Chicken Biryani

Ingredients
Marinate together

Step 1
1 kg chicken cut into 4/8 pieces , 3 Tbs fresh ginger , 3Tbs fresh garlic , Juice of one lemon
Marinate the above for minimum an hour

Step 2
7 medium sized onions thinly sliced ( which approx 300gm ) and fried golden brown in 1.5 cups oil
Drain the onions , spread it out thinly and allow to cool.
Crush using your hands, keep the remaining oil aside.

Step 3
In a separate bowl take 250gm buttermilk / inkomazi,  200gms of the fried onions , 1 Tsp yellow food grade  colour  ( I use powder not liquid ), 1 Tsp shahi cumin seeds , 2 Tsp green chilli paste , 2 Tbs Krea Biryani spice, salt to taste , 1/2 cup of the oil used to fry the onions , 1/4 Cup fresh mint leaves , 1/2 Cup fresh Coriander chopped , 4 medium Sized potatoes cut in half ( if using ) 1 Tsp sugar , 5 whole cloves , 1/2 Tsp green cardamom powder , 1 cinnamon stick, 2 black big cardamom, 1/4 Tsp crushed saffron powder
Mix it all with the marinated chicken and keep aside

Step 4
900 Gm Basmati rice washed and soaked for an hour . Drain after an hour
Boil the rice in rapidly boiling water which should be very well salted with  1 inch cinnamon stick , 2 big black cardamom , 7 green cardamom, 1 Tsp shahi zeera , 12 whole black pepper corn , 1 star anise , 2 bay leaves , 7 cloves , 2 slices lemon .
Boil the rice only till it’s 50% cooked . Drain the water and lay the rice on a single layer on a tray to cool down . This also helps to stop the cooking process.
NB – There should be enough boiling water and the water should be seasoned with enough salt.
Think ocean water .

Step 5
Boil 1/2Cup Masoor / brown lentils and keep aside.

Step 6
Boil together 1/4 cup milk with 4Tbs Ghee , 3 Drops kewra essence , 1/4 Tsp saffron crushed , 1/4 Tsp krea zafraani Garam masala.

Step 7
1/2 Cup fried onions, 1/4 Cup fresh mint , 1/4 Cup fresh Coriander, 3 whole green chilli.

Step 8
In a large pot start by coating the base of the pot with leftover oil from frying the oil .
Add the boiled lentils, top with all of the marinated chicken and then with half of the partially boiled rice . Drizzle half of the milk mixture and top with remaining rice.
Drizzle the remaining milk mixture.
Top with Coriander, Mint and green chilli, fried onions
Seal the pot well with foil and cover with a lid.

Step 9
Place the pot on a stove on high heat and wait for the pot to start steaming and whistling.
Thereafter transfer it to a preheated oven and bake on 200c for 30min , thereafter reduce the temp to 160C for another 30min .
Drop the temp to 100C and let it slow cook for a further 25min.
Allow the pot to rest for 20minutes before serving

Serve with salad , papad / papadums , yoghurt and Atchaar of choice–