Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients
500 gm rice (long grain, basmati rice)
6 (400 gm) chicken thighs (boneless)
Marinade
1 tsp white pepper
Pinch of salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
For masala
1/2 Tbsp desi ghee
4-5 cardamoms
1 bay leaf
Small piece of cinnamon
2-3 cloves
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 cup onion, sliced
1 tsp yellow chilli powder
2 tsp fennel or saunf powder
Salt to taste
2 cups water
1 cup yogurt
Finishing spices:
1 tsp green cardamom powder
1/2 tsp fennel powder
1/2 cup cream
For rice:
3 tsp rose water
Salt
Ginger, juliennes
2 green chillies, sliced

Method
Scrub and wash the rice and soak it in water for about 15 - 20 minutes.
Cut the chicken into even sized pieces.
In a bowl add all the marinade ingredients and coat the chicken pieces well with it. Let it marinate for a while. (15 minutes)
In the meanwhile heat some ghee in a pan and add all the spices for the masala.
When the spices turn slightly brown add the onions.
Cook the onions partially on slow heat to ensure that they do not change their color.
If you think the heat is getting too high to handle put in a little bit of water.
Once the onions are nice and glossy, well cooked and on the verge of changing color add a cup of yogurt.
Now add the yellow chilli powder.
Cook on low heat for a minute. Now add the chicken.
Then add the saunf powder.
Add some salt and mix well.
Now add some water.
Let it cook for a couple of minutes. (till the chicken is partially cooked)
Once done, remove from heat and let it cool down.
Once it cools down take the chicken pieces out and strain the gravy over the chicken.
Now add the finishing spices to the 'jhol' (the chicken and liquid). Add the cream to it.
This is the jhol or the infusion in which the rice will be cooked. Keep this aside

For the rice
In a pan heat some water. Add salt and rose water to it.
As soon as it comes to a boil add the rice. Cook it partially and keep aside.
In another pan heat half of the jhol you made earlier with all the chicken pieces.
Once this jhol comes to a boil add half of the rice to it.
Check the seasoning before adding rice after which you would not be able to adjust it.
Add the rice to the jhol and sprinkle some ginger juliennes and sliced green chillies.
Now add the other half of rice and jhol.
Let it cook on low heat (on dum, in it's own heat) covered with foil for about 10 minutes. (till the water evaporates and chicken and rice are fully cooked)