Chicken biryani

Ingredients:
# Chicken - 1 kg
# Rice (Basmati) - 750gms
# Onions - 5
# Tomatoes - 5
# Ginger - 3 inches
# Garlic - 1 pod
# Green Chilies - 10
# Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
# Turmeric Powder - 1\4 tsp
# Black Pepper - 10
# Cloves - 6
# Cinnamon - 2 pcs
# Cumin - 1 tsp
# Cardamom - 2
# Black Cardamom - 6
# Bay Leaves - 6
# Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
# Yogurt - 200 gms
# Saffron - 15 strands
# Milk - 1/4 cup
# Oil - 1 tbsp & 2tsp
# Salt - To taste
# Water - 1 litre
# Cashew nuts & Raisins (optional) - To taste
# Pure (desi) Ghee (if you are using Nuts) - 2tsp

Directions...

# In a big bowl mix yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
# Mix washed chicken in the above mixture and keep aside for at least 2 hours.
# Wash rice with water and drain them.
# Heat 1 litre of water in a pan on high flame. Add washed rice along with black cardamom, bay leaves, salt and 2tsp of oil. After a boil reduce the flame to low flame. After few minutes you will see the holes in rice, pick rice with tsp to check its readiness. If cooked then switch off the gas or if slightly uncooked then leave for another 2min and then switch off the flame and keep aside.
# In another pan warm milk and soak saffron in milk.
# Grind ginger, garlic and green chilies with 1 tsp of salt and very little water to make a thick paste.
# Roast black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and cardamom in a pan. Dry and grind them to make fine powder.
# Chop onions and fry in oil with 1 tsp of salt till they become golden brown in color.
# Remove 1/3 of fried onions and keep aside for garnishing. To the remaining onions add ginger, garlic & chili paste and fry well. Keep on stirring.
# Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes/ till mixture separates from oil.
# Add marinated chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garam masala and mix well. Cover the vessel and cook till chicken is tender.Remove from gas.
# Take a thick bottom vessel; apply ghee to the entire inner surface of the vessel. First put one layer of cooked rice then add one layer of chicken masala then again another layer of rice and then another layer of chicken masala and so on. Last layer should be of rice.
# Pour saffron soaked in milk all over the rice (from step 5). Spread the fired onions which we kept aside in step 9, over the rice layer.
# Cover the lid of vessel tightly so that no steam can escape. Keep on low flame for about 15-20 minutes or till aroma starts spreading from the vessel.
# Remove lid and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
# Add roasted cashew nuts in 2tsp pure ghee and raisins.
# Serve hot with chilled raita and your choice of sauce/chutney.