• Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes.

For chicken gravy

• Heat ghee in a saucepan and add all the whole spices.
• Add chopped onion and fry till lightly golden, along with green chilies (with slits), aloo bukhara and chopped mint leaves.
• Add ginger & garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. To this add chopped tomatoes and cook till it is soft.
• Now add all the spice powders like turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes till the mixture turns aromatic and oil starts to separate.
• To this add chicken pieces and cook on high heat for 1 minute and then reduce the flame.
• Now add yogurt, salt, lemon juice, garam masala powder, potatoes and chopped fresh coriander leaves. Place the lid and cook until chicken is fully done. At this point, you will have a nice thick texture of gravy. If it looks too dry, then add some water. Taste and check the seasoning and adjust according to it.

For the rice

• Heat a large vessel (this will be used for dum cooking) filled with enough water. Bring to a boil and add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, vinegar, salt, and oil. Add the soaked rice and cook until 3/4th done. When you check the rice it should be firm and not fully cooked. Drain the rice in a colander and set aside.

For Dum Cooking

• In the same vessel in which you cooked rice, pour the hot chicken gravy.
• Spread half of the cooked rice over the gravy and sprinkle with a few drops of milk and saffron mixture. Sprinkle a handful of coriander leaves and fried onion.
• Repeat step 2 with the rest of the rice.
• Make some deep dents in the rice so that the steam can easily circulate. Pour some ghee or butter over the rice and seal the vessel with a foil and a tight lid. (to avoid the steam from escaping)
• Cook on medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. You will see the foil has puffed up due to the steam. Switch off the gas and let the biryani stay covered for another 10 minutes.
• Serve hot with Raita or salad.