Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900g) bone-in chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 green chilies, slit
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, to taste
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying the onions
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• A large pinch of saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, mixed with water into a paste, for sealing

Before you cook

• Combine the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
• Add the chicken pieces and coat them thoroughly in the marinade.
• Stir half the mint, half the cilantro, and the green chilies into the marinated chicken.
• Cover and refrigerate the chicken for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Wash the basmati rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear.
• Soak the washed rice in a bowl of water for 30 minutes.
• Thinly slice the onions.

Steps

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan and crumble the saffron threads into it, then set it aside to steep.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
3. Fry the sliced onions, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.
4. Drain the fried onions on paper towels and set aside.
5. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil with the green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaf.
6. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water.
7. Boil the rice for 6 to 7 minutes, until it is about 70 percent cooked and still firm at the center.
8. Drain the rice immediately and spread it on a tray to stop it cooking further.
9. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
10. Spread the marinated chicken evenly across the base of a heavy, wide pot.
11. Layer half of the parboiled rice over the chicken.
12. Scatter half the fried onions and half the remaining mint and cilantro over the rice.
13. Layer the remaining rice on top.
14. Scatter the rest of the fried onions, mint, and cilantro over the final layer.
15. Drizzle the saffron milk evenly over the top.
16. Drizzle the ghee over the top layer.
17. Seal the lid of the pot tightly with the flour paste to trap the steam.
18. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to as low as possible.
19. Cook on the lowest heat for 40 minutes without lifting the lid.
20. Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, still sealed, for 10 minutes.
21. Break the flour seal and lift the lid away from you to let the steam escape.
22. Gently fluff and mix the layers together with a wide spatula before serving.