When hosting international guests on a tight budget, the best approach is a comforting one-pot meal that utilizes supermarket discounts. You can prepare a mild vegetable pulao using frozen peas and carrots, paired with a simple cucumber raita to cool down any unexpected heat. Since I frequently rely on my multicooker for quick weeknight dinners, this setup requires minimal active cooking time and lets you control the spice level completely by omitting green chillies entirely.
It tastes authentic, remains extremely gentle on sensitive palates, and won't break your monthly allowance. Just make sure to buy basic whole spices in bulk sections for maximum savings while keeping everything streamlined.