Food & Drink

Feisty Soup, 45p, makes two portions at 23p each. I made this for myself this afternoon as i’ve come down with an awful cold – I’ve not worked out if it’s the dreaded flu yet, but i’m shaky, exhausted and feeling generally sorry for myself. So I did what I do best, and I’m trying…

This recipe came about after seeing the tins of soup in the supermarket and thinking, ‘I can do better than that.’ So rather than stocking up on thin tomato soup (with suspiciously few tomatoes) I thought I’d treat myself to some cheap, versatile, protein-packed spicy goodness instead. The quantities here make four generous portions. Serves…

Jardaloo Ma Murghi (Curry With Apricots) 87p for 4 portions, or 22p each. This is my favourite curry, my go to, my easy but perfect comfort food. I used to make this with turkey, which at £1.75 for a 600g drumstick would serve four people easily (pre-roast the drumstick and just peel it off the…

This tomato sauce is exactly what its name says – a wonderfully versatile sauce for all occasions. It was inspired by a basic tomato sauce in Economy Gastronomy by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett – which is a brilliant guide to cooking fantastic food on a budget. With mine, I make a batch, eat some,…

These are my sad black bananas. I wanted to make them happy again, by making them into supercake. What do you do when you have a pile of black bananas sitting in the fruit bowl? I don’t even know how this happens – I generally work from home, bananas are my go-to snack because I…

This tagine uses my three staple spices – turmeric, cumin and paprika – to deliver a gorgeous sweet and spicy dinner. I made it for Xanthe Clay from the Daily Telegraph when she visited for an article called ‘My 49p Lunch With A Girl Called Jack’. In her words: ‘the food is very fine, and…

Butter beans simmer in a tomato sauce flavoured with cinnamon, lemon and basil. This version is cooked on the hob. Serves 4 Ingredients 100g dried butter beans 1 carton chopped tomatoes 1 onion 1 garlic clove A pinch of ground cinnamon A splash of lemon juice 1 vegetable stock cube Basil, plus extra to finish…

Red lentils, tomatoes and cumin make a simple daal. Chicken stock is used in the original ingredient list; rice and pitta are served alongside. Serves 3 Ingredients 100g red lentils 1 carton chopped tomatoes 1 onion 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp fresh coriander, plus extra for serving 1 litre chicken stock Rice and pitta…

This bean chilli uses black beans and haricot beans, with red wine and dark chocolate in the tomato sauce. Serves 4 Ingredients 75g dried black beans 75g dried haricot beans 1 onion 75ml red wine 1 carton chopped tomatoes 3 squares dark chocolate A shake of paprika A shake of ground cumin 1 small chilli…

Potato, carrot and onion form the vegetable base of this curry. Natural yoghurt softens the tomato sauce, while garam masala and fresh herbs supply the seasoning. Serves 3–4 Ingredients 1 onion 1 carrot 1 potato 1 garlic clove 1 carton chopped tomatoes 250g natural yoghurt 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 200ml water A handful…