Great cooking does not need a trolley full of shopping. These 10 ingredient recipes prove that simple food wins: every dish below uses ten ingredients or fewer, keeps the method straightforward, and still delivers the kind of flavour that brings everyone back to the table.
What Counts as an Ingredient?
Before we start, one honest rule: for these recipes, plain water, salt and basic cooking oil do not count towards the ten. Almost every savoury dish on earth needs them, and counting them would just be padding. Everything else — spices, vegetables, proteins, dairy — is counted, so the lists below are genuinely short and the shopping stays cheap.
The Recipes
1. Chana Masala
Chickpeas, onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, fresh coriander. Our chana masala recipe is the perfect example of short-list cooking — tinned chickpeas do the heavy lifting while the spice box does the talking.
2. Aloo Gobi
Potatoes, cauliflower, onion, tomato, ginger, cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, fresh coriander. Follow our aloo gobi recipe for the classic dry-style version that pairs beautifully with hot rotis.
3. Egg Fried Rice
Cooked rice, eggs, spring onions, frozen peas, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, white pepper. Day-old rice fries up best. Scramble the eggs first, set aside, then toss everything in a smoking-hot wok.
4. Tomato & Basil Pasta
Spaghetti, tinned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, chilli flakes, parmesan, black pepper. Simmer the sauce while the pasta boils and dinner is ready in the time it takes to set the table.
5. Quick Chicken Karahi
Chicken, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chillies, cumin, coriander powder, black pepper, fresh coriander, ghee. A stripped-back version of the wok classic — no onions, no fuss, all flavour.
6. Red Lentil Soup
Red lentils, onion, carrot, garlic, cumin, turmeric, stock cube, lemon, fresh coriander. Everything goes into one pot and simmers until soft. Blend half for a creamy texture without any cream.
7. Banana Oat Pancakes
Ripe bananas, eggs, oats, milk, baking powder, cinnamon, honey, butter. Mash, mix, fry — a weekend breakfast that tastes like a treat but reads like a shopping list a child could memorise.
8. Garlic Butter Prawns with Rice
Prawns, garlic, butter, lemon, chilli flakes, parsley, salt, cooked rice. Sear the prawns fast in foaming garlic butter, squeeze over lemon, and serve on rice that soaks up every drop.
9. Cheese Omelette Wraps
Eggs, cheddar, tortilla wraps, spring onion, tomato, green chilli, butter, black pepper. A ten-minute dinner that works for breakfast too — crisp the wrap in the pan after filling for extra crunch.
10. Loaded Baked Potatoes
Baking potatoes, butter, cheddar, baked beans, spring onions, sour cream, black pepper. An hour in the oven (or a head start in the microwave) gives you crisp skins and fluffy middles ready for toppings.
Tips for Cooking with Fewer Ingredients
Short-list cooking rewards a few smart habits. First, treat your spice box as free flavour — cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala turn the same five vegetables into five different dinners. Second, build around one hero ingredient per meal rather than trying to include everything. Third, keep the techniques simple: one pot, one pan or one tray, so there is less washing up to undo the joy of an easy dinner. For more foundational advice, our 10 essential kitchen tips will sharpen the skills these recipes rely on.
Once you get comfortable cooking this way, you will start inventing your own 10 ingredient recipes without even trying — a new spice or a seasonal vegetable is all it takes to create something fresh. Browse our quick recipes collection for more short-list inspiration, and enjoy the lighter shopping bills.