Here is another dahl recipe, a coconutty one this time. I like to use brown basmati rice with most things, if you wanted to use value rice, it would reduce the cost to just 17p a portion. This is a very quick meal, from packet to table in 20 minutes, and most of that time is the lentils simmering, so you could get on with something else

200g red lentils. 40p
50g coconut cream KTC 76p/200g 19p
1/2 tsp turmeric 1p?
Pinch cinnamon, or a small piece of bark if you have it
1.5 tsp salt
200g brown basmati Asda 1kg/£1.68 34p
or value rice, 1kg/40p 8p
Serves 4

Just simmer everything together for 15 minutes in 500 ml water. Take the bark out if used.
This is good with a little souring flavour. That could be a squeeze of lemon juice, a tiny piece of goraka, or a little tamarind (try just a little at a time,it is strong stuff) or maybe some achari – dried green mango

Salady bits would be good with it if you can get hold of any
Or maybe a salad of grated carrot with a few sultanas/raisins, or salted peanuts
Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstalls veg book has some great ideas in it, including grated raw parsnip, something I had never tried and makes a great salad ingredient, similarly, grated raw swede has a fresh, peppery flavour and is good with something like this
We have a stash of Approved Foods nans at the moment that cost just a few pence each, so we would probably have one of those, or of course, you could make a couple