Hello Mommies! It is a Monday once again, and it means a brand new entry for our Budget Ulam Recipe Ideas Series for 2023! If you’ve missed the past two entries, You can start with the first one here.

Anyway, like what I mentioned, the ulam or main dish ideas here are mostly Filipino dishes, or dishes that we Filipinos have adapted to our palate. It feeds a family of 4-5 with adult-portion sizes. The dishes usually cost between P150.00 to P200.00 which is of course much much less expensive compared to ordering delivery food, grabbing take out, or dining in a restaurant (or even in a fastfood).

Of course, nothing compares to the nutritional value of home cooked food, and so, this takes into consideration the labor of love of us moms for our respective families.

This week’s budget ulam recipe ideas

This week’s entries are again easy to cook. Most of the basic ingredients and seasonings are also pantry staples so you would not have to rush to the grocery or the market to buy them. And since this list helps map out seven meals, it will help in your meal planning and grocery shopping making it more cost efficient.

By the way, if you are on the look out for meal plans, affordable breakfast meal ideas, and even kids’ ulam ideas then please do check out our website’s recipe section and baby and toddler meals.

Cheap but delicious ulam ideas 2023

So without further ado here is our list of cheap yet delicious and easy to prepare ulam recipes:

1. Bangus Steak — Instead of high-purine beef, use Bangus and make a Bangus Steak recipe. Of course, use red onions as white onions are still relatively expensive nowadays. Marinate for at least 15 minutes sliced bangus in a mixture of 1/4 cup soy sauce, and about 4-6 pieces calamansi, plus pepper.

In a pan, caramelize some onions and then set aside. Fry the Bangus in the same infused oil. When the fish is fully cooked, add the remaining marinade and the caramelized onions. Add a bit more onion rings and bring to a boil. Simmer for about five minutes and adjust seasoning to taste.

2. Chicken Sotanghon Soup and Crunchy Fried Galunggong – In these days of thunderstorms it is fun to eat noodle soups like our traditional chicken sotanghon soup. You do not need much for this recipe except for a few pieces of chicken breast or whatever chicken cut you prefer. Vermicelli noodles and then spring onions then you are good to go. Pair this is up with crunchy fried galunggong for the win 🙂

3. Pandan chicken – You may find Pandan Chicken in the menu of restaurants but it is surprisingly cheap to make. All you need is Pandan leaves, some seasoning and deboned chicken cuts and you’ve got your family an interesting dish that will surely make them ask for more. Here is an easy recipe to follow.

4. Steamed Tilapia with Soy Ginger Sauce. This is a nutritious and very delicious steamed fish recipe. You can use this recipe for steamed Pompano, just sub the fish. With Tilapia you can buy at least 3 medium sized pieces for less than 200.00.

5. Kare-Kareng Gulay. This is another good recipe to make and will surely help the kids enjoy vegetables specifically eggplant, string beans, and pechay. Well if you have kids who could not eat straight up Kare Kareng Gulay, you may add some 2-3 Pork Pata slices so that they could have some meat with their veggies. Here is a good recipe to use.

6. Crunchy fish fillet with thousand island dressing. Yes you can make this party staple as an ordinary-day main dish as it is both affordable and easy to make. Just use your favorite breading on Pangasius fillet and make a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise as dipping sauce. The breadings that work for us include the usual flour-egg-flour / cornstarch mixture, or the flour-egg-panko breading mix.

7. Chicken Afritada. Who says caldereta is only for special occasions? It is a legit everyday meal since you can buy chicken pieces, tomato sauce, carrots and potatoes for about P200.00 🙂 Here is a recipe that you can follow.

So that is our list for this week, hope you visit our website once again next week for new entries to our list of budget ulams for the week.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you could allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/06/29/super-easy-soy-veggie-fried-rice-two-ways/