In a large pot add oil, ginger garlic paste saute until fragrant.
On a medium-high flame, add chicken. then add Shan Bombay biryani mix , kashmiri red chili powder, chicken cube. Mix for a minute or two.
Add Whole Cloves, Green Cardamon, Cinnamon sticks and Whole Black Pepper. Add potatoes (optional), mix well.
Now add two cups of water and cook covered for 10-15 minutes on low-medium flame or until the potatoes are half-cooked. Then turn off the flame.
In another large pot add water and bring it to boil. Once the water boils up, add salt, rice (pre-soaked) and oil.
Cook the rice for 6 minutes or until it gets half cooked (par boiled), it should have a bite. Then strain the rice.
Meanwhile the rice are being cooked, in a bowl add chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions, dried plums, stem-off green chilies and thinly sliced tomatoes and toss them all together very well.
Now comes the layering part. Add a layer of all the mixed ingredients (from step 7 above) on top of the chicken curry and increase flame to high.
Sprinkle food color (I use Orange-Red), whole spice powder (garam masala), kewra water and biryani essence (optional) on top.
Now put the final layer of the par-boiled rice.
Add half cup of oil on top. Cover the lid and cook on high flame for 5 minutes.
Then remove the lid and cook for 5 more minutes on the same high flame.
Now turn the flame to lowest and cover the lid properly with foil or cloth for steam (dum) for 5 – 10 minutes.
Once Biryani is ready, time for plating. Degi Biryani is not supposed to be mixed up once ready. Instead you have to work your way from bottom of the Degh/Pot to the top. Start plating by taking out Masala rice from the bottom. Then subsequently take out white rice, chicken and potato. Be gentle and try not to break rice.
Serve hot and ENJOY!