Marinate the Chicken: Mix all marinade ingredients in a large pot. Add chicken pieces and coat well. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes. Overnight marination works even better.

Prepare the Rice: Bring 3 liters of water to boil. Add salt and whole spices. Add rice and cook for exactly 4 minutes. The rice should be firm in the center. Drain immediately and set aside.

Make Crispy Onions: Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry onion slices in batches until golden brown. This takes 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Prepare Saffron Water: Soak saffron threads in warm water for 10 minutes. This creates the beautiful yellow color.

Cook the Biryani: Place the pot with marinated chicken on medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook 5 more minutes, turning chicken twice.

Layer the Biryani: Turn chicken skin-side down to cover the pot bottom. Scatter half the fried onions and half the cilantro over the chicken. Top with all the par-boiled rice. Gently pat down the surface.

Add Final Touches: Drizzle saffron water randomly across the rice. Pour melted ghee over everything. Cover tightly with the lid.

Final Cooking: Return to medium heat until you see steam escaping. Reduce to low heat and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.

Serve: Dig deep with a large spoon to get all the layers in one scoop. You want chicken, curry-stained rice, and saffron rice together. Turn it onto a platter and garnish with remaining fried onions and cilantro. Serve with yogurt.