Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:
For Marination:
   1 lb (about ½ kg) Chicken
   2 tsps Ginger & Garlic Paste
   10 sprigs finely chopped Mint leaves (pudina)
   10 sprigs finely chopped Coriander leaves
   2 pinches of Saffron  (soaked in ¼ cup of milk)
   1 Onion( finely sliced and deep fried till dark brown)
   1 Tomato (finely chopped)
   1-2 Green chillies (finely chopped) or according to your spice level  
   ¾ cup yoghurt
   2 tbsp Red chilli powder
  ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
  2 tbsps garam masala
  4 tbsps Lemon juice
  ¼ cup Oil
  Salt to taste

For the rice

2 cups Basmati rice ( Wash under cold water and soak for 30 mts then drain the entire water in a strainer and set aside)
4 Whole green Cardamom
3 Cloves
¾ tsp Black cumin seeds (Shahi jeera)
2 Bay leaves
4 Black pepper corns
1 tbsp Butter/oil/ghee
1-2 small sticks of cinnamon
Salt to taste
10 cups Water

For cooking in layers
 Wide heavy bottomed deep vessel
A large dosa pan / flat bottomed skillet
Pinch of red and orange color dissolved in 2 tbsp water
 2tbsp ghee
some green coriander leaves finely chopped
Aluminum foil to cover the pan. Alternatively you can use whole wheat flour dough to seal the edges so that the steam doesn't escape.

Method:
1.In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients till well combined. Cover and let it rest for an hour or overnight if you have some time. This would let the chicken absorb all the flavours of the spices and enhance the taste of your biryani.
2.While the chicken is marinating, place a deep vessel or pot on the stove with 10 cups of water on high flame. When the water starts boiling, throw in the spices (cardamom, cloves, shahi jeera, bay leaves, bay flower, pepper corns, cinnamon sticks,ghee, and salt) and cook for a minute. Now gently add in the drained rice to the boiling water and let it cook on high flame till another boil (takes 4 mts).Immediately drain the rice along with the spices in a strainer. Let all the water drain off. Set aside.
3.Place a heavy wide bottomed deep pot on the stove top and turn it on high flame. Allow the pot to get hot for about a minute.Now arrange the entire marinated chicken at the bottom of this pot. This is your first layer.Then arrange the half cooked rice on top of the chicken. This is going to be your second and last layer.On top of the rice, add about 2 - 3 tbsp of ghee. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not cook more than that because your chicken might get burnt.
4.Meanwhile heat a dosa pan/flat bottomed skillet on high heat till the pan is hot. Once hot reduce the flame to the lowest setting and place the chicken and rice pot on the tawa.Remove the lid and pour in the red orange color water around in the center,ghee and green coriander .
5.Now seal the pot with an Aluminum foil or using the traditional whole wheat dough method. This allows the flavors of your chicken and rice to remain inside. Cook for 30 minutes undisturbed on the tawa on the lowest setting. Switch of the flame and let it rest for 10 -20minutes.

Just before serving open the lid, gently mix in the chicken at the bottom with the rice. serve it hot with raita and enjoy.