Step 1
Place black peppercorns cloves cardamom cinnamon sticks star anise and kala jeera in a spice grinder; grind into a fine powder.
Step 2
Place cilantro and mint leaves in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped.
Step 3
Combine spice powder cilantro-mint mixture yogurt lemon juice ginger-garlic paste chile powder biryani masala powder and turmeric in a large bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator about 2 hours.
Step 4
Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan; add 2 bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low cover and simmer until rice is partially cooked through and still firm about 5 minutes. Drain.
Step 5
Combine milk and saffron in a small bowl; stir to combine.
Step 6
Heat ghee in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until golden brown about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining 2 bay leaves and chile peppers; cook and stir until fragrant 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully remove 1 tablespoon of ghee from the pot; set it aside.
Step 7
Wipe excess marinade off the chicken discarding marinade and add to the pot. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink about 2 minutes per side. Spread drained rice on top. Sprinkle onions on top of the rice. Drizzle reserved ghee and saffron milk over onions and rice.
Step 8
Cover the pot and cook over high heat about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered until rice is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) about 15 minutes.