Dry-fry the beans until roasted. Cool, then pound lightly. In a heavy pan, combine rice, beans, cloves, cardamom, salt and milk. Cook over low heat until rice and beans are soft and the milk is absorbed. Remove pan from heat. Heat ghee and fry raisins and cashew nuts till browned. Add mixture, including hot ghee, to the rice and beans. Replace pan on low flame. Gradually add the brown sugar, stirring till dissolved. Cook till mixture thickens. Remove from heat, cool and serve!

Boil rice in water, preferably in a clay pot. When almost cooked, reduce heat. Cook till most of the liquid is absorbed. Combine mushrooms, fish and ginger and spread mixture on top of the rice. Cook over very low heat till fragrant. Mix chopped spring onion with beaten egg mixture. Stir mixture into the rice, mixing well. Add salt to taste if necessary, making sure to mix well. Serve hot.

Dry-fry one handful of grated coconut slowly until brown and fragrant. Pound finely and set aside. Squeeze 150ml. coconut milk from remaining coconut. Add water to coconut and extract an additional 600ml. of milk. Cut beef into small pieces. Slice turmeric leaves and serai finely. Heat cooking oil and fry paste ingredients and chilli powder till aromatic. Add beef and fry for a few minutes. Pour in second coconut milk. Add sliced turmeric leaves, serai and salt. Stir contents well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2-2½ hours or until meat is tender and the gravy is thick. Add first coconut milk and fried coconut. Boil. Then simmer uncovered until gravy is almost dried up. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Serve hot or cold with rice.

Blend tamarind juice in ¼ cup coconut milk. Strain. Heat ghee. Add onions and pounded ingredients. Stir-fry till golden brown. Reduce heat. Add remaining spices, stock and coconut milk. Boil gently till oil separates. Bring to rapid boil. Add fish. Add tamarind mixture. Adjust taste. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring carefully. Remove and serve hot.

Heat oil and fry pounded ingredients till fragrant. Stir in assam juice and water. Bring to a boil. Add in prawns and cook until pink, 1-2 minutes. Add in petai and stir fry till bright green. Stir in salt. Dish out and serve with rice.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in pan. Pan-fry prawns on both sides till colour changes. Remove prawns and leave aside. Heat remaining oil in pan. Sauté garlic, ginger and spring onion till fragrant. Add seasoning mixture and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Return prawns and stir-fry until mixture is dry. Mix in cooking wine to deglaze. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Heat cooking oil in pan. Fry spices till fragrant. Add mutton and water. Cook for about 1½ hours till meat is tender. Stir in seasoning ingredients. Dish out into individual bowls. Sprinkle with spring onion, celery and fried onions. Serve hot.