samosas, kebabs and tikka pieces alike. Avoid the microwave, which leaves them soft and soggy.

How do you reheat curry without drying it out?

Add two tablespoons of water and reheat in a pan over a low heat, simmering gently until piping hot. A high heat reduces the sauce too fast; a low one lets it thicken back up.

How do I reheat CurryOut meals?

Curries: two tablespoons of water in a pan over a low heat until piping hot (recommended), or microwave with the lid half open for three to four minutes. Starters: oven or air fryer. Rice: microwave for around three minutes until piping hot, though the hob is better for larger batches. Chapattis: a dry frying pan. Full instructions are on every pack.

How long does curry last in the fridge?

Two days for home-cooked or takeaway curry, sealed and below 5°C. CurryOut tubs carry a use-by date; eat by that date.

Can you reheat rice?

Yes, once, provided it was cooled within an hour of cooking and kept in the fridge for no more than 24 hours. Heat until steaming hot throughout, using a damp paper towel in the microwave if needed, so it comes back soft rather than dry or hard. CurryOut rice is blast chilled and carries a use-by date instead.

Can you freeze curry?

Yes. Freeze on the day of purchase or cooking, keep for up to two months, defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat until piping hot. All CurryOut tubs are suitable for home freezing.

Is it safe to reheat curry twice?

No. Reheat only what you will eat, and throw away anything reheated and not eaten.

How do you reheat naan bread?

Wrapped in foil in the oven at 180°C (gas mark 4) for four to five minutes, under a medium grill for 45 to 60 seconds a side, or in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds to keep it soft from cold.

Made to be reheated

CurryOut meals are cooked fresh in Batley, blast chilled the same day and delivered chilled across mainland UK in insulated packaging. Five minutes on a low heat and they taste like they did in the pan. If you are still working out how many tubs to order, our portion guide has the numbers. Browse the CurryOut range, order by 12pm for next-day delivery (£30 minimum, free delivery over £80), or collect from the shop at 100 Upper Commercial Street, Batley, WF17 5DP. Every pack tells you exactly how to heat it, and now you know why.