Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani

Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani - authentic biryani from the land of nizaams, Hyderabad. Ingredients:
basmati rice - 1 cup
bay leaf - 2
cardamom - 2
chicken - 1/2 lb
green chilli - 2
cinnamom stick - 1
cloves - 2
coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
coriander leaves - fist full
mint leaves - fist full
curd - 1/4 cup
chilli powder - 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
yoghurt - 1 cup
oil - 3 tbsp
onions - 2
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
mace - 1/2 tbsp
lime juice - 1/2 tbsp
pepper corns - 3
Food color - pinch

Method:
1. Soak the rice in water and keep it aside.
2. Wash the chicken thoroughly and cut it into pieces.
3. In a pan, heat oil, add sliced onions, fry till golden brown and crispy.
4. Add salt, green chillies, whole spices, mint leaves, coriander leaves, pepper corns, cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, oil, fried onion, curd and marinate it for an hr.
6. In a vessel, half cook the soaked rice with salt. Strain the water and remove the rice.
7. In a heavy bottomed vessel, add a layer of marinated chicken and then on top of it add a layer of rice.
8. Then add the remaining chicken and the remaining rice on the top. Mix food color in water for a minute and pour it over the rice.
9. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 20 to 30 mins.

PS:
1. Make sure the rice is just half cooked.
2. Cover the lid well without letting any moisture escape.
3. Care should be taken to not let the chicken/rice burn while making it.
4. This is pukhi style of cooking biriyani (raw cooking).