Rice with Yoghurt, Roasted Cauliflower and Fried Garlic (Labaniet Alzahar)

This feels like a rich risotto or even, if you play around with the toppings as suggested below, a thick congee. Either way, it’s the most comforting of dishes, to be eaten either as a main, as Sami used to with his family, from a bowl with a spoon, or as a side to slow-cooked lamb, beef or some roasted root veg.

Getting ahead: Ideally you want to cook the cauliflower, rice and adha all at the same time (rather than waiting for one element to be finished before going on to the next), so that everything is warm and ready at once.

Playing around: Instead of (or in addition to) the cauliflower, try roasting some little turnips or wedges of squash. In addition, for the congee theme, put all sorts of toppings into lots of different bowls: some thinly sliced spring onions, for example, a drizzle of shatta, a spoonful of pan-fried minced lamb, charred cherry tomatoes, thin slivers of garlic fried until golden in oil. People can then make up their own bowl as they like.