Is There an App That Tells You What to Cook With What You Already Have?

Yes. It's called Bhansa, and it's built around exactly that question. You tell it what you've got, and it tells you what to cook. No endless scrolling, and no finding a recipe only to realise you're missing half the ingredients.

If you've ever stood in front of an open fridge with no idea what to make, this is for you. Here's how it works.

Start With Your Ingredients, Not a Recipe

Most recipe apps work backwards. You pick a dish, then go and buy whatever it needs. Bhansa does it the other way round. You tell it what's in your kitchen, and it finds real recipes you can make right now.

There are a few quick ways to tell it what you have:

• Take a photo. Point your camera at the fridge, the counter or a bag of shopping. Bhansa picks out the ingredients and suggests meals.
• Type or talk. Type items in, or say them out loud if your hands are full.
• Scan. Scan a barcode, or snap your receipt to add a whole shop at once.

What You Get Back

Instead of pages of search results, you get a short list of meals that work with what you have. Each one has the full recipe, step-by-step instructions, and nutrition details: calories, protein, carbs, fat and a health grade.

You can filter by cuisine, cooking time, skill level and diet. Want something Italian, vegetarian and under 30 minutes? That's all you'll see.

It Sorts Out the Missing Bits Too

Sometimes you're one or two things short of a great meal. Bhansa shows you what's missing and can add it to your shopping list. Anything you already have is marked In Pantry, so you don't end up buying a second jar of something that's already in the cupboard.

It Learns What You Like

Give a recipe a thumbs up or down and the suggestions get more personal over time. The more you use it, the fewer meals you'll have to skip past.

From One Meal to a Whole Week

If you want more than tonight's dinner, Bhansa can plan a full week of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks around what you have and what you like. Swap any meal you're not keen on with a tap, and the shopping list changes to match.

So, Yes

If you've been looking for an app that tells you what to cook with what you've already got, that's what Bhansa does. It's free to start on iOS and Android. Tell it what's in your kitchen and it'll take it from there.