Mixed Bean Goulash, 31p – WAS 17P [VG/V/DF/GF]
Serves 4 at 31p each. The original recipe at 2012 prices was 17p a portion.
1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans, 35p (Was 17p. Price increase: 106%)
1 x 400g tin of baked beans, 25p (Was 22p. Price increase: 14%)
1 onion, 10p (90p/1.5kg onions. Previously 5p as part of a 1.25kg Basics stew pack. Price increase: 100%)
1 fat clove of garlic or a generous shake of the dried stuff, 2p (35p/2 bulbs of garlic. Up from 30p. Price increase: 17%)
4 tablespoons oil, 6p (£3/3l sunflower or vegetable oil – price unchanged)
3 teaspoons paprika, 6p (80p/100g, Natco or KTC brand)
1 x 400g carton or tin of chopped tomatoes, 35p (Was 30p. Price increase: 17%)
1 vegetable stock cube, 4p (35p/10. In 2013, they were 10p for 10. The original recipe also used a beef stock cube. Price increase: 250%)
1 teaspoon sugar, 1p (90p/1kg, Sainsburys Fairtrade sugar. Was 80p/1kg. Price increase: 13%)
First, drain and rinse the beans. Empty the kidney beans and the baked beans into a colander, and blast under cold water to get rid of the tinned taste, and the cheap sauce from the baked Peel and chop the onion, and peel and finely slice the garlic. Place in a sauté or large non-stick frying pan with the oil and paprika, and fry on a low heat until the onion is softened. Add the chopped tomatoes, crumbled stock cube, sugar and half a tin of water, and stir well. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until thickened and glossy. Tip in the colander of rinsed beans, stir to mix well and heat through for 10 minutes. Serve, devour, have seconds and enjoy!
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Looks interesting recipe. BUT nearly double the price in 5 years, did I miss wages or benefits rising that much !!!
Good work, Jack. Different groups of people need different price indices. I wonder how much that £37 breakfast has gone up.
Love to you and all around you.
Have you priced tubes of garlic puree vs fresh? Gia garlic puree costs around 80p for 90g, but you can sometimes find jars in the World Foods section that are cheaper by volume. Mind you, products are so variable in availability and price it might not be worth it. But I find a tube or jar keeps longer in the cupboard or fridge, and is therefore less wasteful and more cost-effective in the long run. Just my tuppence worth.
I used frozen garlic “cubes” from the Halal frozen section in Morrisons. Costs £1.07 (Feb 18) for a 200g back. Half a cube is enough for smaller portion recipes or a whole one if you like it garlicky, which I do 🙂
I love this recipe. When I first made it my husband pulled a face that there was no meat in it but demanded I make it again once he’d tried it. Leftovers are lovely in wraps for the kids lunch, with grated cheese if that’s your thing. It’s also thins with a bit of extra stock to make a soup.
You mis-calculate percentage increases in prices – to make a political point?
The difference between new and old divided by the old (x 100) is the percentage increase, not new divided by old ( x 100) as you have done.
So a doubling of price from 17p to 34p is a 100% (not 200%) price increase. It is a doubling in price, which is a subtle difference.
Not good, I agree, but more accurate.
I dare you to put this comment up. Or adjust the entry…
Genuine error Edward. They happen. No need to be quite so priggish about it.
OK, accept it was a mistake, apols. Sadly, that’s my standard writing style. It comes from writing product manuals, and covering any and all possible mistakes of the users which I’m not always successful at. “It’s impossible to deal with the ingenuity of complete idiots”.
May well make this dish this weekend, esp if I don’t get paid for the last “manual” job in time.
I’ve gone vegan for lent and a week in was finding it expensive… my hope was to save money and donate it after Easter, it didn’t look like it was going to happen then I remembered reading you had gone vegan so thought I’d check out the blog. Thank you Jack! I have decided that your tip jar will be where I will donate my saved money when lent finishes. You are doing wonderful work, long may it continue!
i made this today and was happy with it too…. im not a vegan or even a vegetarian but I found it filling and satisfying too, looks like I will be having it for a couple of days though . I will probably make some cous cous to go with it tomorrow or maybe some rice. and I might put a squirt of chilli sauce in to the goulash to give it a wee bit of bite. thank you for your website Jack,
You’re welcome Rob!
I like it in wraps like a burrito too, or it can be mixed with a little stock or a tin of tomatoes to make a filling soup 🙂