Budget Student Meals - Plantain Stirfry

Being a student, especially one who lives away from home, can be tough. You have to start budgeting for all your needs with the hopes of having sufficient disposable income for hobbies and "wants". Not everyone has parental support or a part time job to tide them over, and for some it's an absolute nightmare when student finance thinks they don't deserve a grant and to make it worse, the student loan isn't even enough to pay rent.
The most neglected aspect of life for many students is eating good. Some resort to instant noodles and bread when times are tough, probably because they don't know how to cook or they can't afford proper food. Well, proper food is actually very cheap if you know where and how to shop wisely. It's especially easier if you're not fussy about food or if you haven't got special dietary needs. Today I'm going to share with you one meal that's easy to cook and that won't leave you with rolls of fat on your belly!

Time to cook - 15 mins including preparation
Total Dinner Cost - £1.15 (rounded up)

Ingredients:

1 plantain, diagonally sliced into oval shaped pieces (bought 3 for £1)
1/4 red bell pepper, diced (bought in a pack of 4 for £1)
1/4 yellow pepper, diced (price as above)
1/4 green pepper, diced (price as above)
1/5 large onion, sliced in half moons (bought in a pack of 3 for £1)
1/2 Aubergine (2 for £1)
Sea salt (99p 500g shaker)
Seasoning (Aromat, 59p 200g shaker)
Vegetable cooking oil (£5 for 5ltrs on sale)

Method:

1. Heat up 1 tablespoon (10ml) oil in a pan

2. add aubergine and peppers and stir for a minute or two

3. add the onion and stir for another minute or two

4. add the plantain but don't stir it for about a minute to allow it to slightly brown - stir everything else though to avoid burning

5. add your salt and seasoning, then stir everything until well cooked.

Note: for those who have no clue how to cook, to know if it's done, it changes colour by darkening. That means aubergine will no longer look like a white rubber but more of a dark, greyish, soaked colour, and the plantain will be predominantly yellow with brown, and the peppers and onions will also look slightly soaked/soggy.

My favourite Tanzanian Dish - Chipsi Mayayi

 Chipsi Mayayi served with green beans with white onions, mushrooms with garlic and basil, tomato with oregano and a slice of garlic bread

"Chipsi Mayayi" is an omelette made with chips. It is not your typical healthy food due to the method used to make it, but it is sooo delicious! The beauty of omelettes is that you can add many different things to it, and I plan to experiment as I go. Chipsi mayayi is quite common in Tanzania and I learnt of the dish when I visited Tanzania in 2014. It is quite simple to make.

Ingredients:

1 Potato (or ready made oven-baking chips like Aunty Bessie's)
3 eggs
salt
seasoning
olive oil

Method:

1. Bake the chips in the oven until well cooked but not soggy or too sfot

2. Heat up a little bit of oil (2 table spoons max in an 8 inch non-stick pan)

3. Beat the eggs thoroughly and add salt and seasoning

4. Add the chips into the frying pan, making a layer with gaps for the egg to seep through

5. Now add the eggs into the pan, making sure they cover the chips completely

6. Once cooked on one side, turn the omelette over, taking care not to break it. If it breaks, it's not the end of life

7. Let the other side cook for about a minute or two, then serve.

You can garnish your Chipsi Mayayi with anything from cucumbers and ketchup to (as I did), green beans, mushrooms and tomato.

Garnish Ingredients:

1 small packet Green beans
half a white onion, sliced in quarter moons
Handful of mushrooms, sliced
4 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
Oregano
Basil
Garlic clove chopped, or garlic powder
Salt
Aromat seasoning (or All purpose Seasoning)
Oil

Method:

1. Grease a non-stick pan and heat up for a while

2. Place the tomatoes flat side down onto the pan and allow to lightly cook. Sprinkle oregano and salt then turn them over for a minute or two

3. Put the tomatoes in a side bowl or plate and add a drop of oil to the pan if necessary. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle garlic/garlic powder, salt and basil. Let it cook for two minutes or until well cooked. Again, add to a separate side plate or bowl

4. Add a little more oil if necessary, then place the green beans and white onions into the frying pan. sprinkle some salt and seasoning. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes and add basil towards the end.

5. Place the green beans and onion on top of the omelette, followed by the mushrooms, and finally, the tomatoes. 

Bon Appetit