For many students being at university is the first time they shall cook; this can seem daunting. Below we have listed 3 simple, but nutritious meals to help you get started in the kitchen. The recipes consist of cheap, readily available and healthy ingredients for a balanced diet. Absolutely everything is listed right down to salt; we have you covered every step of the way!

Chickpea Curry:

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 large

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Garlic - 2-3 cloves

Green Chillies - Optional

Curry Powder

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt

Tinned tomato - 1 can

Tinned beans - 1 can

Steps:

• Grind the onion, ginger and garlic to a fine paste using a blender. (Tip: if you don't have a blender use a grater to grate the onion, ginger and garlic finely.)

• Heat oil and sauté the onion paste for a minimum of 5-7 minutes. Now add in the tinned tomato and salt and mix everything well. Sauté the tomatoes for another 5-10 minutes after which you can add in the curry powder.

• Finally, add the chickpeas. You could easily substitute the chickpeas to a protein of your choice and half a cup of water and mix well. Let the curry simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with a side of basmati rice or naan bread.

15-minute Chilli:

Ingredients: Onion - 1 large chopped finely

Garlic - 2-3 cloves finely chopped

Green Chillies - Optional

Smoked Paprika - 1 tsp

Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp

Ground Coriander - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt

Tinned tomato - 1 can

Tinned beans - 1 can

Steps:

• Sauté onions in a little bit of oil along with the chopped garlic.

• Once the onions turn translucent, add in the spices and give it a quick toss.

• After this add the chopped tomatoes and drained beans.

• Add in salt and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

• Serve with a side of Tortilla chips/rice.

Manchow Soup:

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 2 cups sliced/chopped

Carrot - 1 whole carrot chopped

Bell pepper - 1 whole pepper chopped

Onion - 2 tbsp shopped

Garlic - 2 cloves chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp chopped

Oil

Sugar - 1 tsp

Pepper

Steps:

• In a saucepan heat, some oil and gently sauté the onions along with ginger and garlic.

• Now add rest of the veg and sauté it for two more minutes.

• To the veg, mixture add sugar and let it brown slightly after which add soy sauce.

• Now add 3 cups of water and let all the veg cook for five more minutes.

• You can add come protein of choice at this stage like tofu or chicken and boil the soup until the protein gets cooked. You could also add some ramen noodles to make this a quick meal.

• Season with pepper and add salt only if required as soy sauce is very salty.

Edited by Pia Cooper