Boneless chicken thighs

Dum-style biryani: marinated chicken layered with saffron rice and slow-cooked under a sealed dough lid. The steam does the work.

Corn tortillas dipped in chile colorado sauce, filled with shredded chicken, topped with crema and queso fresco. Three chiles minimum.

Charred marinated chicken in a silky, spiced tomato cream sauce. The tikka and the masala are two separate operations — don't skip the char.

Young jackfruit shredded in the chile colorado sauce. Fill with jackfruit, black beans, and roasted pepper. No crema, extra avocado.

Seasonal vegetables: cauliflower, potato, peas, and paneer. Same dum technique. Lighter but just as aromatic.

Cubed lamb shoulder marinated and grilled. The same masala sauce but richer. Better the next day.

Swap chicken for homemade paneer. Better charring on the tikka, richer sauce that absorbs into the cheese.

Tomatillo-serrano salsa verde instead of chile colorado. Chicken filling unchanged. Top with crema, queso, and pickled jalapeño.

Lamb shoulder marinated 8 hours. Slower dum cook. Deeper, richer, more complex than the chicken version.