Chicken Biryani

Place a small dry pan over medium heat. Toast the saffron threads for 1 minute until aromatic. Transfer to a small bowl, pour over the hot milk, and crumble the threads in. Set aside for at least 3 hours to infuse.

Whisk the yoghurt until smooth. Stir in the mint, coriander, and chillies.

Fry onions, nuts, and raisins

Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the sliced onions until deep golden and crisp, about 5–6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on kitchen paper. Fry the almonds until golden, then the raisins briefly until plump. Reserve for garnish.

In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, and cumin seeds. Fry until aromatic. Add the chopped onion and cook until browned at the edges. Stir in the ginger–garlic paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces, half the yoghurt mixture, half the fried onions, half the almonds and raisins, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Stir in the water and cover. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and the chicken is just tender. Transfer to a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the remaining cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook for 7–8 minutes until just tender. Drain well, removing the whole spices.

Spoon the rice over the chicken in a mound. Make a narrow well down the centre to the base of the pot. Drizzle the remaining saffron milk over the rice. Cover with a damp tea towel, then foil, then a tight-fitting lid.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Gently fold the biryani layers before serving on a warmed platter. Garnish with the reserved fried onions, almonds, raisins, and the quartered eggs. Serve with cucumber raita and lemon wedges.