How to make chicken biryani at home

Making biryani involves multiple steps, including preparing the rice, marinating and cooking the meat, and assembling everything together. Here's a general recipe for **chicken biryani**:

### Ingredients:
#### For Rice:
– 2 cups Basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
– 4-5 cups water
– 2-3 cloves
– 2-3 cardamom pods
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 cinnamon stick
– Salt to taste

#### For Chicken Marinade:
– 500g chicken (bone-in pieces preferred)
– ½ cup yogurt
– 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
– 1 tablespoon red chili powder
– ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
– 1 teaspoon garam masala
– 1 teaspoon coriander powder
– Salt to taste
– Freshly chopped cilantro and mint leaves (a handful)

#### For Biryani Gravy:
– 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
– 2 large onions (thinly sliced)
– 2 tomatoes (chopped)
– 2 green chilies (slit)
– 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
– 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
– 1 teaspoon garam masala
– 1 teaspoon biryani masala (optional)
– Fresh mint and cilantro leaves (for garnish)
– A pinch of saffron (soaked in 2 tablespoons warm milk)

#### Layering and Garnish:
– Fried onions (for garnish)
– Saffron milk
– Ghee or melted butter
– Fresh cilantro and mint leaves

### Instructions:
#### 1. Marinate the Chicken:
– In a bowl, combine yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt.