Soak the rice for 30 mins and drain it. This helps the basmati rice to cook easily.

Heat the oil in a pressure pan or a large kadai.

Add cardamom, cloves, star anise, bay leaves, big elaichi, cinnamon stick and onions and ginger-garlic paste.

Saute these till the onions are golden brown.

Add tomatoes and cook it till the oil separates and tomatoes blend in with masala.

Add chicken and cook the chicken becomes white and oil separates from it. This may take 15 minutes.

Add 1 tbsp of salt to chicken while cooking.

Use a mixie or blender and blend the mint, methi, cilantro leaves and the green chillies together in about 1/2 cup of water.

:- Do not make this paste too watery.

Add this paste to the chicken and cook this paste.

:- The green paste will get cooked and change its color to a darker green which may take 5 - 8 mins.

Add 3 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 -1 tbsp of salt to this mixture and bring it a boil.

Add the soaked rice and cover and cook for 15 mins or till when the rice is cooked.

:- Pls note all the cooking shud be done on a medium to low flame to avoid the biryani from getting burnt.

:- If you find the mixture to be too spicy, you can add half a cup of plain yoghurt to leaves and chilly mixture.