Two hours on a Sunday, four big pots, and a freezer full of proper dinners for a fraction of what takeaways cost. Here's the plan, the shopping list and the food safety rules.
The plan: four pots, about 16 meals
- Keema matar with 1kg of mince: about 6 portions.
- Tarka daal, doubled: about 6 portions for very little money.
- Bolognese sauce: about 6 portions, ready for pasta or a jacket potato.
- Chana masala: 4 portions, meat-free, with tinned chickpeas.
Start the daal first, as it needs the least attention, then the bolognese, the keema and the chana. Share the job and the cost with your flatmates and it's quicker still.
The shopping list
- From the counter: 1kg of beef or lamb mince for the keema and 500g of beef mince for the bolognese. Ask for it fresh; we mince it while you wait.
- From the shelves: red lentils, two tins of chickpeas, a bag of basmati, and the spices: cumin seeds, turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander and garam masala.
- Fresh: onions (lots), garlic, ginger, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander, and frozen peas.
The spices are the big cost the first time, then they last for months. Our spice cupboard guide explains what each one does.
Freezing it safely
- Cool each pot quickly: spread it out in shallow containers, and get it into the fridge or freezer within two hours.
- Freeze in single portions, with the name and date on the lid. Curries keep well for up to three months.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight, not on the worktop.
- Reheat until piping hot all the way through, and reheat only once.
- Rice is the exception: cook it fresh, or cool it quickly, keep it in the fridge and eat it within 24 hours.
Our storing meat guide has the full rules, from Food Standards Scotland.
Cheaper still
Swap half the mince for lentils or chickpeas, buy a whole chicken and ask us to cut it into curry pieces, and buy rice in a bigger bag once you know you'll use it. More ideas are in good food for less, and the student page has how to get to the shop from the city centre.