Marinate chicken pieces in chicken tikka masala and leave it for 2 hours or overnight.

You can also smoke the marinated chicken with a piece of coal. (optional)

Preheat oven at 180° C (350 F)

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spray it generously with roasting spray or cooking oil. Place the chicken pieces on the tray and spray another coat of cooking spray on top of the chicken.

Pop the tray in the oven for 20 mins and turn on the top grill for the nice char in the last 5 mins.

Alternatively you can also grill the chicken on a grill pan or pan fry them as well. (See note)

In a pot, add oil, sliced onions, green chilies and mint leaves. Fry them at medium heat until they turn crispy golden brown. Remove about a cup of the fried onions and set aside.

Strain out most of the oil as well. (Leaving 4 to 5 tbsp in the pot)

Add 1/2 cup of water in the fried onion mix and turn the flame back on at medium. Add in all the spices, salt, chopped tomatoes and garlic ginger paste. Saute the curry base until the oil separates and comes on top.

Reduce flame to low and Add another 1/2 cup of water.

Now add beaten yogurt and a little food color. Cover the pot and let the Qorma base simmer for 15 mins.

Open the lid and use a hand blender/immersion blender to reach a smooth Qorma consistency. Qorma is ready.

Soak rice for 20 mins in water.

Boil water in a pot with salt, vinegar, oil, kewra water and whole spices.

Add soaked rice in boiling water. Boil for about 5 mins or until a grain of rice can break in your hand but retains its shape. Strain the rice and set aside

Chose a pot that would be able to hold all the rice and chicken together and still be 1/4th empty.

Add 1/3rd of the rice on the bottom of the pot

Add fried onions, some mint leaves and 2 3 lemon slices

Add 1/2 of the baked chicken and sprinkle a little lemon juice on it.

Spread 1/2 of the qorma mix on top of the chicken covering the rice.

Repeat the process one more time and finish with rice on the top layer.

Drizzle yellow food color in the form of a cross and add garnish. Optional - add biryani essence to food color

Cover the pot and add a layer of aluminum foil in between pot and lid to create better seal.

Place the Pot on top of an insulator, griddle or tava on the stove

Turn on the flame at medium high heat for 8 to 10 mins.

Reduce the flame to low and leave it for another 10 mins.

Open the pot to check if steam has formed inside.

Let the biryani rest for another 10 mins.

Mix and serve with salad and yogurt.