Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Prepare Chicken Marinade

   Clean and cut chicken into pieces. Peel and halve/quarter potatoes. In a large pot, combine chicken and potatoes. Add ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and chicken masala. Mix well.

2. 2.Add Tomato Puree and Fried Onions

   Blend tomatoes and green chilies into a smooth puree. Add this puree to the chicken mixture. Separately, thinly slice 2 large onions and fry them in oil until golden brown and crispy (birista). Add about half of the fried onions to the chicken mixture.

3. 3.Complete Marination

   Add yogurt, salt to taste, fresh chopped coriander, and the entire packet of Shahi Biryani Masala to the chicken mixture. Mix everything thoroughly by hand, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Cover the pot and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

4. 4.Prepare Basmati Rice

   Wash basmati rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 15-20 minutes. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add whole spices (star anise, black cardamom, cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaf, black peppercorns), 1 tbsp oil, salt to taste, and 1 tsp vinegar (or lemon juice). Add the soaked rice and fresh chopped coriander. Cook until the rice is 70-80% done. Drain the rice and set aside.

5. 5.Cook Chicken Base

   Place the marinated chicken pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of oil. Cook the chicken until it's tender and the gravy thickens, stirring occasionally. This should take about 20-30 minutes.

6. 6.Layer the Biryani

   Once the chicken is cooked, spread the partially cooked rice evenly over the chicken base. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions (birista) on top of the rice. Drizzle yellow food color (dissolved in water or milk) over the rice. Arrange sliced tomatoes and fresh chopped coriander on top.

7. 7.Charcoal Dum (Smoking)

   Create a small space in the center of the biryani and place a small heat-proof bowl. Heat a piece of charcoal until it's red hot. Carefully place the hot charcoal into the bowl. Pour 1 tsp of ghee or oil over the charcoal to create smoke. Immediately cover the pot tightly to trap the smoke. Let it cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes for the dum process.

8. 8.Serve Biryani

   After the dum, gently mix the biryani from the bottom up to combine the chicken and rice. Serve hot with raita or Kheer Puri.