Curry is a dish that has its origins in India. It is made with either chicken, lamb, vegetables, or fish. As the name implies, it is filled with various spices. You will find curry powder, coriander, and turmeric in most variations of the curry dish.
Curry is not an everyday dish. When most people try their hands on it and have leftovers, they worry if refrigeration can preserve it.
How long does curry last in the fridge? Curry will last as long as the perishable food item in it lasts. Take chicken curry; chicken has a shelf life of 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Curry made with chicken will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
The average shelf life of any curry dish should be 3 to 4 days in the fridge, depending on some factors that will be discussed later.
If you have coconut curry by chance, which isn’t as common as chicken curry, it has a shelf life of 2 days in the fridge. It is not advisable to eat coconut curry that has spent more than two days in the fridge. Vegetable curry will last for 3 days in the fridge.
How Long Does Curry Last at Room Temperature?
The aroma of chicken curry is heavenly. You might be tempted to eat as much as you can, but when the stomach is full, it is full. It is estimated that curry will last for a maximum of 4 days in the fridge, but how long can it sit at room temperature.
If you have chicken curry, you can only leave it at room temperature for no longer than 2 hours before placing it in the fridge. Bacteria multiply at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F. Keeping your curry in the fridge doesn’t take care of the bacteria problem exactly. Still, it slows down their growth by a considerable amount.
Therefore, curry has a shelf life of just 4 days in the fridge. Despite storing it in the fridge, the bacterial mass will continue to increase. After spending more than four days in the fridge, the mass will be enough to make consumption dangerous and inadvisable.
How to Tell If Curry Has Gone Bad
It is quite easy to tell if your curry has gone bad or not. Curry powder will last in your pantry for 2 to 3 years if it is kept in a cool and dry place and out of direct sunlight.
Sadly, delicious curry dishes do not last that long. You can easily tell if curry is bad or not by observing certain characteristics.
Appearance
If you have keen eyes, this should be the first thing you’ll notice about your curry. If it has off-color or looks dull and weird, it might be an indication that your curry has gone bad. You might want to discard it.
Odor
Curry has a great aroma. We have already established that. When next, you try eating your leftover curry, and you find out it has a sour, unpleasant, tangy odor. Basically, an odor like sour milk is a clear sign that it has gone bad, and you should discard it immediately.
Texture
This is another way you can tell if curry has gone bad or not, especially on days when your olfactory lobes don’t feel like showing up to work. Try touching the curry. If it feels slimy, it might be a sign that it has gone bad.
To be sure, you can rub some between your fingers. If a slimy thread forms as you slowly separate the two fingers, discard it immediately.
Every food eventually goes bad. Curry does not have an expiration date, so people quickly assume it has gone bad. If you check for any of these signs and your curry passes the test, you can eat it and refrain from wasting food.
How to Store Curry to Last Longer in the Fridge
Curry will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, but some factors can make its shelf life shorter. How do you ensure that your curry dish lasts in the fridge for as long as it can without freezing it?
Storage Options
The best way to store curry before putting it in the freezer is to store it in small portions in shallow containers. These containers must be airtight.
If you aren’t sure if they can keep air out, you can store your curry in small portions, in an airtight container, or in Ziploc bags. This way, the moisture in the fridge won’t get into your curry and ruin it before you are ready to eat it.
Temperature
Your curry needs to cool down to room temperature before placing it in the fridge. Suppose you pack it in containers before it has cooled down properly. In that case, it can cause moisture build-up that will create a suitable environment for bacteria to grow.
While you wait for your curry to cool down to room temperature, keep a watchful eye on it and make sure it doesn’t sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours before you place it in the fridge.
When you leave your curry on the kitchen counter at room temperature, the chances that it will get contaminated by bacteria increase with every passing second.
Final Thoughts
Curry is great, and the fear of it going bad should not stop you from enjoying it as much as you can. When you take your curry out of the fridge, you should bring it to a boil or cook it till it has an internal temperature of 165 °F. This is very important, as it will ensure that the bacteria in your food are eliminated.