To be ground fine
(or alternatively, use powdered spices):

• 3 tsps. jeera (or 3 tsps. jeera powder)
• 6 Kashmir chilies (1 tbsp. red chili powder)
• 4 each of cardamoms, cloves and peppercorns (or use 1/2 tsp. each of powdered ingredients)
• 1 full pod of garlic (2 tbsps. powdered garlic)
• 2 inch piece of ginger root (1 tbsp. ginger powder)
• 1/2 tsp. haldi (tumeric)

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken, cut into pieces
• 4 cups boiled rice (very slightly raw)
• 6 large onions sliced finely
• 5 sprigs of curry leaf ("tej patta")
• 1 tbsp. tamarind paste
• 5 eggs - hardboiled and sliced
• 6 potatoes - boiled and diced
• 3 tbsps. oil
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsps. flour
• A few threads of saffron (kevdra) dissolved in 3 tbsps. hot water

Method:

Fry the six sliced onions to a golden brown, and set aside one-third of the quantity. Add curry leaves and ground spices and fry well. Add chicken and salt. Brown well. Add 1-1/2 cups water and cook chicken till tender, adding more water a little at a time, if necessary to prevent sticking. Stir in tamarind paste.

Note: If using a pressure cooker, add half a cup of water and cook for 3 minutes. Allow to cool slowly.

Sprinkle the cooked, diced potatoes with flour and fry to a golden brown. Set aside.

Mix half the quantity of the par-boiled rice with haldi (tumeric) and then add the balance of the white rice to the coloured rice - mix very lightly.

In a large, lightly greased cooking pot, layer the following:

• Half the quantity of mixed rice at the bottom
• Add the chicken curry mixture next
• Add fried potatoes
• Add hard boiled eggs
• Add half the fried onions (set aside earlier)
• Add remainder of the rice
• Add the remainder of the fried onions.
• Sprinkle with the kevda (saffron) essence.

Cook in medium oven (350C) for about 10 minutes or until the biriyani has heated through