Cook Method

1 Marinate the Chicken

• Take 1 kg chicken and mix with curd, ginger-garlic paste, spices, mint, coriander, fried onions, lemon juice, oil/ghee, and salt
• Mix well and marinate for at least 2–4 hours (overnight for best flavor)

2 Prepare the Rice (70% Cooked)

• Boil water with whole spices (cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon, shahi jeera, salt)
• Add soaked basmati rice
• Cook until 70% done (slightly firm)
• Drain and keep aside

3 Layering (Kacchi Style)

• In a heavy-bottom pot, spread the raw marinated chicken evenly
• Add a layer of half-cooked rice on top
• Sprinkle:
  • Fried onions (birista)
  • Mint & coriander leaves
  • Saffron milk
  • Ghee
  • Rose/Kewra water (optional)

4 Dum Cooking (Slow Steam)

• Seal the lid with dough (or cover tightly)
• Cook on high flame for 5–7 minutes, then
• Reduce to low flame for 35–45 minutes

5 Final Step

• Let it rest for 10 minutes
• Gently mix from bottom to top
• Serve hot

Ingredients

? Chicken Marination

• 1 kg Chicken (medium pieces)
• 1 cup Curd (Dahi)
• 2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 3–4 Green Chillies (slit)
• 1/2 cup Fried Onions (Birista)
• 1/2 cup Fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped)
• 1/2 cup Mint Leaves
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Biryani Masala / Garam Masala
• Salt (as per taste)
• 3–4 tbsp Oil or Ghee

? Rice Preparation

• 1 kg Basmati Rice (soaked 30 minutes)
• 4–5 Cloves
• 4 Cardamom Pods
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1-inch Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 tsp Shahi Jeera
• Salt (for boiling)

? Dum & Layering

• 1/2 cup Fried Onions
• A few Saffron strands soaked in warm milk
• 3–4 tbsp Ghee
• Fresh Coriander & Mint Leaves
• 1 tsp Rose Water or Kewra Water (optio