Marinate the Chicken: In a medium bowl, combine 1 ¼ lbs of bone-in, cut up, skinless chicken with the marinade ingredients: ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt, 1 tablespoon neutral oil, 2 tablespoon biryani masala, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½-1 teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder, a pinch of cane sugar, and 2 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix well, ensuring the chicken is fully coated. Cover and set aside to marinate. For best results, refrigerate and marinate overnight or at least for a couple of hours. Before cooking, let the chicken come to room temperature.

Wash and Soak the Rice: Thoroughly wash 1 ¾ cups of aged, long grain basmati rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes, then drain.

Parboil the Rice: In a large pot, bring 7 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar. Add the drained rice to the boiling water. Stir gently and boil for about 5 minutes, or until the rice is just cooked with a slight bite to it. It should not be mushy. Drain the rice and set aside.

Sauté Onions: In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat ¼ cup of neutral oil and 2 tablespoon ghee over high heat. Add 2 medium thinly sliced yellow onions and sauté until golden, about 15-20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup water and let it dry up.

Cook the Chicken: Add the whole spices (3 bay leaves, 5-6 cloves, 4-5 black cardamoms, 6 star anise, 6 green cardamom pods, 2 cinnamon sticks, ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns) to the onions. Then add 6-8 crushed garlic cloves and 1-inch crushed ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the marinated chicken and cook until it changes color, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 small chopped tomato, 1-2 chopped green chili peppers, and 5 dried plums. Stir well. Add ½ cup water, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Finalize the Chicken Curry: After 30 minutes, uncover and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté to evaporate any excess water for 2-3 minutes. The oil should separate from the masala. Add ⅓ – ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and ½ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional). Turn off the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon kewra essence and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Layer the Biryani: In a large pot (preferably a Dutch oven), layer half of the parboiled rice. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon chaat masala or garam masala over the rice. Add the cooked chicken on top, then layer the remaining rice. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ teaspoon chaat masala or garam masala. Drizzle the colored milk (⅛ teaspoon food coloring mixed with 1 tablespoon milk or water) and 1 tablespoon oil over the top. Add ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves, 1-2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves, and arrange lemon slices on top.

Serve the Biryani: Gently scoop out the biryani onto a serving platter, being careful not to mix the layers too much. Serve hot with yogurt or raita.