The Great Office Fridge Standoff: A Diplomat's Guide to Reheating Last Night's Curry at Work
There is a moment, somewhere around 12:47pm on a Tuesday, when you open the office fridge and see it: your tupperware of last night's lamb rogan josh, sitting there like a small, fragrant grenade among the sad meal deals and a yoghurt that predates the King's Coronation.
You have a choice. Reheat it with confidence, or slink back to your desk with a £4.50 meal deal and a lifetime of quiet regret.
At Little Miss India, we believe yesterday's curry is a gift, not a liability. But we also believe in diplomacy. So here is our official guide to surviving — nay, thriving — in the workplace curry renaissance.
Know Your Travel-Friendly Curries
Not every curry survives the morning commute with dignity. Some sauces thicken overnight into something genuinely better — a slow-cooked bhuna or a dal makhani practically improves with a night's rest, the spices settling in like guests who've finally taken their coats off.
Others, less so. Anything loaded with fresh coriander, crispy onions or a delicate fish will arrive looking like it's had a rough morning on the Northern line. Creamy kormas can split if reheated too aggressively. When in doubt, go for the robust stuff: rogan josh, chana masala, chicken dhansak. These are curries with backbone. They can take a hit.
And rice? Rice travels beautifully, provided it goes in the fridge promptly the night before. Grandma's rules apply: cool it quickly, store it properly, and it'll be the best fried rice base you never planned to make.
The Container Is a Statement
Let's talk tupperware, because your colleagues certainly will.
A flimsy tub with a lid that gives up at the first vibration is a recipe for a dal-based incident on the 8:14 to Waterloo. Invest in a proper airtight container. Double-bag it if you must. Your bag, your laptop and your fellow passengers will thank you.
There's also a hierarchy in the office fridge. A labelled, well-sealed container says 'respectable professional'. An unlabelled tub of something rust-coloured with a fork sticking out of it says 'plot twist waiting to happen'. Be the former.
Microwave Etiquette: The Peace Treaty
Ah, the office microwave. No appliance has ended more workplace friendships. Here are the rules of engagement:
Cover your food. A microwave splatter guard, a plate, even a bit of kitchen roll — anything. An uncovered curry at full power is essentially a small-scale volcanic event, and the person who has to clean it will remember your face forever.
Heat in bursts. Ninety seconds, stir, ninety seconds more. You'll get even heating and less of that suspicious 'tepid middle, lava edge' situation.
Timing is everything. Don't be the person reheating a madras at 11:30am while everyone's on their second coffee. The pre-lunch slot is for toast and regrets. Wait for the official hour.
Ventilate. If your office microwave is conveniently located next to the meeting room, maybe crack a window. Or better yet, embrace it — you're about to become extremely popular.
The 'Just One Forkful' Predator
Every office has one. They hover. They sniff the air. They sidle over with a smile that's 20% friendliness and 80% appetite.
"Ooh, that smells amazing. Is that homemade?"
It is not homemade. You ordered it. But you don't need to justify yourself. A polite laugh, a firm lid, and the phrase "I'd share but there's genuinely not enough" will see you right. Alternatively, and we say this with love, order extra the night before. A spare portion of chicken tikka masala has bought more workplace goodwill than any number of biscuits in the kitchen.
Own the Aroma
Here's the thing about heating up a proper curry at work: within ninety seconds, at least three colleagues will appear at your desk asking where you ordered from. This is not a crisis. This is influence.
The 'who heated fish in the microwave' debate is a fixture of British office life for a reason — some smells linger, some offend. But a good curry? A good curry smells like Friday night, like someone in this grey office actually lives. Hand out the website link, accept your compliments gracefully, and enjoy your well-earned reputation as the most interesting luncher in the building.
The Golden Rules, Summarised
- Robust curries travel; delicate ones stay home
- Airtight container, always
- Cover the microwave, stir halfway, wait for lunch o'clock
- Defend your portion from forkful predators with a smile
- Keep a spare spoon in your drawer. Trust us.
Done right, the office curry isn't a social risk — it's a power move. It says you have taste, you have leftovers, and you have your life marginally more together than the person microwaving a cold pasty.
Now go forth and reheat with confidence. Just wipe down the microwave afterwards. We're diplomats, not animals.
