Dhamaka is an Indian restaurant in Manhattan. The restaurant is run by Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar of hospitality group Unapologetic Foods.

This is their recipe for chicken biriyani. As Chintan says, this dish can be made in so many ways all throughout India that there is no one correct recipe. Absolutely a staple of Indian cuisine.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice:
3 cups washed and soaked basmati rice
Whole spices ( black and green cardamom, cloves, star anise, bay leaf, curry leaves, peppercorns, mace).
Salt

Saffron-Infused Jala
Saffron strands
3 tablespoons ghee, warmed 3 tablespoons whole milk, warmed

Chicken Marinade: 1 packet of boneless or bone-in chicken thighs 1 packet of bone-in drumsticks 2 cups Greek yogurt
Salt
Black pepper 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili pepper 1 tablespoon ginger paste
5 grated garlic cloves

Curry:
4 tablespoons ghee
1 chopped red onion 5 green cardamom pods
3 black cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves 1 star anise
5-6 peppercorns
1 tablespoon ginger paste
5 grated garlic cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon Shaan Biriyani masala
1 1/2 cups tomato passata

Garnish:
1 cup chopped green cilantro
1/2 cup chopped mint 1 cup fried red onions

Directions:

For the Basmati Rice:
In a large bowl, soak rice in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a stockpot, bring water to a boil. Add rice. Season with whole spices and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until rice is nearly cooked so it is par-broiled or al dente. Strain and set aside.

For the Saffron-Infused Jala:
In a small bowl, combine warmed saffron, milk and butter.

Chicken curry: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat ghee. Add onion and fry until golden brown. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, red chile powder, biriyani masala, cardamom pods, whole cloves, bay leaves, star anise, peppercorns and mace. Stir 1 minute. Add tomato passata. Cook until tomatoes are thickened. Add marinated chicken and yogurt, cover and cook on medium until curry is thickened and chicken is cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken and curry into another bowl.

Assembly: Add Saffron-Infused Jala to bottom of Dutch Oven. Layer Basmati Rice and chicken curry alternating in three layers with rice on top. Add the chopped cilantro and mint. Add the fried onions. Cover and place in oven at 350 degrees for 30 min. Remove and let it cool for 10 min, then mix and fluff rice. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.