This savory dish layered with marinated cooked chicken and rice steamed together with flavours always makes my heart melt!! Even though is a bit time consuming but yeah it is worth.

Marinade:
Chicken – 670 gms
Normal chilly powder- 1 tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder-1tbsp
Coriander powder-1 tbsp
Biriyani masala- 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Pepper powder -1/2 tsp
Curd – 3 tbsp
Green chilly ginger paste( 2 green chillies and small lemon size ginger) -1 tbsp
Lemon juice -1 tsp
Salt to taste

Marinade the chicken well with above ingredients and let it rest for 1 hour.

For rice-
Basmati rice – 2 cups
Cardamon – 1
Cinnamon stick -1
Bay leaf- 1
Star anise-1
Ghee -1 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Water

*Soak basmati rice for half an hour, Heat water in pot, add above ingredients except rice, once it starts boiling add rice.

*Cook until 80% done in medium flame. Once done drain water and spread in plate and keep aside for cooling.

Barista and nuts

In a pan/ kadhai, add 3-4 tsp oil/ ghee. Fry the nuts (cashew,  raisins), drain and keep aside. Add 1sliced big onion, once golden brown drain and keep aside.

Method:

In the same kadhai/pan in which we used above, add 2 sliced onions. Add little salt ( not much as we already added in marinade), cook until translucent. Add the marinade into it and let it cook about 10- 15 min.
Add 1/2 cup coriander leaves, mix well and cooke for 5 minutes more. Turn off the flame.

In a bowl, add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp rose water with 1/2 cup milk, mix well and keep aside.

For dum, take a heavy bottom pan ( with a good lid). Add 1 tbsp ghee, later first with a handful of rice, spread it evenly. Pour few tsps of turmeric rose milk. Now further layer it with few chicken pieces and little gravy.
Now again add rice, followed by turmeric rose milk, mint leaves barista, nuts, few drops biryani/pineapple essence (optional), 1/2tsp ghee and sprinkle biriyani masala a bit.
Now again layer chicken it with same procedure and rice layering on top!!

Close the lid well with no gaps. Turn on the flame to medium  low and  dum it for 20 minutes and its done!!

Enjoy!!