Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Heat Oil and Fry Whole Spices

   Heat 200 ml cooking oil in a pot. Add 2-3 bay leaves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 black cardamoms, 3 green cardamoms, 2 small cinnamon sticks, 8-10 black peppercorns, 5-6 cloves, and 1 star anise. Fry until aromatic and they start to pop.

2. 2.Fry Onions

   Add 4 medium sliced onions to the pot. Fry the onions until they turn light golden brown, which takes about 2-3 minutes initially, then continue until they are a deeper golden brown.

3. 3.Fry Chicken

   Add 1 kg chicken to the fried onions. Fry the chicken until it gets a nice golden color and is well seared, ensuring no raw smell remains.

4. 4.Add Ginger Garlic Paste and Tomatoes

   Add 2 tsp ginger garlic paste to the chicken and fry until its raw smell disappears. Then, add 4 medium chopped tomatoes and mix well, frying until tomatoes soften and blend into a paste.

5. 5.Add Green Chillies and Water

   Add 4-5 chopped green chillies and mix. Continue frying the mixture. Add 2-3 tbsp of water to help the tomatoes cook down and form a good masala. Mix thoroughly.

6. 6.Season with Spices

   Add 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, and 0.5 tsp turmeric powder. Mix all the spices well with the chicken and tomato mixture. Cover the pot and cook on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes to allow the tomatoes to completely soften and the flavors to meld.

7. 7.Add Yogurt and Remaining Spices

   Uncover the pot. Add 1 cup yogurt and mix it into the chicken masala. Add 1 tsp garam masala powder, 0.5 tsp jaifel javetri powder, 2 tbsp biryani masala powder, and 4 pieces of aalubukhara. Mix everything thoroughly and continue to bhunai (fry) the masala for 1-1.5 minutes until the oil separates and the mixture is well combined.

8. 8.Add Water for Rice

   Add 5 cups of water to the pot (adjust based on rice quantity and type). Mix well. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil.

9. 9.Add Mint, Green Chillies, Lemon Juice and Rice

   Once the water is boiling, add mint leaves and whole green chillies as required. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice. Gently mix. Add 750g of rice (soaked for 1 hour) to the boiling water. Gently stir the rice to combine with the masala, being careful not to break the grains.

10. 10.Cook Rice and Prepare for Dum

    Cook the rice on high flame without covering until most of the water has evaporated, which takes about 3-4 minutes. Gently mix the rice once more. Cover the pot and cook for a few minutes to soften the rice further.

11. 11.Dum Biryani

    Uncover the pot. Drizzle yellow food color (dissolved in water) over the rice for color. Place a tawa (griddle) under the pot. Cover the pot tightly and cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes for dum (steaming).

12. 12.Serve One Pot Chicken Biryani

    After 12 minutes, remove the lid. Gently fluff the biryani with a spoon, mixing the colored rice with the rest. Dish out the delicious one-pot chicken biryani onto a serving platter. Serve hot and enjoy!