How to cook up a gourmet meal with cost-effective ingredients

Gwyneth Paltrow may have failed to survive on economical ingredients during her 'austerity experiment', but city chefs say that you can even create a gourmet meal with them.

Recently, Hollywood actor Gwyneth Paltrow took on a challenge that she thought would create awareness. She tried to limit her weekly food expenses to $29 (Rs 1,833 roughly) - the average amount that the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) gives people in the form of food stamps.

However, Paltrow didn't last too long. "As I suspected, we only made it through about four days, when I personally broke and had some chicken and fresh vegetables (and in full transparency, half a bag of black licorice) (sic)," she posted on her website.

Closer home, the amount may be enough to buy groceries for a week for a family of four, with a few treats thrown in. City chefs insist that with a little planning, even cost-effective ingredients can be used to cook up gourmet meals. Here, they show you how to plan a party menu that's high on taste and presentation, but low on cost - with none of these dishes costing over Rs 300 to make.

Cost-effective recipes: