Soak rice in enough water. Marinate chicken with all the ingredients mentioned in the list for about 3 hours.
Meanwhile boil water for cooking rice in a large vessel. Add all the ingredients mentioned to the water. Add half of salt, coriander and mint leaves. Reserve the other half for adding to the marinated chicken.
When it comes to a rolling boil, add the soaked and drained rice to it. It means that soaking time should only be until the water boils vigorously. No need to soak rice for a longer time. Water takes about 20 minutes to boil. Do not stir the rice vigorously. The grains should be firm.
When the rice is 80% done, drain and keep aside. Now comes the part of frying the onions. Deep fry them in hot oil on a high heat but keep an eye on it. Fry them until golden brown.
Remove them onto a plate and keep aside to cool down. Keep the oil aside to cool down. This same oil is added to the marinated chicken after it cools down. It should not be hot at all. And do not add all of it. Add accordingly. This leftover Oil can be used for frying purposes.
Now comes the layering of the biryani and the dum (slow cooking) method. To the marinated chicken, firstly add half of the oil. Next crush the fried onions and add them too. Mix it well. This forms the last layer. Now top it up with rice.
Add the saffron milk on top. Finally add a tablespoon of pure ghee. Cover the lid of the vessel with a thick cotton cloth and secure it on the vessel. Let it cook on high heat for 15-20 minutes. Then lower the flame and allow it to simmer (dum) for the next 35-40 minutes.
Do not open the lid in between cooking process. After 40 minutes of dum, do not open the lid all of a sudden. Switch off the flame but open the lid only after 5 to 8 minutes. Plate it according to your style and impress your family and friends alike.
