Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Before you begin the chopping and prep, place the washed chicken legs (without the skin, pls!), add the Marinade ingredients: yogurt, garlic, ginger and salt. Combine well and allow it to marinate

Next step: In a pot, boil 8 cups of water along with a few of the spices: a bayleaf, one of the cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom, 4 cloves). Bring this to a boil and add the rice. When the rice is half cooked, strain and keep the rice aside

While the rice is boiling, in a blender make a paste with the mint, coriander leaves and green chillies along with some water. Keep the paste aside

In a large deep pot, saute the rest of the bay leaves, cloves, cumin seeds, cinnamon and cardamom in some ghee. Give it a couple of minutes, and add the chopped onions. Allow this to brown. Make sure the flame is on low heat

Next add the ginger and garlic paste, stir to combine and then add the mint-coriander paste. Stir again. Next add the masala powders: garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder. Combine well. Add the tomatoes and some coriander leaves

If you are wondering how much longer to go... we are almost there!!!!

Preheat your oven to 200C

Add the yogurt, stir and allow it cook for a minute of so and season with salt.Next goes in the marinated chicken along the marinade and cook until the chicken is 50% cooked. Remove the chicken from the heat

On to the final step! time to arrange the layers. Mix the saffron strands with the milk and set aside

Add half of the chicken gravy from the pot to the baking dish. Next spread half of the par boiled rice. Sprinkle the saffron milk

Next pour the rest of the chicken gravy, top it off with the rice again. Pour the saffron milk and a little bit of ghee

Allow it to cook, until the rice and chicken are cooked through. This is should take about 25-30mins

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves, serve hot with some raita