Chicken biryani

Break the nutmeg and cinnamon into small pieces so they do not damage the grinder blades.

Grind the cinnamon, green cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, black cumin, javitri, black peppercorns and star anise to a fine powder; store the masala in an airtight jar in the fridge.

Blend two inches of peeled ginger and six to seven garlic cloves with two tablespoons of water to a paste.

Stir one cup of plain yogurt well, then mix in the coriander powder, a tablespoon of the biryani masala, the paprika, turmeric and red chilli powder.

Mix the yogurt spice mixture into one kilo of large chicken pieces, then mix in the ginger garlic paste.

Marinate a minimum of one hour, preferably overnight; the longer it marinates the juicier it is.

Wash the basmati rice seven to eight times until the water runs clear, then soak it a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of one hour.

Peel three large potatoes, cut them into halves and wash them.

Hard boil three eggs and cut slit marks in them so the masala gets inside.

Halve two large onions and slice them thinly and evenly, on a mandolin, so they brown at the same rate.

Put half a cup of oil in a wide large pan and add the onions once it is only slightly warm, not smoking, so they brown gradually.

Fry the onions on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 20 minutes, until browned but not too brown.

Lift the onions out and spread them on a paper towel so they crisp up.

Fry the boiled eggs in the same oil two to three minutes on medium heat until lightly browned, then take them out.

Add the large bay leaf, four green cardamoms with cracked tips and a cinnamon stick to the oil and stir a minute on medium heat.

Add the marinated chicken, raise the heat to high and stir well, then stir in about half the fried onions.

Keep stirring until the water evaporates and the oil leaves the sides of the curry, about six to seven minutes, until the chicken looks a bit dry.

Lower to medium, add two teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of sugar and stir another minute.

Add the potatoes and fry about two minutes with them.

Add a cup of warm water; when the gravy comes to a boil, cover and keep on low heat about 25 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Put the cinnamon, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cloves and black cumin in a tea ball mesh, or tie them in cloth with thread.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the spice ball in it, then add the drained rice, two tablespoons of salt, a tablespoon of oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a dry bay leaf.

Cook the rice on medium to high heat, checking and stirring frequently; at five minutes it still has bite, from eight minutes check often.

At about 10 minutes the rice is chewy and 90 percent done; drain it at once in a colander and discard the bay leaf.

Mix about a quarter teaspoon of saffron into a quarter cup of warm milk and set aside.

After 25 minutes add the fried eggs to the chicken, uncover, and keep on medium to high heat, stirring, so the gravy dries a little more.

Add a teaspoon of kewra water, or a single drop of kewra essence.

Ladle a little of the gravy out into a bowl and reserve it. Do not let the curry go completely dry, since that liquid makes the steam for the rice.

It took about 40 minutes in total for the chicken. Heat a heavy metal flame tamer on the burner on high.

Take the eggs out for garnish, then layer some rice over the chicken, sprinkle biryani masala over it and add the rest of the rice.

Over the top add two teaspoons of kewra water, the saffron milk, more biryani masala, the rest of the brown onions, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of ghee.

Make three small depressions in the rice and sprinkle a very little food colouring into them, add the reserved gravy and sprinkle a little salt over the top; mint leaves may be added here.

Cover with a tight lid, or weight a loose one, and set it on the hot flame tamer on high for four to five minutes until the steam builds.

Lower the heat as far as it will go and leave it covered 10 minutes; 15 minutes in total.