Saffron: A pinch (soaked in 2 tablespoons of warm milk)
Fried onions: 1/2 cup (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
1. Marinate the Chicken:
In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, and lemon juice.
Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to ensure the chicken is thoroughly coated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Cook the Rice:
In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, salt, and ghee or oil.
Add the soaked and drained basmati rice to the boiling water. Cook the rice until it is 70-80% cooked (the grains should still be firm). This usually takes about 5-6 minutes.
Drain the rice in a colander and set it aside.
3. Cook the Chicken:
In a large pan or pot, heat 4 tablespoons of ghee or oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and fry until they are golden brown and caramelized. This may take about 10-12 minutes.
Remove half of the fried onions and set them aside for garnishing.
To the remaining onions in the pan, add the chopped tomatoes and slit green chilies. Cook until the tomatoes become soft and the oil starts to separate from the mixture.
Add the marinated chicken to the pan and cook on medium heat until the chicken is browned and cooked through. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
Add the chopped mint and coriander leaves to the chicken and stir well.
4. Layer the Biryani:
In the same pan or a separate heavy-bottomed pot, start layering the biryani.
Begin with a layer of half the cooked chicken mixture, followed by half the cooked rice.
Sprinkle some of the soaked saffron milk over the rice. You can also sprinkle some fried onions and chopped coriander and mint leaves at this stage.
Repeat with another layer of the remaining chicken and top with the remaining rice.
Finish with the remaining saffron milk, fried onions, and fresh herbs.
5. Dum Cooking (Steaming):
Seal the pot with a tight-fitting lid. If your lid is not tight, you can seal the edges with dough to prevent steam from escaping.
Cook the biryani on low heat (dum) for about 25-30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld together, and the rice will fully cook in the steam.
If you’re worried about burning the bottom, you can place a griddle or tawa under the pot to diffuse the heat.
6. Serve the Biryani:
Once done, turn off the heat and let the biryani rest for 10 minutes before opening the lid.
Gently fluff the biryani with a fork, being careful not to break the rice grains.
Serve hot, garnished with fried onions and fresh herbs. Accompany with raita, salad, or a boiled egg on the side.
