Chicken Biryani

1. Create Marinade

Blend three chopped onions, garlic, ginger, whole cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, ground cinnamon, ground coriander, ground cumin, poppy seeds, ground mace, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, and lemon juice until they form a smooth paste. Mix this paste thoroughly with the yogurt in a large bowl.

2. Prepare Fried Onions

Slice the remaining three onions thinly. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat, and add the bay leaves and black cardamoms. Fry the onions until they turn a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Combine Fried Onions with Marinade

Mix two-thirds of the fried onions into the marinade paste.

4. Marinate Chicken

Pierce the chicken pieces with a fork. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the onion-yogurt marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

5. Partially Cook Chicken

Place the chicken and marinade in a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the chicken is partially cooked. Transfer the chicken to a casserole dish, and reduce any remaining marinade until thick, then spoon it over the chicken.

6. Prepare Saffron Milk

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Soak the saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot milk to release its color and aroma.

7. Cook Rice

Boil a pot of water with 3 teaspoons of salt. Add the rice and cook for about 5 minutes until the grains start to soften but are still firm. Drain the rice and layer it over the chicken in the casserole dish.

8. Assemble and Bake

Pour the saffron milk over the rice, and drizzle some of the oil used for frying the onions on top. Seal the casserole dish with foil and a tight-fitting lid, then bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

9. Garnish and Serve

Garnish the biryani with the reserved fried onions, fried raisins, blanched almonds, and hard-boiled eggs. Serve hot with plain yogurt.