ChatGPT suggests Macedonian potato pie as the cheapest homemade dish

We asked "coffee chat" partner "ChatGPT" to name the cheapest possible dish one could make in North Macedonia and the AI returned a single, pantry-friendly winner: a simple Macedonian potato pie.

Recipe: Macedonian potato pie

Ingredients the AI listed exactly:

• 4-5 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• Olive oil or oil of choice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

Preparation, summarized from the suggestion: peel and slice the potatoes thinly; finely chop the onion and sauté it in a little oil until soft; add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and fry a few minutes until they begin to soften. Mix the flour, water and a pinch of salt in a bowl to make a batter. When the potatoes are ready, pour a layer of the batter over them and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown. Serve hot.

The dish is inexpensive because it relies on staples many households already keep: potatoes, flour, water and a little oil. It also requires minimal preparation and common kitchen equipment, making it a practical option for a low-cost meal.

ChatGPT also suggested where to look for the cheapest lunches in Skopje. It listed types of venues and typical price ranges it expects to find: small taverns and local restaurants (around 200–300 denars for basic meals), fixed lunch menus (often between 200–400 denars for soup, main and dessert), fast-food outlets and pizzerias (roughly 150–250 denars), and cafés that run daily offers. To find current deals the AI recommended searching sites such as Pazar3.mk, Tripadvisor or Google.

Whether you cook at home or shop for an inexpensive meal in Skopje, the AI’s suggestions underline that simple ingredients and modest local eateries can feed you without much expense.

Photo: press material from the event