Candid moment: You're still recovering from Christmas (and the big dent in the wallet), it’s a brand new year, the same salary, and it’s the middle of January, so there’s nothing left in the bank. My husband and I look at each other and say, “what’s in the cupboard is all we have, make it work till the end of the month.” Have you been there, too?
This blog is a real-life answer to the question we ask each other every day - What to cook when there’s no money to spare? 1) Fried Rice
If there’s leftover rice, this option is GOLD! All you need is an egg or a leftover piece of chicken, sausages or tofu, or literally any protein. You can toss in whatever little vegetables you have like half a carrot, a few mushrooms, some broccoli, beans, sweet corn, or basically almost anything you’ve got. Rice is such a cheaply available ingredient and the rest are all pantry staples. The best part about fried rice is that it’s made with mostly leftover ingredients, it’s filled with carbs, protein, and vegetables, and keeps you full for a while. 2) Potatoes!
What more can I say? Potatoes are probably the most versatile of vegetables. They can be mashed, fried, curried, sauteed, grilled, or any way you like. I have personally made a coconut-based potato curry (DM me or comment for the recipe), mashed potatoes with a fried egg, a dried potato fry, and sauteed baby potatoes with some chicken. Potatoes are extremely affordable (most of the time), can be bought in bulk since it stores well, and can be enjoyed multiple times due to their versatility. 3) Kadhi (A Punjabi yogurt and chickpea-based curry)
This is actually a favorite in my family. It is packed with protein since it has a gram flour (chickpea flour) base and yogurt or buttermilk. It is beautifully silky, creamy and screams comfort. This is a vegetarian dish mind you, but it is absolutely satisfying, especially on a cold winter night. My mouth is watering just typing this. This is the recipe that I follow. https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/punjabi-kadhi-recipe-punjabi-kadhi-pakora/
4) Bone Soup
One of the reasons my family loves this is because it is beautiful on a cold night. It is full of nutritional goodness and can be made in a variety of ways. Bones are easily available for cheap at any meat shop and you can throw in any vegetable you have. You really only need very little of each vegetable. Pair it with some steaming rice or toasted bread and enjoy it with a good movie. 🙂 5) Biryani OK! Before you scream at me saying “BIRYANI IS NOT CHEAP”, it actually might be. For starters, it goes for multiple meals, so you can actually have it for up to 4 meals, Secondly, you can make it with any protein whether it is cottage cheese (paneer), egg, chicken, mutton, beef, fish, prawns or even pork. So, based on whatever protein is cheapest in your area, you can whip this up quite affordably. The only thing you may need to buy is a bit of yogurt, the rest of the ingredients are once again pantry staples in most homes.
Hopefully, this blog helps you get through at least a week's worth of meals without having to spend too much but if you are still in need of ideas, here are some bonus ones:
Hummus
Mac n Cheese
Sandwiches
Lemon rice
Stuffed Parathas
Stuffed bell peppers
Burritos
Omelets
French toast
Pancakes
Dosa
Cheese toast
Readers, food should be enjoyable, but also inexpensive. So, after reading this, if you still feel super stuck, please feel free to DM us on our social media and we’ll help you brainstorm what you could make in a way that works for YOU. We’ll even help you come up with a meal plan for the week because we know how hard it can be.
Do you have any more ideas on shoestring budget meals? Drop us a comment!
Comments