We’ve all heard about creating your own pizza (bit of this, bit of that) but how about creating your own Balti? Well, that’s an option at  Sartaj in London’s West End. It’s a popular pre-theatre place and offers lunch and a theatre-goer special (before 7.30pm) at just £7.50, including unlimited nan bread. Can’t be bad.

So this is how it goes. Choose your base (various choices such as chicken or lamb for £5.50, fish for £6.50 or mixed vegetable for £4.95). You add your sauce for a pound (masala, dupiaza, korma, take your pick). Then vegetables (anything from mushrooms to potato to pumpkin) for a pound a pop. Then you tell the chef your preferred cooking strength (mild, medium, madras or vindaloo hot).

Now that’s got to beat a ‘extra pepperoni with a thin crust’ any day of the week.

Sartaj, 26 Earlham Street, London, WC2 H9LN. Tel: 020 7831 1413. Open: Mon–Wed noon-2pm and 5.30pm-midnight, Thur–Sun noon-midnight.