Anarkali Biryani

Ingredients:
Rice – ½ kg
Boneless chicken – 375g
Yogurt – 250g
Tomatoes – 2
Onion – 2 thinly sliced
Garlic ginger paste – 2 tbsp
Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp
Mace powder – ¼ tsp
Mint leaves – ¼ bunch

Whole black pepper – 8

Cloves – 6
Cumin seeds – 1tbsp
Green cardamoms – 5
Big cardamoms – 4
Cinnamon sticks – 4

Cashew nuts – 20g
Pistachios – 20g
Pine nuts – 20g
Red food colour – 1 tsp
Few bay leaves
Crushed pomegranate seeds – 2tbsp
Dry plums – 50g
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Kewra water – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Ghee – 1 cup
Method:
In a bowl marinate chicken with ½ tsp garlic ginger paste, salt, 1 tsp red food colour, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp cumin powder and mix it well with your hands.
In a pan heat little oil and cook the marinated chicken until done. Remove it from heat.
In a wok heat water for rice. Add bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, ¼ tsp cumin seeds and salt in water. When water starts boiling add rice.
In other pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee and roast all the nuts in it till they change their colour in light golden. Remove them from heat.
Heat 1 cup ghee in a pan, add big and small cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks and whole black pepper and fry it for 1-2 minutes.
Add garlic and ginger paste and onions together. Let them cook till they change colour in light brown, and then add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Now cook it till the onions change its colour into golden brown.
Add tomatoes and lower the flame. Cook it for 2-3 minutes and then add 1 1/2 red chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt. Mix it and then add yogurt mix well, then add nutmeg powder and mace powder mix them well.
In gravy add layer of chicken, mint leaves, dry plums and pomegranate seeds. When rice are half cooked add layer of drained rice on gravy. Then add roasted nuts and remaining rice.

Add kewra and 2 tbsp ghee on top and now cook it covered. First increase the heat for 1 minute and when steam forms then lower the heat and put the biryani on dum for 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot with raita and salad.