Ingredients of Hyderabadi Dum Pukht Chicken Biryani

1 - 900 gms Chicken (with bones or Boneless skinless breast pieces cut into 2 cm cubes )
2 - Five cups Basmati Rice
3 - Two tablespoons Ginger & Garlic Paste
4 - 1-1/2 teaspoons Garam Masala powder
5 - 1-1/2 cups Curd
6 - Five tablespoons Tomatoes ( 2 large and ripe pureed into a smooth paste or Canned tomato paste )
7 - 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
8 - Two teaspoons Red chilli powder
9 - Six tablespoons Lemon juice
10 - Salt to taste
11 - 1/2 cup Almonds (  slivered )
12 - 1/2 cup Cashewnuts
13 - Five Onions ( large sliced )
14 - 8 cups Water
15 - Nine tablespoons Oil
16 - One tablespoon Caraway seeds
17 - 1/2 cup Warm Milk
18 - One big pinch Saffron strands
19 - One Bay leaves
20 - Three Green cardamom
21 - 2″ stick Cinnamon
22 - Five small sized slit lengthwise Green Chillies
23 - 3 tablespoons Ghee
24 - Two tablespoons Fresh Mint leaves ( finely chopped )
25 - Two tablespoons Fresh Coriander leaves ( finely chopped )

How to Prepare :

Marinate the Chicken with the first 8 ingredient for about 6 to 8 hours maximum or one hour minimum. Keep it covered in the refrigerator during this process.Start by pouring One tablespoon Oil into a large heavy bottomed non-stick frying pan and fry the almonds and cashewnuts till they are golden brown. Remove them into a bowl.
In the same pan add 8 tablespoons oil and add the sliced onions. Fry them till the onions are brown and crisp. Make sure not to burn them. Remove from heat. Drain the fried onions  onto a paper towel. Keep aside some of the fried onions for garnishing.
Take out the chicken from the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature. In the pan with oil and fried onions, dump the whole bowl consisting of the marinating chicken and all its juices into it and put the pan on medium high heat. Let it cook uncovered until the gravy is dry and dense and the chicken is done. Keep stirring occasionally. This might take about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Meanwhile take half a cup of warm milk, and add a few strands of saffron. Let it soak for an hour.Wash and soak the rice in water for preferably half an hour. Later, drain the rice in a colander and keep aside. Boil 8 cups of water, add cinnamon sticks, caraway seeds, bay leaves, green cardamom and salt. Once the water is boiling, add the strained rice, give it a stir and let the rice soften up a bit. Once the rice is half done, strain the rice and discard the water. Discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.
Arrange half the amount of rice as the bottom layer in a large dish. Next, add the chicken mixture prepared earlier in a layer. Now add the remaining rice above the chicken layer, covering it completely.
Garnish with mint Coriander leaves fried Onions slit green Chillies and fried nuts. Now pour evenly the milk with saffron strands and two tablespoons of ghee over the layered and garnished rice. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 180C and put the dish in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till a nice steam has formed inside the dish, and the rice has been done. Serve hot.