Chicken biryani

Ingredents:

Basmati Rice - 1/2 kg
Chicken pieces - 1/2 kg
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 4-6
Onions - 1 medium
Shahzeera - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 6
Yoghurt - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 1/4 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Fresh Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cashewnuts - 1/2 cup
Corinader leaves - 1 bunch

Preparation:

1. Marinate the chicken using yoghurt, turmeric, chilli powder, freshly ground ginger garlic paste and salt. Leave it aside for 2-3 hours. It makes the chicken pieces tender and allows them to absorb the spices.
2. Cut onions into the thin long size.
3. Cut green chillies into long slices.
4. Finely chop coriander leaves for garnishing.

Cooking:

1. Fry cashewnuts and keep them aside for garnishing
2. Wash and cook basmati rice. Don't let it cook completely, just about 3/4th. The rest will cook in oven in the final stage.
3. Prepare chicken curry with the marinated chicken in the following way:
i. Take oil generously in a frying pan and heat it.
ii. Add shahzeera, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and cardamom.
iii. Add the cut green chillies and onions and fry them well.
iv. Add the marinated chicken.
v. Add more spice if needed such as turmeric, ginger garlic, chilli powder and salt according to taste.
vi. Stir well.
vii. Add some water and let the chicken cook 3/4th, not completely, just like rice, as it will also be allowed to cook completely in oven in the final stage.
9. Take a large, wide, oven-safe dish or a deep tray and start making alternate layers of the rice and the chicken curry.
10. Put one layer of plain rice.
11. Put one layer of chicken.
12. Keep building such alternate layers till you're done with rice and chicken.
13. Garnish by making a final top layer by cashewnuts and coriander leaves.
14. Cover the tray with aluminium foil.
15. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
16. Bake it in the oven for about 30 min. Check regularly to avoid burning of rice or chicken.
18. Once everything is cooked well, take out the tray from the oven.
19. Sprinkle lime juice.
20. Mix everything well so that all the layers are evenly distributed.