Recreate the UK's top takeaways at home

We are currently living through the age of 'one-click away', where we can hop on our phones and order pretty much anything directly to us. With most takeaways, the food you've ordered will even arrive within the hour! But convenience comes at a price - takeaways are the most expensive they've ever been and frequently ordering them is no good for your health. That's why fakeaways are the tasty solution to your fast food cravings.

Deliveroo recently published the UK's top trending dishes and we are going to show you exactly how you can cook up your very own fakeaway versions of each dish landing in the top 10. In 5th place was a bit of a weird one tbh... bananas from Waitrose. Obviously can't do a recipe for growing your own bananas so here's one for banana bread instead!

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour
• 3 ripe bananas (the riper, the better for sweetness)
• 100g caster sugar
• 75g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 50ml milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Optional: 50g walnuts or chocolate chips for added texture

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth.
3. Add the melted butter, beaten eggs, and milk to the mashed bananas. Stir until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Add the caster sugar and mix.
5. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix. If you're using walnuts or chocolate chips, gently stir them in at this stage.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Let the banana bread cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tin to cool completely.
8. Slice and enjoy your banana bread warm or at room temperature. Pair it with a cup of tea or coffee and you're on to a winner!

As of March 2024

Well, there isn't much point comparing the bananas from Waitrose against the banana bread, but here is a breakdown of the price to create it at home:

Banana bread - £2.82 for one loaf (8-10 servings)

• Plain Flour (225g): About £0.13, based on a 1.5kg bag costing around £0.90.
• Ripe Bananas (3): About £0.60, depending on size and store.
• Caster Sugar (100g): About £0.15, based on a 1kg bag costing around £1.50.
• Unsalted Butter (75g): About £0.50, based on a 250g block costing around £1.65.
• Medium Eggs (2): About £0.30, based on a dozen medium eggs costing around £1.80.
• Milk (50ml): About £0.04, based on a 2-litre bottle costing around £1.50.
• Baking Powder, Bicarbonate of Soda, Salt: Minimal, let's estimate around £0.10 for the small amounts used from larger packs.
• Optional (Walnuts or Chocolate Chips 50g): About £0.50 for walnuts or chocolate chips, based on larger packs costing around £2.00-£3.00 for 100-200g.

This is an approximate cost breakdown based on generic supermarket prices in the UK. Prices can vary based on the store, brand, and quality of ingredients. Keep in mind that prices can fluctuate and specials or bulk purchases can reduce costs.