Healthy budget family meals

Eat well and feel great with our nutritious, budget-friendly family meals, which are full of goodness and make the most of lower-cost ingredients

- KERRY TORRENS

Chole with cumin rice & raita

Make this flavour-packed chickpea curry for a satisfying meat-free supper that also provides two of your five-a-day. It’s great if you haven’t got time to go shopping, as it uses up storecupboard basics such as canned chickpeas, dried rice and spices. You can easily dial down the spice levels for youngsters, too. Beans and pulses, like chickpeas, are rich in protein, resistant starch and soluble fibre, all of which slow the speed of digestion and help lower blood sugar levels. This means they have a low glycaemic index (GI) and release their energy more steadily, which is great if you have an energetic family.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 20 mins EASY V

For the raita

1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a low heat and fry the onion for 10 mins until starting to brown. Add 3 tsp of the cumin, the ginger, garlic and curry powder. Stir for a minute to keep the spices from burning.