Written by Shantel Hussain
Eating is essential for the human body!
I’m here to share my weekly/monthly meals that I make. This will leave you with plenty of leftovers. That sounds good huh?
WARNING please don’t read this while you’re hungry and please keep in mind I’m from Fiji so most of my dishes are South Asian.
The first meal I’ll be sharing is a chicken curry. Here is the breakdown of the ingredients:
- 1kg chicken (Maryland Pieces)
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 teaspoons curry powder (garam masala)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (turmeric)
- Coriander optional
- Chillies optional
- 3 tablespoons Salt
First step, cut up your onions, tomatoes, garlic, and coriander.
The second step is to heat up the pan add the oil and the onion and wait for them to turn golden brown.
Then add garlic and chilli paste, stir for two minutes. Next you add the garam masala, turmeric and salt and stir.
Add the chicken and let it cook for 10 minutes then add the tomatoes. Now just let it cook away for 40 minutes.
When you’re ready to serve, add your coriander and enjoy your meal. If you want you can add potatoes too just put them in after you add the chicken.
I also have grown my own coriander bush and chilli tree as they tend to grow quickly, and I always use this for my own cooking. This definitely saves me some money!
All together the ingredients should only cost around $12- $15 depending on how much meat you want, as I mentioned, I have a South Asian background, so I prefer to add a lot of chilli!
This curry usually lasts me 2-3 days, so I have plenty for dinners or uni lunches!
The second meal is a tin fish meal that’s costs $6. The ingredients are as follows:
- 1 mackerel fish in tomato sauce (I use brand 777)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
All you need to do is put some oil in a pan, add in your onions and garlic, then add in the tin fish. Let this simmer for 5-6 minutes and your dinner will be ready!
This meal can go with rice or roti bread. This meal is usually sold in small Indian markets wrapped in roti, which people buy to take to lunch, dinner, or sometimes even just a snack.
The third meal is a chicken soup, which will cost you $17. Here is the list of ingredients:
- 1kg chicken thighs (or lamb as substitute)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 3 potatoes
- your preferred vegetables
- 1L chicken stock optional
Add your chicken stock and the chicken thighs to a large saucepan. Bring this to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Add in your vegetables and season to taste.
You can add chilli to this, which is perfect if you are feeling sick as it will make you feel better.
Chicken soup is perfect to make on a Sunday night and will usually last 3-4 days!
Finally, the last meal is salmon!
Here is the list of ingredients:
- 1 packet Gravox hollandaise sauce
- Salmon skin on or off based on your preference
- Coriander (tiny bit to sprinkle)
- Oven tray
- 1 tablespoon oil
Preheat your oven to 160c (fan forced).
All you have to do is sprinkle some oil on an oven tray, place the salmon on the tray and add your hollandaise sauce on top. Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle some coriander on top, ready to serve!
This meal is the best by far as we go for leftovers, as the salmon can be used for salad the next day, put on crackers, or on a sandwich. All for only $15!
I hope my meals didn’t make you too hungry, and I hope my tips helped you with budget-friendly meals.
Happy cooking!
This is a SSAF funded initiative.
