20 recipes that dont use any water

Due to the extreme water crisis we are facing in cape Town, I thought I would compile a list of a recipes that don’t use any water (or very little – 1 cup or less). Most of my baking recipes are waterless so I have left them off the list. You can check them out in my index here. Salads are also great for waterless meal prep, just rinse them in a bowl of water which you can use to wash your dishes afterwards. Steer clear of rice and pasta that requires pre boiling and rather opt for dishes where the water is added and makes up part of the dish like pilaf or risotto. Embrace braaing, grilling, roasting and frying, and look out for one pot meals that save washing up. Line your pans with baking paper or foil to save on dishes too.

You can check out a few of my tips on how to save water in the kitchen here.

We will want to save time and knock a few super easy meals together in this time of crises, so I’ve added a few of those in here too. We will be spending far too much time managing our ware resources and recycling grey water.

Roast pumpkin with chilli yoghurt & coriander sauce

This is a winning recipe from Ottolenghi.

Easy naan pizza with roasted tomato sauce

Keep the Naan breads frozen for this quick meal fix

Trout en Papilotte with fennel & tomatoes

This is one of my favourite and most delicious healthy meals at the moment. I have it on repeat. The fish and vegetables cook in a paper bag, so what could be easier in terms of washing up?

Roast chicken with orange & ginger

This recipe only uses 1/2 a cup of water and pretty much cooks itself. Leaving you more time to do other important things.

Chicken & mushrooom stroganoff with crispy sage

A tasty mid-week chicken supper.

Ina Gaartens chicken Parmesan

If you feel like the best fried chicken breast recipe, this is it.

Grilled soy & lime hake with sharred greens, fresh tomato & chilli dressing

A delicious low carb dinner that all gets cooked on a griddle pan.

Esquites – the Mexican corn salad of your dreams

Make this to serve at the all the braai’s (barbecues) you are going to be having.

Vegan bean chilli with sweet potato

This can be made in a slow or a pressure cooker which will save you so much time.

Coq au Chardonnay

Save water and drink more wine. Nuff said.

Chicken breasts stuffed with pork, sage & apple

For when you want to get a little fancy.

Spinach & ricotta cannelloni bake

A pasta dish that doesn’t require any pre boiling (think lasagna as an option here too).

Baby calamari with chorizo & garlic

This recipe is so super tasty and all the other recipes in that link are fabulous and water-wise.

Crock pot Mexican short rib tacos

Another recipe which practically cooks itself slowly.

Mussels steamed in orange & fennel

Mussels are an easy one pot dish to knock up quickly and this version is delicious. You may need a little water to rinse them in, but they can be bought already cleaned.