Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 10 -20 chilies (thai chillies work best)
• 1 -2 tomatoes
• basmati rice, - 4 cups
• chicken, - 3 lbs (I prefer dark meat, bone-in)
• yogurt, - 1 -2 cups
• 2 lemons or 2 limes
• 1 bunch mint
• 1/4 cup seasoning biryani masala, i use the shan version
• 5 cloves
• 3 -4 cardamom
• 1 -2 bay leaf
• 1 -2 anise
• 3 black cardamom pods
• 1 -2 tablespoon mace
• 4 -5 tablespoons red chili powder
• 4 -5 tablespoons garam masala
• 7 -8 saffron
• 1 tablespoon shah jeera powder
• 1 -2 tablespoon cumin seed
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 ounces ginger-garlic paste

Instructions

1. hyderabadi chicken biryani gravy.

2. Marinate chicken overnight with yogurt, salt, lemon, and red chilli powder.

3. Slice onions thin and length-wise. Fry in oil until brown and crispy. Remove and set aside by soaking in paper towels.

4. Use the remainder oil to add the following spices: (cloves, cardomom, bay leaf, anise, black cardomom, mase, shah jeera, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks).

5. Once fragrant, add in the tomatoes, chillies and girnger/garlic paste.

6. Now, add in the garam masala.

7. After stirring a few mins, add in the marinated chicken.

8. Now, add in the Shan Biryani Masala.

9. Stir and cover with a lid over medium-low heat. This will need to cook for an hr or so. The longer it cooks, the more tender the meat will be.

10. Soak the basmati rice in cool water after flushing about 3-4 times.

11. Boil around 6 cups of water for the 4 cups of rice, Add in the rice. Heat uncovered until the first boil appears within the first 10-15 minutes.

12. Use the tray and line the first layer with gravy and chicken from earlier. Now add a layer on top with the semi- cooked rice. Top with garnish of mint and the fried onion from earlier.

13. Continue with step 11 until the tray is full.

14. Soak the saffron layers in warm milk for a couple minutes Garnish this dilution over the top of the biryani.

15. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

16. Enjoy!