Dry roast all the whole spices for biryani masala and then grind with other spice powder as mentioned in the ingredient section of biryani masala. It's not necessary to make fine powder. Little coarse powder is better.
Clean and cut chicken into medium pieces.
Cut 3 onions into thin slices for barista.
Heat 2 cups of cooking oil in a broad pan and deep fry onions into light golden brown. Transfer to a kitchen towel.
Clean and prick the potatoes and boil them in water. I microwaved them for 8 minutes.
Peel and cut each potato into 4 halves.
Fry them in the same oil where onions are fried to light golden brown.
Transfer to a dish.
Now transfer the remaining oil to a big heavy bottomed sauce pan and add in 3 chopped onions.
Saute for 5-6 minutes and then add in 3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste.
Saute for a minute and then add in 3 chopped tomatoes.
Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes and then add in the chicken pieces.
Stir and cook for 5 minutes more and then add in previously prepared biryani masala along with whole garam masalas like black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black peppers.
Mix everything well with a spatula and then add in 1 and 1/2 cup of yoghurt. Also add allu bukhara.
Again mix well, add 1 cup of water, cover and cook in medium heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken cooks.
In the mean time clean and soak 2 kg of long grain basmati rice for atleast 1/2 an hour.
Also soak saffron in warm milk.
When chicken cooks completely remove from heat. Do not completely dry up the gravy.
Add rice in boiling water with 1 lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of salt. Drain when rice cooks 70%.
Take a individual size earthen pot and place some prepared chicken curry at the bottom. Also place 2 fried potato pieces.
Now make a layer of 70% done rice.
Now sprinkle 1 tablespoon of melted ghee, 1 teaspoon of saffron soaked milk, 1 tablespoon of fried onions(beresta), few mint leaves and 1 drop of biryani essence.
For the cover take maida/all purpose flour, salt biryani masala and ghee. Mix together and make a dough with water.
Roll a lemon size ball from the dough to make a thin roti.
Cover the biryani bowl with the roti and seal it properly.
Brush little ghee on the top and bake the pot in pre heated oven for 15 minutes at 180 degree C.
Reduce the heat to 150 degree and bake for another 10 minutes. Your scrumptious biryani is ready now.
With a knife cut the edges to uncover and serve with salad and raita.
You can alternatively make the biryani in stove top. Just make the layers as I have shown above. Cover with aluminium foil and lid and cook in low heat from 25 minutes.
Stove top biryani is ready now. They are extremely delicious that you will love to make them again and again.
