Whole milk yogurt

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

Silky spinach sauce, golden-fried paneer cubes. The green is preserved by the ice-bath trick. My mother's version, not the restaurant version.

Lebanese lentils and rice with masses of caramelized onions. Humble pantry food that will make you understand why people call it holy.

Deep-fry the onions instead of caramelizing. Totally different texture — shatteringly crispy rather than jammy. Both are correct.

Coarse bulgur wheat instead of rice. Nuttier, more textured, slightly lower GI. Lebanese grandmothers often make it this way.

Extra-firm tofu pressed and pan-fried replaces paneer. Vegan. The spinach sauce is so good you will not miss anything.

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

Chicken thighs braised directly in the spinach sauce. Not traditional but absolutely delicious. Better macros than the paneer version.

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