Tips on how to create expensive dishes
using affordable ingredients
In the first edition of Fancy Kitchen on a Budget, I tried making paella minus the tears from having to spend half of your paycheck in buying all the ingredients.
Ordering paella in a restaurant would cost you around PhP600 to PhP1000, with a serving size that would leave you more depressed than satisfied. The reason why paella can get expensive is because of its one key ingredient: saffron.
In some parts of the world, a small jar of saffron threads can get more expensive than a bar of gold. According to Wikipedia, "to glean 1lb (450g) of dry saffron requires the harvest of 50,000 to 75,000 flowers; a kilogram requires 110,000 to 170,000 flowers. Forty hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers."
No wonder saffron is expensive.
But fret not! Here are a few tips on how to create a stunning paella dish in just PhP 300 (good for 8 people!):
Instead of using saffron, paprika, and turmeric powder, use INSTANT KALDERETA MIX.
Yep, that's right. Instant kaldereta mix. Available in almost all grocery and sari-sari stores. The flavors, the heat, the color - it's all in there. And for a fraction-of a-fraction-of a-fraction-of a fraction of the cost.
Buy just 1/4kg of the seafood ingredients.
Seafood can get really expensive, so buy just a small portion of it. Once you combine these small portions of seafood, they would look plenty and bountiful.
Use frozen veggies to garnish your paella.
They're really affordable, and saves you from all the chopping and peeling. Plus they cook faster, just throw them in a few minutes before you turn off the heat.
You don't have to spend like royalty in order to feast like royalty. :)
Ordering paella in a restaurant would cost you around PhP600 to PhP1000, with a serving size that would leave you more depressed than satisfied. The reason why paella can get expensive is because of its one key ingredient: saffron.
In some parts of the world, a small jar of saffron threads can get more expensive than a bar of gold. According to Wikipedia, "to glean 1lb (450g) of dry saffron requires the harvest of 50,000 to 75,000 flowers; a kilogram requires 110,000 to 170,000 flowers. Forty hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers."
No wonder saffron is expensive.
But fret not! Here are a few tips on how to create a stunning paella dish in just PhP 300 (good for 8 people!):
Instead of using saffron, paprika, and turmeric powder, use INSTANT KALDERETA MIX.
Yep, that's right. Instant kaldereta mix. Available in almost all grocery and sari-sari stores. The flavors, the heat, the color - it's all in there. And for a fraction-of a-fraction-of a-fraction-of a fraction of the cost.
Buy just 1/4kg of the seafood ingredients.
Seafood can get really expensive, so buy just a small portion of it. Once you combine these small portions of seafood, they would look plenty and bountiful.
Use frozen veggies to garnish your paella.
They're really affordable, and saves you from all the chopping and peeling. Plus they cook faster, just throw them in a few minutes before you turn off the heat.
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| The finish product - look at the lovely colors! |
You don't have to spend like royalty in order to feast like royalty. :)
Nakakagutom :3
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