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23 Tips To Drastically Reduce Your Food Bill

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23 Tips To Drastically Reduce Your Food Bill

A home-cooked budget friendly meal.
Clockwise from top left: Boiled White Rice, Zucchini Malai Kofta Masala, Kachumer Salad, Moong Masoor Tarka Daal and Aaloo Channa Daal Cutlets

 

With food costs at an all time bone-crushing high, it is no surprise that most of us are feeling quite the pinch when it comes to eating well and feeding our families.

The idea is to be able to feed yourself and your loved ones delicious, wholesome and nutritious meals while also being able to:

-Spend Less

-Get The Most Out Of Your Purchases

-Minimise Wastage

-Save


Here are 23 practical tips that have helped me cut down on my overall food budget with the hope that you too will find some or all of these tips useful:

 

1. Track Your Spending

This is absolutely ESSENTIAL and the first step to getting your food budgeting on track.

Once you get this down right, everything else will fall into place and make sense so please don’t skip it.

Get a notebook (the old-school paper kind) and a pen.

Jot down every single food bill and food related expense you incur for 1 week (takeout, grocery bills, restaurant meals etc).

Writing every single amount down on paper and adding it all to arrive at the total hits different.

2. Assess Your Spending

Once you have an idea of your weekly and hopefully monthly food spending, do a thoroughly honest assessment of whether your money is being spent wisely or not.

How many are essential food items and what are your impulse purchases?

Are you buying too much food?

Do you really need 4 bags of frozen fries a month when maybe 2 will do just fine?

Can you cut back on a pricey ingredient and use a cheaper substitute?

Think about it.

3. Set A Budget

Once you have your overall food bill and related expenses roughly figured out, try to set a realistic food budget based on your family’s requirements, preferences and lifestyle.

Challenge yourself to stick to it.

4. List Down Meals, Snacks & Drinks

Next make a list of:

–breakfasts, lunches and dinners that your family mostly eats on rotation.

-snacks (crisps, frozen ready to cook products, candies etc).

-drinks (water, teas, coffees, soft drinks etc).

-takeout/delivery meals that you usually order in.

-restaurant meals that you may be going out to eat that week.

5. Meal Plan For The Week

Once you have the above list done, choose meals from it and allocate for all 3 mealtimes (plus snacks and drinks) for each day of the week.

Also factor in any meals that you’ll be ordering in or eating out during the week (hopefully just one, maximum).

Meal planning not only eliminates the daily stress of racking your brains about what to cook but keeps you from spending on extra ingredients you may not need that can add up unnecessarily to your food bill.

6. Shop Your Pantry, Fridge & Freezer

Based on your meal plan, write down the ingredients required for each meal for the week.

Then do a thorough inventory check to see which ingredients are in stock and what needs to be purchased.

You don’t want to spend on a new box of pasta when there are 3 already, waiting to be used.

The same goes for useable vegetables, fruit and protein that you may already have in your fridge or freezer.

Make a note of spices and condiments on hand as well.

7. Overlap Ingredients

When trying to reduce your weekly or monthly food bill, it really helps if you can use one or more main ingredient for multiple recipes.

For example, boiled potatoes can be used to make Aloo K Parathay and Aloo Cutlets for the freezer.

Or if you make Marinara Sauce, use half of it to make simple spaghetti topped with your favourite protein and freeze the remaining to use as sauce for a homemade pizza later.

8. Lean Towards Vegetable-Based Meals

As produce heavy dishes take the spotlight like never before, it makes sense to eat more vegetable driven meals not just for health benefits but also for economics.

Inexpensive items like grains, beans and legumes are a great way to stretch your meals on a budget and lower your food bill.

Platforms like Pinterest and YouTube offer a staggering array of veg centric recipes should you wish to explore wildly delicious vegetable-based meals beyond the usual daal sabzi realm.

Shameless Plug: explore this blog and my YouTube channel for some great veg friendly main, snack and dessert recipes!

9. Shop At Less Expensive Stores

Stores that offer more affordable prices without compromising on quality are your best bet.

In Pakistan, think of stores like Metro, Imtiaz and CSD.

Also assess if ordering groceries online from a certain store will cost you more or less compared to physically shopping there.

10. Buy Store Brands

Many store brand products (like grains, spices etc.) are generally cheaper and of pretty much the same quality as many of their branded counterparts.

They’re a great choice when food budgeting.

Try them.

11. Limit Specialty Foods

I adore imported raspberries and blueberries and love locally grown exotic vegetables such as oyster mushrooms and poblanos and have a fondness for cheeses (both imported and a few locally produced artisanal ones).

But due to the very high retail prices associated with the above, my use of them is now limited to rare and special occasions only.

In my quest to reduce my weekly food bill, I try and make use of more affordable substitutes and a lot of times they work just fine.

12. Bulk Purchase

Bulk purchases are often more economical than buying smaller quantities repeatedly.

Bear in mind that bulk purchases make sense only if you bulk use them.

No sense buying a 5 kg bag of rice when you use it just once a month.

13. Shop Sale Items Sensibly

Again, buy sale items only if it makes sense.

That huge box of cornflakes at half price is no good if you’re going to use it just a few times a month.

14. Stick To Your Shopping List

Try your best not to give in to the urge to buy random things just because.

Impulse buying is unwise to say the least when you’re trying to stay on a budget so it is important you know and understand your triggers.

15. Bulk Cook & Make Freezer Meals

Most fully prepared food items from daals, rice and roti to lasagna, pizza and burgers freeze very well.

Save yourself the time, energy and money by bulk cooking enough to get at least 2 freezer meals out of every cooking session and thank yourself later.

16. Limit Grocery Runs (In Store and Online)

Try not to give in to the urge of ordering ingredients when they run out, unless they are absolutely essential.

Many times you can make do with an acceptable substitute already available at home or make do without entirely, saving money (including commute costs and delivery charges).

17. Grow Your Own Herbs

Fresh herbs from the store may not exactly put a dent in your food budget but if you use them quite often, its a good idea to grow them yourself.

Most herbs like coriander, mint and parsley are easy to grow, don’t require much space (they thrive in pint sized flowering pots) and are low maintenance.

They may not cost a lot but don’t forget that even the smallest purchases add up.

18. Repurpose Leftovers

Freeze leftover meals for another day.

Or use them to make other meals.

For example, use leftover plain cooked/boiled rice a day or 2 later to make fried rice with lots of veggies and your choice of protein.

Your freezer is your friend. Use it wisely to save time, hassle and money.

19. Minimise Meal Deliveries And Takeaways

With a multitude of food choices to suit every mood and budget just an app away, it is now easier than ever to order meals in.

I am all for supporting local businesses but I also have a keen focus on minimising my overall food bill.

Hence I opt for the convenience of ordering in only on days I’m crazy busy, not feeling too well or just plain dead tired to cook.

And for me, that’s once a month at the most.

20. Limit Restaurant Meals

It goes without saying that eating out these days can cost an arm and a leg.

Even a cup of coffee at a decent café can set you back around PKR 1000 per person.

It’s natural to want to go somewhere nice for a meal sometimes but bear in mind that it does come with a price.

21. Socialise Wisely

Its ok to say no to meeting friends at pricey eateries.

Alternatively, you can recommend catching up somewhere less expensive.

Or suggest getting together at home (yours or theirs) and doing a potluck or one-dish party with everybody bringing one food item (homemade or store bought, whichever is affordable) each.

Real friends will understand and respect your need to be financially wise.

Be smart about your both friends and finances.

22. Change Your FOMO to WOMO

Try not give in to the urge of heading to high-end bakeries, cafés and restaurants just because friends, someone on a food forum or an influencer on social media posted gorgeous photos and glowing reviews about it.

The temptation may be high but please do not forget that right now may not be the wisest time to give in to the extravagance of exorbitantly priced food.

Change your FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) to WOMO (Wisdom Of Missing Out).

23. Don’t Lose Your Focus

Despite your best intentions, life happens and sometimes it’s easy to get sidetracked.

It’s ok.

Get back on track as quickly as you can.

Keep an eagle eye on what you cook and eat so you know exactly where your money is going.

Don’t forget that when it comes to your overall food bill, every single thing adds up.

Remember the reason you’re reading this post.

Remain focused.

You got this.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

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Tikka Kofta Biryani Tikka Kofta Biryani: juicy barbecue-smoked tikka flavoured plant-based koftay on a bed of fluffy fragrant masala rice, the stuff of biryani dreams!

This beautiful and satisfying biryani makes for a comforting family meal and is also elegant enough to be served when entertaining guests.

Like most good biryanis, this one doesn’t need any sides really except maybe a cool plant-based raita and a crunchy kachumer salad on the side.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

I probably should’ve started with a basic biryani recipe instead of jumping straight onto a Tikka Kofta Biryani, since this is my first biryani recipe on the blog. Which is strange, considering how often I make biryani at home.

The recipe is fairly straightforward and just because there are several steps does not mean it is difficult by any means.

The key to making a good biryani, in my most humble opinion, is practice.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

Since biryani making can be an involved and time consuming process, I often prefer making the biryani components in stages.

Like for this Tikka Kofta Biryani, I’d make the tikka koftay and the biryani quorma one day (sometimes weeks ahead – thank you deep freezer!) and then boil the rice and assemble and finish the biryani the next day. Much easier to manage my time and sanity that way.

I would urge you to go through the tips at the end of the recipe, which are some of my thoughts and tricks that I’ve learned making biryani over the years.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

 

TIKKA KOFTA BIRYANI 

 

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Alice In Eatland

Serves: 2 – 4

 

Tikka Kofta Biryani: juicy barbecue-smoked tikka flavoured plant-based koftay on a bed of fluffy fragrant masala rice, the stuff of biryani dreams!

 

Tikka Koftay

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 1-2 tablespoons tikka masala
  • 1 tablespoon roasted gram flour
  • 4 medium potatoes, boiled, skinned & mashed
  • 1/2 cup boiled kaalay channay or red kidney beans, coarsely ground in food processor
  • Salt
  • Handful chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • A few green chillies, seeded & finely chopped


For the dhuan/smoke:

  • A small piece of charcoal
  • A small square of aluminium foil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oil
  • Metal tongs

 

  1. Heat oil in a pan.
  2. Add grated ginger and grated garlic.
  3. Sauté until fragrant then add the tikka masala and the roasted gram flour.
  4. Mix well and sauté 10-20 seconds.
  5. Add the mashed potatoes and the beans and mix very well.
  6. Check seasoning and adjust if required.
  7. Switch off the heat and cool to room temperature.
  8. Stir in the coriander and green chillies.
  9. Form into 15-20 balls, the size of an apricot.
  10. Chill koftay in the freezer half an hour.
  11. Deep fry, shallow fry, air fry or bake as per your preference.
  12. Place the aluminium foil in the centre of a pan that has a lid.
  13. Arrange the koftay around the foil.
  14. Ignite the charcoal by placing it directly into the fire on your burner.
  15. Turn a few times with the tongs until red hit in a few places.
  16. Using the tongs, place the charcoal onto the foil in the pan.
  17. Pour the oil on top of the charcoal and as soon it smokes, cover the pan immediately with the lid.
  18. Let stay covered until the smoke subsides.
  19. Remove the charcoal.
  20. Your Tikka Koftay are ready.

 

Biryani Masala

  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • Seeds of 1/2 a black cardamom
  • 1 inch stick cinnamon
  • 1/4 of a star anise
  • 1/8 inch piece nutmeg
  • 1 big blade of mace
  • 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon white cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds

Grind all of the above as finely as possible in a coffee grinder.

Then add the following to the ground spices:

  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tablespoon white cumin seeds
  • 1/4 of a star anise
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 small black cardamom
  • 1 inch stick cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 dried plums (aloo bukharay)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well.

This makes enough for the whole recipe.

 

Biryani Ka Quorma

  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled & finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely puréed/blended
  • 2 tablespoons biryani masala from a box OR the entire quantity of the homemade biryani masala from the recipe on top
  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock OR 1/2 a vegetable stock cube
  • 3/4 cup coconut yoghurt OR full fat coconut milk OR 1/2 cup coconut cream + 1/4 cup full fat or lite coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

  1. Heat oil and sauté onion till golden. Do not over brown.
  2. Remove 1 tablespoon oil from the pan and reserve.
  3. Stir the grated ginger and the grated garlic into the pan.
  4. Sauté 10 seconds.
  5. Add puréed tomatoes, biryani masala, vegetable stock or crumbled vegetable stock cube & coconut product of choice.
  6. Stir and bring to a rolling boil.
  7. Let boil a minute or so then lower the heat and simmer partially covered 10-15 minutes or till the oil starts floating in places at the surface of the gravy.
  8. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice.
  9. Taste.
  10. At this stage the quorma should be saltier and spicier than your preference.

 

Biryani Rice

  • 2 1/4 cups rice, basmati or sella
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 2 small bay leaves

 

  1. Wash the rice in a few changes of water.
  2. Soak basmati 15-20 minutes and sella for 2 hours.
  3. Bring 14- 16 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pan.
  4. Have a colander or sieve ready.
  5. Add salt, green cardamoms and bay leaves to the boiling water.
  6. Drain the rice and add to pan.
  7. Bring the water back to the boil.
  8. Cook uncovered until the rice is half done (2-3 minutes for basmati & 3-5 minutes for sella).
  9. Drain.

 

To Finish:

  • Small pinch red food colour powder
  • Small pinch yellow food colour powder
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh mint
  • 4-6 fresh green chillies, pierced in places
  • A few slices lemons
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • Khewra water or essence
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Roasted cashews
  • Edible silver leaf (warq), optional 

 

  1. To assemble the Kofta Tikka Biryani, place your tawa onto the stove over a medium heat.
  2. Pour the biryani quorma into the base of a flat bottomed pan that has a tight fitting lid.
  3. Spread the boiled rice evenly in a single layer over the quorma to cover.
  4. Mix the red and yellow food colours separately in two small bowls with a teaspoon each of water.
  5. Drip the 2 colours in places all over the rice, making sure to leave most of the rice white.
  6. Place the fresh mint sprigs, green chillies, lemon slices and sliced tomatoes on top.
  7. Drizzle over the reserved tablespoon of oil and the khewra essence.
  8. Arrange half the tikka koftay on top of the rice.
  9. Cover with the lid and place on the hot tawa.
  10. Increase the heat to high and let cook 5 minutes then reduce the heat and let simmer 10-15 minutes or till steamy and damm is reached.
  11. Remove the mint sprigs and plate biryani onto a serving dish.
  12. Top with the remaining tikka koftay.
  13. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, sliced green chillies and roasted cashews.
  14. Top some of the koftay with a bit of warq, if wished.


Tips For A Great Tikka Kofta Biryani Making Experience:

 

  • Make Ahead: Tikka Koftay

Follow recipe till step 11.

Cool koftay completely and freeze airtight up to a month.

To use, preferably flash deep fry or pan very briefly directly from the freezer.

Or just thaw completely in the fridge and use.

Finish from step 12 onwards.

 

  • Make Ahead: Biryani Quorma

Follow recipe till the end and cool completely.

Freeze airtight for up to 1 month.

Defrost completely in the fridge and warm up throughly before finishing with the rice.

 

  • Basmati rice requires careful timing and may break or the grains may stick together if not handled with care.
  • Sella rice is very forgiving as it retains its shape even if overcooked.
  • When making biryani for guests, I prefer hardy sella over delicate basmati.
  • The water for boiling both the basmati and sella must be well salted, just as you would generously salt it for boiling pasta.
  • For all 3 biryani rice colours to show separately, do not mix the biryani when plating. Just scoop it out and place on your dish. Mix rice on your plate when actually eating.

 

  • I feel fresh mint is essential for biryani damm. 
    However, I do not care for blackened mint leaves after they’ve been steamed and damm’ed, neither looks wise nor taste wise.
    Hence, I use whole mint sprigs for the damm as they are much easier to fish out and discard.
    I then top the biryani with fresh vibrant green mint leaves just before serving.
  • Skip the koftay if you are pressed for time (or energy) and make an equally delicious Aaloo Biryani.
    Just add 4 – 6 medium potatoes (halved) to the quorma after step 7 with 1/4 cup water.
    Cover and cook till potatoes are tender.
    Follow the rest of the recipe as is.

 

  • It is completely ok if you prefer commercially available biryani masala over making your own from scratch.
    Ignore anyone who may judge you for that.

Kurkuri Masala Bhindi

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Kurkuri Masala Bhindi

Ladies and gentlemen, please say hello to my new favourite side dish that I’ve been enjoying a lot lately with a number of desi main dishes.

Kurkuri Masala Bhindi is a new discovery for me and an absolutely delicious one into the bargain. Crispy, spicy and ever so slightly tangy – yum!

Okra has always featured fairly frequently on the everyday home cooked meals roster at my home.

However, it has almost always been prepared as a stir fried dryish sort of curry – the usual Pakistani way of making bhindi ki sabzi.

Kurkuri Masala Bhindi

I had heard of folks making fried bhindi but since I’d never had it, I had no idea what I was missing out on.

The first time that fried okra really caught my attention was when I watched legendary Pakistani food expert Mrs Zubaida Tariq make what she called “Crispy Bhindi” on a show on Masala TV a year or so ago maybe.

Kurkuri Masala Bhindi

I loved how crunchy the deep fried okra slices looked and the fact that Mrs Tariq mixed in roasted slivered almonds into the fried okra just before serving made things seem even more enticing.

So here is my take on this fried okra phenomenon, inspired by a recipe titled “Crunchy Okra” in this recipe book called ‘Vegetarian Fiesta’ which is said to be complied by Indian Master Chefs.

Kurkuri Masala Bhindi

I find that Kurkuri Masala Bhindi goes very well as a side dish with desi main dishes such as daal chaawal and karrhi chaawal.

I also find it very hard to keep myself from finishing Kurkuri Masala Bhindi before it makes its way from the kitchen to the dining table.

If you have a fondness for delicious deep fried foods, you will find this  Kurkuri Masala Bhindi a delightful treat.

Kurkuri Masala Bhindi

Kurkuri Masala Bhindi

 

Recipe Type: Starter & Side    Author: Alice In Eatland
Prep Time: 10 Minutes    Cook Time: 5 Minutes    Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves: 2 – 4

 

Crispy, spicy shards of deep fried okra! Kurkuri Masala Bhindi is an excellent desi side dish and equally wonderful as a crunchy snack on its own!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 250 grams – 300 grams okra
  • Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon aamchoor (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon gram flour
  • Oil for deep frying

 

METHOD

  1. Wash the okra and dry thoroughly between sheets of kitchen paper.
  2. When completely dry, top and tail the okra.
  3. Slice each okra lengthwise into four pieces so that you have long shards of cut okra. Place okra slices on a flat plate or tray.
  4. Combine salt, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, chaat masala, garam masala and aamchoor, if using.
  5. Sprinkle this spice mix all over the okra slices and mix gently but thoroughly with your fingers until combined. Set aside.
  6. Over a medium highish flame, heat enough oil for deep frying in a pan.
  7. When the oil is fairly hot, sprinkle the gram flour over the okra. Mix gently by hand and then add the okra carefully into the hot oil.
  8. Make sure you do not overcrowd or overfill the pan – fry okra in batches if your pan isn’t big enough.
  9. If your oil is the right temperature, the surface will start bubbling with small bubbles as soon as the okra is added and then after a couple of seconds, the okra will rise up to the surface of the oil.
  10. Separate the frying okra lightly with a fork to keep from sticking together. When it looks golden brown and feels crisp, remove, preferably with a metal spider skimmer, onto plates lined with kitchen paper. I usually remove the bhindi from the oil directly into a wiry metal colander to minimise surface contact – this ensures that the fried bhindi does not become soggy and remains crisp.
  11. Serve Kurkuri Masala Bhindi hot or at room temperature.
  12. This makes an excellent side dish for both vegetarian and meaty mains. Very good on its own as a crunchy snack to munch on.