Feed at least four with these delicious cheap eats, from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Chinese dumplings to James Ferguson’s slow-roast chicken leg

Fuchsia Dunlop’s Chinese jiaozi dumplings with a Sichuanese sauce

Boiled jiaozi with a pork and cabbage stuffing are a favourite food in northern China, where they are often prepared at home for the Lunar New Year. In this recipe, they are served with an irresistible Sichuanese “garlic paste” sauce laced with homemade chilli oil.

Total cost: £8.61

Serves 4, makes about 40 dumplings

For the wrappers

plain flour or Chinese low-gluten flour 600g

cold water 350ml

extra flour for dusting

For the stuffing

Chinese leaf cabbage 1 (650g)

salt and pepper

ginger piece, skin on 15g, washed

minced pork, with a little fat 375g

medium egg 1

chicken stock 75ml

For the sauce

coarsely ground dried chillies 20g

groundnut oil 100ml

light soy sauce 6 tbsp

sugar 1 tbsp

garlic 4 cloves

Start the Sichuanese sauce by making chilli oil. Place the ground chillies in a saucepan on a heatproof surface. Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or pan over a high heat, stirring fairly constantly, until smoking. Use a ladle to drip a little oil onto the chillies: if it produces a vigorous sizzle, the oil is hot enough, so you can pour the rest over the chillies and stir it in. Set aside to cool.

To make the dough, place the flour on a work surface or in a mixing bowl and make a well at the centre. Gradually add the water, stirring it in with your hand. Add just enough water to allow you to bind the flour into a stiff but pliable dough. Knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Then cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for at least half an hour.

For the stuffing, finely chop the Chinese cabbage and place in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and scrunch it into the cabbage with your fingers. Set aside for at least half an hour, and then squeeze out as much water as possible.

Crush the ginger with the flat of a cleaver blade or a rolling pin. Place it in a small bowl with just enough cold water to cover. Place the minced pork in a mixing bowl. Beat the egg and add to the pork. Strain 2 tablespoons of the ginger water into the meat. Add ¾ teaspoon of salt and a sprinkling of ground pepper. Mix well, stirring in one direction. Gradually add the stock and keep stirring in one direction until incorporated. You could add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil here, although this is optional – not essential.

Finish making the sauce. Place the light soy sauce and sugar in a bowl and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Add about 6 tbsp chilli oil with the ground chilli sediment, to taste. Crush the garlic and add to the sauce; mix well. Spoon some sauce into each of 4 dipping dishes.

To make the wrappers, flour a work surface. Break off a fist-sized piece of dough and roll into a sausage shape about 2cm in diameter. Cut or break off 2cm pieces (about 15g each). Place each piece cut-side up on the work surface and flatten with the centre of your hand into a fat disc. Then roll each disc into a thin circle of dough about 7cm in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the dough, dusting the wrappers so they don’t stick together.

Fill a pasta pan with water and bring to the boil.

Mix the cabbage into the pork stuffing. Then place a dumpling wrapper in one hand and use a table knife to place about a tablespoon of stuffing (15g) in its centre. Fold opposite edges of the wrapper together and press or pleat the edges to make a semi-circular dumpling. (For guidance, search YouTube for “how to wrap jiaozi dumplings”.) Set aside on a lightly floured surface and repeat until you have made all the dumplings.

When the water is boiling, give it a stir and then drop in about 10 dumplings. When the water has returned to the boil, add about a coffee-cupful of cold water to calm it down. Repeat another time. When the water has returned to the boil for the third time, the dumplings should be cooked through and floating (if in doubt, cut one open to make sure). Remove with a slotted spoon.

Repeat with the rest of the dumplings. Serve with the chilli sauce for dipping.

Fuchsia Dunlop is a food writer

James Ferguson’s slow-roast chicken leg, lemon potatoes and skordalia

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Slow-roast chicken leg, lemon potatoes and skordalia. Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer

Total cost: £7.35

Serves 4

charlotte potatoes 1kg, peeled

chicken legs 1kg

lemons 2

oregano 1 tsp

smoked paprika (sweet) 1 tsp

garlic head 1

olive oil 250ml

fleshy tomato 1, roughly chopped

stale white bread 2 slices, crusts removed – rather than using soaked bread for the skordalia you can substitute a couple of the warm potatoes straight from the oven and proceed in the same way

red wine vinegar 1 splash

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Cut the potatoes into wedges. In a big bowl, combine the chicken, potatoes, lemons (juice squeezed in and the shells chucked in), oregano, smoked paprika, 50ml olive oil, 2 garlic cloves finely chopped, salt and pepper. Mix everything vigorously and place in a roasting tin (lined with baking paper, if you prefer) where everything fits comfortably in a single layer. Scatter over the tomato, then place in the oven. After 20 minutes give everything a nice shuffle around and turn the oven down to 170C/gas 3. Every 15 minutes or so give everything a turn. When all is nice, sticky and golden, it’s ready (approximately 45 more minutes).

For the skordalia, soak the stale bread in water for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the water and place the bread in a food processor. Add the rest of the garlic, the vinegar and seasoning. Blend to a paste, then add the remaining 200ml olive oil in a steady stream. If it is too thick add a spoonful of water.

Serve on a platter or in the roasting tin, so everyone can dig in, with the skordalia on the side.

James Ferguson is a former head chef at Rochelle Canteen in London

Asma Khan’s saag chingri

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Saag chingri. Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer

The combination of prawns and spinach is a Bengali favourite. It is a great dish to treat yourself and your friends – a dish with an expensive ingredient, combined with spinach to make it economical.

Total cost: £9.99

Serves 4

raw peeled king prawns 330g

turmeric powder ½ tsp

chilli powder ¼ tsp

medium brown onions 2

garlic 1 whole bulb

fresh ginger root 100g

fresh red chillies 1 packet

vegetable oil 4 tbsp

frozen leaf spinach 900g

salt 1 tsp

naan 1 packet, to serve

Wash the prawns, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Rub the prawns with turmeric and chilli powder and set aside.

Peel and thinly slice the onions into half-moon rings. Crush 6 garlic cloves into a paste, then make a paste with the fresh ginger (you’ll need 2 tablespoons). Set aside 1 chilli to serve and chop the remaining chillies into thick slices.

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan on high heat, add the prawns and stir-fry quickly to seal. Transfer the prawns to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and fry till the edges brown, then add the garlic and ginger pastes and chopped chillies. Fry till the oil separates from the onion mixture. Add the frozen spinach and salt and cook till the water released from the spinach has evaporated. Add the prawns to the spinach mixture and cook for a few more minutes. Check the seasoning, adding more salt if required. Garnish the saag chingri with the sliced reserved chilli then serve, with naan, if you like.

Asma Khan is chef-patron of Darjeeling Express in London

Jordan Bourke’s kimchi, egg, avocado and feta on sourdough



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kimchi, egg, avocado and feta on sourdough. Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer

This is one of the dishes I make when I am trying to convince a sceptic that kimchi is one of the best ingredients in the world. The frying mellows out the sharper, more acidic notes, adding a slightly charred caramelised flavour sure to win over any kimchi-phobe. It always works. This can be eaten at any time of the day: it has all the components of a sublime weekend brunch, but is just as delicious at dinnertime.

Total cost: £9.89

Serves 4

olive oil 2 tbsp, for frying

kimchi 400g , chopped into bite size pieces

honey 2 tsp

roasted sesame seed oil 1 tsp

eggs 4

sourdough 4 large slices

garlic 1 clove , peeled

sea salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

avocado 1, stoned and sliced

feta 190g, broken into chunks

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over a high heat. When very hot, add in the kimchi and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until beginning to caramelise. Turn down the heat a little, add in the honey and sesame oil and fry for another minute. Remove from the heat; set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in another pan over a high heat. When hot, fry the eggs for 3-4 minutes until the whites are crispy around the edge and the yolks are still a little runny.

Toast the sourdough, then scrape the garlic over the top of each piece. Season with a small pinch of salt and drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil.

Spoon the kimchi over the toast, top with the fried egg, avocado and feta. Season with a little pepper and serve immediately.

Jordan Bourke is a food writer

Peter Gordon’s Thai-style pumpkin, potato, coconut gratin with salad

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Thai-style pumpkin, potato, coconut gratin with salad. Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer

Bake the gratin in a 30cm square (or equivalent) ovenproof dish that can be placed under the grill.

Total cost: £9.67

Serves 4

pumpkin seeds 1 small packet (about 100g)

coriander seeds 2 tsp

olive oil 1 tbsp

white onion 1 large, thinly sliced

garlic 2 cloves , thinly sliced

Thai curry paste (any kind) 1 tbsp

turmeric powder 1 tsp (optional)

unsweetened coconut milk 1 x 400ml tin

flaky sea salt 2 tsp

coriander 1 bunch, ideally with roots (if attached, wash them under cold water to remove grit)

pumpkin or butternut squash 600g, seeds discarded, sliced 5mm thick (no need to peel unless the skin is very thick and tough)

desiree or other large potatoes, 600g scrubbed, sliced 5mm thick

lime 1

salad leaves 1 packet

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Place the pumpkin seeds and coriander seeds with ½ teaspoon of oil in the gratin dish and bake until golden, about 8 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove from oven. Increase the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Sauté the onion and garlic in the remaining oil until beginning to caramelise, stirring frequently. Add the curry paste and turmeric (if using) and cook for a minute, stirring gently. Add the coconut milk, then fill the tin up with warm water and add to the curry with the flaky salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer 5 minutes.

Pick the coriander leaves and reserve, then cut the stalks (and root if using) into 5mm lengths.

Toss the pumpkin and potato with the toasted seeds and coriander stalks and roots. Add half the coconut sauce and gently mix together. Tip into your gratin dish, levelling the top, and pour on the remaining coconut sauce. Lay baking parchment on top, pressing it down, and bake for 35 minutes.

Take the parchment off, turn the grill on then cook until the top become golden and slightly crisp.

Grate the lime zest and toss with the salad leaves and the lime juice.

Serve the gratin scattered with the coriander leaves, with the salad on the side.

Peter Gordon is executive chef and co-owner of The Providores, Marylebone, London

All recipes serve at least four for dinner

All ingredients, apart from those in the ‘store cupboard’, below, were included in the total cost along with serving suggestions. Costings are based on the full price of a product, not the proportionate cost, ie, if 150g of butter is listed, the cost will be for a full 250g packet of butter.

We checked the cost of each recipe against nationwide online retailers.

All recipes came in at under £10 at the time of checking, but prices are subject to change.

Where possible, free-range produce was used.

Store cupboard

We allowed for the following: salt; pepper; dried herbs and spices (mint, sage, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, chilli, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves); olive oil up to 50ml; butter up to 50g; garlic up to 2 cloves; stock cubes/powder/paste to make up to 1 litre of stock; plain white flour up to 50g; caster sugar up to 50g; light soy sauce up to 50ml; red wine vinegar up to 50ml