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1. Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry, then place them in a large bowl.
2 lb bone-in chicken thighs
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2. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, and half of the salt to the bowl and mix well to coat the chicken thoroughly.
1 cup plain yogurt,
2 tbsp lemon juice,
2 tbsp ginger paste,
2 tbsp garlic paste,
2 tsp ground cumin,
2 tsp ground coriander,
0.5 tsp ground turmeric,
1 tsp red chili powder,
2 tsp garam masala,
1.2 tsp salt
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3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably up to 8 hours for deeper flavor.
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4. Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in plenty of cold water for 30 minutes.
2 cup basmati rice,
1.2 cup water
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5. In a small bowl, combine the saffron strands with the warm milk and let them bloom while you continue with the recipe.
0.2 tsp saffron strands,
0.2 cup warm milk
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6. Peel the onions, then slice them very thinly from root to tip; finely chop the cilantro and mint, and slit the green chilies lengthwise.
3 piece onion,
0.5 cup fresh cilantro,
0.5 cup fresh mint,
2 piece green chili
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7. Heat half of the ghee with the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown and caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes.
3 piece onion,
0.1 cup ghee,
2 tbsp vegetable oil
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8. Remove about one-third of the caramelized onions to a bowl for garnish, leaving the rest in the skillet.
3 piece onion
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9. To the skillet with the remaining onions, add the cinnamon sticks, green cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
3 piece onion,
2 piece cinnamon stick,
6 piece green cardamom pods,
6 piece cloves,
2 piece bay leaf,
0.5 tsp black peppercorns
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10. Add the marinated chicken with all of its marinade to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the exterior of the chicken is no longer pink and the mixture comes to a simmer, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2 lb bone-in chicken thighs
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11. Drain the soaked basmati rice well.
2 cup basmati rice
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12. Lightly grease the slow cooker insert with a little of the remaining ghee, then spread half of the drained rice in an even layer on the bottom.
1 cup basmati rice,
0.2 cup ghee
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13. Spoon all of the chicken mixture from the skillet, including the onions and whole spices, evenly over the rice in the slow cooker.
2 lb bone-in chicken thighs
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14. Scatter most of the chopped cilantro, most of the chopped mint, and the green chilies over the chicken layer.
0.2 cup fresh cilantro,
0.2 cup fresh mint,
2 piece green chili
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15. Top with the remaining rice in an even layer, then drizzle the saffron milk over the surface and sprinkle the remaining ghee and the remaining salt over the top.
2 cup basmati rice,
1.2 tsp salt,
0.2 cup ghee,
0.2 tsp saffron strands,
0.2 cup warm milk
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16. Pour the measured water gently around the edges of the slow cooker so it seeps down without disturbing the layers, then cover with the lid.
1.2 cup water
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17. Cook on high for 2.5 to 3 hours, or on low for 4.5 to 5 hours, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through and very soft.
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18. Once cooked, turn off the slow cooker and let the biryani rest covered for 15 minutes, then gently fluff from the sides with a fork, mixing only slightly to keep some layers intact.
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19. Top with the reserved caramelized onions and the remaining cilantro and mint, then serve the chicken biryani hot directly from the slow cooker.
3 piece onion,
0.5 cup fresh cilantro,
0.5 cup fresh mint
