Biryani is a dish fit for a king and its origin is largely credited to Persia. The delicate layering of rice interspersed with spices and meat or poultry relies on a special Persian steaming method known as dam pokht (or dum pukht if you are from India), meaning "steam-cooked". There are many variations of biryani from India to Pakistan, but authentic versions have no chilli in them whatsoever – just aromatic spices such as luxurious Persian saffron. My wonderful friend Asma Khan is the queen of biryani and nobody has a more delicate and expert hand than she does when it comes to making the best and most authentic. Asma very kindly shared some of her biryani wisdom with me, from which I am delighted to share a simplified version of this hugely popular dish with you.

This dish is more than just a simple broth – it is a wonderfully hearty meal and offers a great way of using up vegetables. There are no rules – it should contain whatever you find lying around the house and in your fridge. I am not a natural baker, so I work hard to perfect foolproof, crowd-pleasing recipes that work with my style of cooking. Iran has a huge nut-producing trade and pistachios are the king of Persian nuts. I first made this cake when I started doing supper clubs – we don't really have puddings in Iran.Think maximum flavour, minimum fuss: chef Sabrina Ghayour’s Middle-Eastern inspired recipes will add zing to your everyday’– Mail on Sunday YOU Magazine Towards the end of the cooking time, drain and rinse the mussels and clams. Pull the beards off the mussels and give them a gentle scrub. I keep this cake on a plate covered with clingfilm and find it can be kept like this for up to a week. Middle Eastern food can be heavy and plentiful, so you need to pair it with light, refreshing dishes that cleanse the palate and aid digestion. This is just that kind of dish – it is a perfect accompaniment to heavy meat and poultry dishes, providing a lovely fresh flavour – and it looks beautiful, too. The lightly sweetened dressing works well, counteracting the acidity, and I just love the intense crunchiness of this salad.

Because of this I had to adapt the recipe slightly… Sabrina cooks her tagines on the stove top, but I don’t really like to do this as I can’t really go out and leave something chuntering away on a gas stove and I have small children so I sort of feel I can’t really leave the kitchen if I have something on the stove…being cooped up in the kitchen for 2 hours is not really my idea of fun! Consequently, I popped this tagine in the oven and it cooked fine.Chef Sabrina Ghayour’s new recipes deliver maximum flavour with the greatest of ease – perfect for busy lives’– Sainsbury’s Magazine Aubergine is much loved and revered in eastern culture and I especially love it chargrilled, which gives an added meatiness through the charring. Saffron is the world's most expensive spice. The purest and highest grade of saffron comes from Iran and infusing some yogurt with its potency adds the perfect finish to grilled aubergines. I don’t think she could write a dull recipe if she tried. Every one an elegantly spiced delight.’– Tom Parker Bowles Preheat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil on one side and chargrill for about 6‑8 minutes on each side, brushing the reverse side with more oil as you turn them over, until the texture softens and they are cooked through with nice griddle marks. Set aside.

To make the meatballs, preheat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in a large mixing bowl and, using your hands, mix everything together really well for 6-8 minutes, ensuring you break up all the clumps of lamb so that everything is combined and the mixture is smooth – this will make for light and smooth meatballs. I don't think she could write a dull recipe if she tried. Every one an elegantly spiced delight." - Tom Parker Bowles An absolute triumph…the kind of food you really want to share with friends and family’– Great British Food MagazinePlace the sliced radishes in a large bowl. I like both the skin and the seeds of the cucumber, but if you prefer, you can peel the skin, then halve the cucumber lengthways and scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice each cucumber half thinly into half moons and add these along with the red onions to the bowl. Give everything a good mix. Spiced carrot, pistachio and almond cake with rosewater cream. Photograph: Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton Iran boasts dozens of versions of meatballs and we Persians love adding fruit to them for a burst of sweetness. I often make these meatballs for guests, with a good homemade sauce, which makes the perfect base to plunge them into. You can buy sour cherries frozen or dried, both sweetened and unsweetened. Sweetened sour cherries work best for this recipe, but you can substitute dried cranberries instead.