Chicken Biryani

1) Thoroughly wash the rice and soak it in water. Set aside.
2) Crush the whole spices including the bay leaves with a pestle and mortar.
3) Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over high heat. Add the oil, ghee, and onions and sauté for about 10 – 15 minutes, until the onions are golden.
4) Deglaze the pan with a little water. Once the water dries up, add the crushed whole spices, garlic, and ginger and sauté for another 2 minutes.
5) Add the chicken, sauté for 2 – 3 minutes.
6) Add the tomatoes and green chili pepper, and stir to coat. Add water to cover about 1/3 of the chicken and bring to a gentle boil.
7) Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover and allow the chicken to cook for 1 hour, stirring regularly. Turn off the heat once the chicken has cooked.
8) Remove the thighs from the saucepan and strip the meat off the bones. Add the meat back to the curry.
9) Preheat the oven to 180°C when there is 15 minutes left of the chicken curry cooking time.
10) Meanwhile, drain and rince the rice, then cook according to the packet instructions, BUT add the oil and lemon juice to the water and only cook for 3-4 minutes.Drain any excess water away. 
11) Uncover the chicken. Raise the heat to medium-high to steam out any excess water for 2-3 minutes.
12) In an ovenproof casserole add half of the chicken curry, layer half of the rice on top, then the rest of the curry and top with the rest of the rice. Sprinkle the top with a few drips of red and green food colouring (optional, but it makes it look nice!)
13) Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit inside the casserole, on top of the rice, then cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 45mins.
14) Serve topped with fresh corriander, a, little vegetable curry and some raita.