One of our favourite aspects of eating out is getting to taste and enjoy flavours from all over the world. Whether you’re opting for a classic Indian dinner or a Korean barbecue fusion-style meal, there are plenty of cuisines to explore.

However, as we know, eating out isn’t cheap – especially in this cost of living crisis. To help you enjoy those same beautiful flavours from the comfort of your home, we’ve put together this foolproof guide to worldly ingredients that are a lot cheaper than you think.

Lentils:

Red split lentils are a wonderful storecupboard ingredient to have stocked in your kitchen at all times. Used in curries, dhals, soups, meat-free pasta dishes and so much more. Our recipe for sweet potato and lentil dhal is a great place to start.

Beans:

Kidney beans, butter beans, cannellini beans and chickpeas are all perfect budget-friendly ingredients to add to your weekly shop. Featuring plenty of South American and Middle Eastern dishes, these beans are also packed with protein. Give our chicken and bean stew a whirl, and see the savings rolling in!

Tinned coconut milk:

Throw this tropical ingredient into fiery curries, like our Thai green curry, stews and sauces, to help add a cool, creamy taste and texture.

Tomato passata:

Originating in Italy, this rich, flavour-packed sauce is great for adding substance to pasta dishes, bolognese, meaty stews, casseroles and so much more. Check out our chicken and chorizo pasta bake for low-cost recipe inspo.

Chillies:

Bring the heat to any dish with this fiery vegetable, which is fairly popular within Middle-Eastern and South American dishes, like these crowd-pleasing chilli-loaded wedges.

Mango chutney:

This tangy Indian chutney, made from unripe mangos, adds heaps of flavour to rice salads, pork chops, salsas, lamb dishes and more! A jar of this versatile condiment goes a long way, making it completely cost-savvy. Our recipe for homemade onion bhaji really highlights this pantry-staple ingredient.

Raisins:

While they might be considered a healthy, sweet snack for lunchboxes, you can also use this Middle-Eastern ingredient in a variety of savoury, Indian recipes, for a lovely touch of texture and a sweet flavour note – as seen in this Moroccan vegetable curry.

Pineapple:

If pineapple on pizza isn’t your cup of tea, not to worry! There are plenty of other, more palatable ways to enjoy this tropical fruit. Try adding pineapple chunks to pork stir-fries, or mix it into a salsa to serve on Hoisin sausage dogs.

Looking for even more recipes which utilise worldly ingredients? Check out our full collection of cuisine recipes, here.