It really helps when you have a cookbook to help you make a meal that seems complex but is easy. I wasn't supposed to cook that evening but last minute changes and I was summoned to do something fast. One guest was mostly vegetarian, the others not. I already had a tikka paste in the fridge, that I had made a few weeks before.. That became Chicken Tikka Masala and to match the rest of the meal I added yoghurt instead of coconut milk or cream.
Vegetable biryani and Yellow Dal for everyone and please the (mostly) vegetarian. The entire meal took no more than 1 hour and 10 mins. While the rice soaked in water, I made the chicken. While the potatoes in the Chicken tikka were cooking, I started on the Dal, preparing the burnt onions for both the rice and dal dish, including the fried chili and garlic for the dal. The vegetables were cooked down in time for the rice to parboil for 3 mins and then.... stacking and simmering for 15 mins and resting for 10.
Dessert was pre-prepared for such an occasion. I'd made it a week before and took it out of the freezer into a hot oven while we ate dinner. Fresh pineapple ice-cream accompanied it (also made a week before).
Chicken tikka masala
Yellow dal
Vegetable Briyani
Tart tartin
Pineapple ice-cream
