Hyderabadi biryani is the one people argue about. Layered rather than stirred, built on long-grain basmati and slow-cooked with saffron and warm whole spices, it is a dish that traditionally takes a kitchen most of a day.

This is that dish in a pouch you can heat in minutes. Haldiram’s ready-to-eat version is made for the nights when you want something better than toast and have no intention of cooking.

Serve it with a bowl of raita to cool things down, a wedge of lime, and sliced onion if you have it. It also stretches. Tip it into a dish, top with fried onions and coriander, and it holds its own on a table with other things.

Stocked alongside the rest of the Haldiram ready-to-eat range at Curry Corner in North Melbourne.