Marinate the chicken using all the ingredients for the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes – or for even better results, 3-4 hours.

Wash and soak the basmati for 30 minutes.

In a pan, boil the water with the salt and whole spices. Once boiling rigorously, add the strained rice and boil for 10-12 minutes, or until the rice is half cooked. This is very important.

While the rice is boiling, place the marinated meat in a broad thick-bottomed casserole dish or pot with a lid.

Warm the milk in a separate pan and soak the saffron.

Strain the half-boiled rice and layer it on top of the meat. Sprinkle the ghee and soaked saffron on the rice. Cover the casserole with a lid and seal the sides with foil, leaving a small gap for steam to escape.

Put the casserole on a high heat for 8-10 minutes. Once you see steam through the gap, lower the heat and cook the biryani for about 20-25 minutes.

Leave the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

The aromatic biryani is best accompanied by yogurt raita.

Peel the prawns, leaving the tail shell intact, then de-vein them by making a shallow cut along the back and lifting out the dark intestinal vein with the point of a sharp knife. Place the prawns in a bowl, mix in all the ingredients for the first marinade and set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan, add the prawns and sear quickly so they curl up. Remove from the heat immediately and set aside to cool.

For the sauce, put the almonds and cashew nuts in a pan, add enough water to cover and bring to the boil. Simmer until soft and then drain. Blend to a smooth paste with a little water in a food processor or blender.

Heat the ghee or clarified butter in a heavy-based pan, add the bay leaf, crushed cardamom and onion, and sauté until the onion is golden. Add the ginger and green chilli and sauté for 1 minute, then add the turmeric and sauté for about a minute longer, until everything becomes bright yellow. Add the almond and cashew paste and cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes. Add the fish stock or water and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce turns glossy. Stir in the saffron infusion and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the salt and sugar, followed by the cream and garam masala. If the sauce is too thick, dilute it with a little more fish stock or water. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the second marinade and dip the prawns in it. Thread the prawns through the bamboo skewers, piercing the skewer through the tail of each prawn and taking it out through the tip of the head. Cook for 5-6 minutes in an oven preheated to 200ºC. Divide the sauce between 4 serving plates. Remove the prawns from the skewers, place on top of the sauce and serve.

If using tinned jackfruit, wash it under running cold water and leave it in a colander. If you are using raw whole jackfruit, first grease your fingers well with vegetable or rapeseed oil, or mustard oil if you have it.

Place a bowl of oil next to you while cutting the jackfruit, as you will need to smear your palms with oil from time to time – the oil prevents the jackfruit fibres from sticking to your hand. With a sharp knife, remove the skin of the jackfruit and cut out any thick stem in the centre. Cut the jackfruit into small pieces. Don’t wash it.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once it starts smoking, add the jackfruit in small batches and shallow-fry until light brown. Remove from the pan, place in a colander and set aside.

Add the onions to the pan and fry until golden brown. Add the ginger/garlic paste and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the raw aroma disappears, then add the turmeric, red chilli powder, dried mango powder, ground coriander and a pinch of salt. Add the tomatoes, green chillies and ginger and cook until the oil separates. This usually takes 5-10 minutes over a low heat.

Add the jackfruit and stir to coat the pieces evenly with the spice mix. Cover with a lid and let the mixture cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. During this time the jackfruit pieces absorb the flavour of the spices and the sauce should become dry. Sprinkle with the garam masala and scatter over the coriander leaves. Serve with chapatis.

Heat oil in a heavy based pot. Sear the lamb chunks and brown evenly in small batches and set aside in a bowl.

Add a little bit more oil to the pot, then add the whole masala and infuse in the oil for 1 minute over a moderate heat.

Now add the onions and a sprinkle of salt, brown the onions until caramelised this will take around ten minutes.

Once the onion is brown add the garlic and ginger and cook out for 2 minutes.

Add the ground spices and cook out on low heat with a splash of water for 2 minutes, then add the tomato purée and cook slowly for a further five minutes, adding a drop of water when the masala catches on your pan.

Once the oil has separated, add the seared lamb along with any juices in the bowl and coat with the masala. Cook the lamb in the masala for 10 minutes and then add enough boiling water to cover the meat. Simmer slowly for an hour or until the lamb is tender.

Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve.