Budget meals under R80 are tested here – 5 recipes that feed 4 people for R55 to R75 using sugar beans, lentils and chickpeas bought locally.
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Legumes are rich in protein, fibre, and vitamins and minerals such as folate, iron, manganese, and copper and hey support heart health, digestive health, and stable blood sugar levels.
All these budget meals under R80 in this article use dried legumes and will feed a family of four for less than R80 per meal. No meat needed. And you will use only one pot, which makes washing up so much easier! Legumes also keep without a fridge, and taste better the next day, so it is perfect for lunchboxes.
All 5 of these budget meals under R80 cost less than one packet of meat.
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1. Sugar bean curry
Ingredients:
- 500g sugar beans, soaked overnight
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 2 tomatoes chopped or 1 tin tomato
- 2 potatoes diced
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garlic and ginger
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- rice or pap to serve
Method:
- Soak beans overnight in water. This saves 40 mins of electricity.
- Boil beans in fresh water for 1 hour until soft. Keep the water you used to cook the beans in.
- Fry onion, garlic and ginger and curry in oil until soft.
- Add tomato and diced potato, fry for three minutes.
- Add beans plus 2 cups of bean water. Simmer for 20 minutes until thick.
- Serve with pap or rice.
Lowveld tip: Make on Sunday, eat on Monday. Add a spoon of atchar and some peanut butter at the end. Budget meals under R80 have never tasted this good!
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2. Lentil mince for vetkoek
Your kids will love this and won’t even miss the meat!
Ingredients:
- 500g brown lentils
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots diced small
- 1 packet tomato paste
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- salt and pepper
- vetkoek or bread to serve
Method:
- Rinse lentils. Cook for 20 minutes until soft but not mushy.
- Fry onion and carrots in oil.
- Add cooked lentils, tomato paste and 1 cup of water.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until it looks like savoury mince. Add herbs.
- Scoop into vetkoek or onto toast.
Why it works: It looks like mince, but at the third of the price.
3. Chickpea chakalaka
This can work as a side dish during a braai, or a main meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 tin chickpeas or 500g boiled chickpeas
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tin baked beans (R18)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Method:
- Fry onion, pepper and grated carrot in oil.
- Add curry, stir for 1 minute.
- Add chickpeas and baked beans with sauce.
- Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot with pap or cold the next day with bread.
Lowveld twist: Add a handful of frozen mixed vegetables.
4. Bean and spinach soup
Ingredients:
- 500g white haricot beans
- big bunch morogo / spinach
- 2 potatoes diced
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 stock cube
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Method:
- Cook beans for 1 hour until soft.
- Fry onion in oil, add cubed potato, beans plus 3 cups water and stock cube.
- When the potato is soft, add chopped morogo for last 5 minutes.
- Mash some of the beans for thickness.
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5. Samp and beans
Samp and beans — known in isiXhosa as umngqusho — is one of South Africa’s most enduring culinary traditions, with roots stretching back to the country’s indigenous farming heritage
Ingredients
- 2 cups samp
- 1 cup dried sugar beans (or speckled beans)
- 8 cups water (plus extra as needed)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 stock cube (chicken or beef)
- 1 tsp paprika or mild curry powder (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional add-ins: diced carrot, potatoes, green chili, fresh parsley
Method
1. Soak
- Rinse samp and beans thoroughly.
- Soak overnight in plenty of cold water to reduce cooking time
2. Cook sam and beans
Drain and rinse.
- Place in a large pot with fresh water (about 8 cups).
- Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 2 hours until tender.
- Add more hot water as needed to keep the mixture moist.
3. Prepare Aromatics
- In a separate pan, sauté onion in oil/butter until soft.
- Add garlic and optional carrot; cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in paprika or curry powder if using.
4. Combine
- Once samp and beans are soft, drain excess water (leave a little for creaminess).
- Stir in the sautéed aromatics.
- Add stock cube, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for 5–10 minutes to blend flavours.
5. Serve
Serve warm as a main or side with stews, braai meat, or chakalaka.
How to save money buying legumes
- Buy loose, not packed. You can save up to R10 per kilogram this way.
- Soak overnight. Saves 40 minutes of electricity or gas.
- Cook extra and freeze the rest.
- Add vegetables last. Keeps colour and vitamins.
- With legumes, you don’t need meat every day.
All 5 of these budget meals under R80 cost less than one packet of meat.
