Chicken Biryani

In a large bowl, mix the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and 1 tsp salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide, deep skillet over medium heat. Add half the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-12 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp; remove and drain on paper towels to use as garnish later.
In the same skillet, add the remaining sliced onions and cook for 8 minutes until golden, then add the marinated chicken. Cook over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on the outside and the sauce thickens; it does not need to be fully cooked through yet.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water (about 8 cups) to a boil with the cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and 2 tsp salt.
Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook for exactly 6-7 minutes until the rice is about 70% cooked (firm in the center, not soft all the way through), then drain immediately in a colander.
Preheat the oven to 325F, or prepare a stovetop heavy-bottomed pot for dum (steam) cooking.
In the chicken skillet or a large oven-safe pot, spread the chicken and its sauce evenly across the bottom.
Layer half the parboiled rice evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle with half the mint and cilantro, half the fried onions, and drizzle with half the saffron milk.
Add the remaining rice as a second layer, then top with the rest of the mint, cilantro, fried onions, and saffron milk. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp oil over the top.
Cover the pot tightly with a lid (seal the edges with foil if the lid is loose to trap all the steam) and cook on the lowest possible stovetop heat for 25-30 minutes, or bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F and the rice is fully tender and fluffy before removing from heat.
Let the biryani rest, covered and off the heat, for 10 minutes without opening the lid; this allows the layers to settle and flavors to finish combining.
Gently fluff and mix the layers together with a large flat spoon just before serving, taking care not to mash the rice grains.
Serve hot with raita (yogurt sauce) or a simple salad.