Name: Hyderabad Dum Biryani
Ingredients: 10 black peppercorns; 6 whole cloves; 5 cardamom pods; 2 cinnamon sticks; 2 whole star anise pods; 0.5 teaspoon kala jeera (black cumin seeds); 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves; 1 bunch fresh mint leaves; 1 cup plain yogurt; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste; 2 teaspoons chile powder; 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder (such as Dunya®); 0.25 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 pound chicken thighs; 3.5 cups water; 2 1/3 cups basmati rice; 4 bay leaves, divided; 0.5 cup warm milk; 1 pinch saffron threads; 0.25 cup ghee (clarified butter), divided; 2 onions, thinly sliced; 2 green chile peppers, chopped

Ingredients

10 black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
5 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise pods
0.5 teaspoon kala jeera (black cumin seeds)
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
1 bunch fresh mint leaves
1 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
2 teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon biryani masala powder (such as Dunya®)
0.25 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound chicken thighs
3.5 cups water
2 1/3 cups basmati rice
4 bay leaves, divided
0.5 cup warm milk
1 pinch saffron threads
0.25 cup ghee (clarified butter), divided
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 green chile peppers, chopped

Steps

Place black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and kala jeera into a spice grinder; grind to a fine powder.
Place cilantro and mint leaves in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped.
Combine spice powder, cilantro-mint mixture, yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, biryani masala powder, and turmeric in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add chicken; toss to evenly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator, about 2 hours.
Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan; add 2 bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is partially cooked through and still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain; set aside.
Combine milk and saffron in a small bowl; stir and set aside.
Heat ghee in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
Reduce heat to low. Add remaining 2 bay leaves and chile peppers; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully transfer 1 tablespoon ghee from the pot to a small bowl; set aside.
Remove chicken from marinade, wiping excess marinade off; add chicken to the pot. Discard remaining marinade. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink, about 2 minutes per side; spread rice on top, then sprinkle on onions. Drizzle reserved ghee and saffron milk over rice and onions.
Cover the pot; cook over high heat, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, until rice is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 15 minutes more.