Marinate the chicken pieces in a mixture of yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala and lemon juice for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Soak the basmati rice in water for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse well.

Heat some oil in a large pot over high heat and fry some sliced onions until golden brown. Remove some of the onions and set aside for later.

Add some whole spices (bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and black peppercorns) to the same pot and fry for a few seconds until fragrant.

Add the rice and some salt to the pot and stir well to coat with the oil and spices. Add enough water to cover the rice by about 2 cm and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is almost cooked but still slightly firm, about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and grease a baking dish.

Heat some oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear the marinated chicken pieces on both sides until browned, about 10 minutes. You may need to do this in batches.

Transfer the chicken pieces to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt some butter and add some saffron strands soaked in warm milk. Stir well and keep warm.

To assemble the biryani, spread half of the rice in an even layer on a large serving platter. Sprinkle some of the fried onions, chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and cashew nuts over the rice. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the rice layer, along with any juices from the baking dish. Cover with the remaining rice and sprinkle with more fried onions, herbs and nuts. Drizzle the saffron butter over the biryani and serve hot with raita (yogurt sauce) and salad.