Ingredients :
3 cup Basmati rice
4 x chicken breasts**
1/2 lrg onion
minced
2 clv garlic
minced
3 tbl vegetable oil or ghee
8 oz plain yogurt
1 pch saffron threads
1/4 cup milk

SPICE MIXTURE

1 tsp red chile powder* medium heat
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ginger, powdered
1 tbl turmeric
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
1/2 x salt (or to taste)
6 x cardamom seeds
peeled
4 x bay leaves dried, crushed
1 x lump tamarind pulp, marble-sized
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Method :
* Do not use chili powder, which contains other spices. Use a pure powdered chile from cayenne or New Mexico chiles.
** skinless and boneless and cut into 3/4" pieces

Put the milk into a cup and add the saffron and stir. Set aside at least 30 minutes before using.
Place all spice ingredients (including salt and tamarind pulp) in spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes and then drain and rinse until clear water comes off rice. Cook rice in large pan in 8 cups of water. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
In a frying pan, heat oil or ghee and saute the onion and garlic until golden. Add chicken and spice powder and stir-fry until chicken is done, about 6 minutes.
Drain rice and place back in large pan. Add the saffron-milk mixture and mix rice until uniform color. Add the chicken, onion, garlic and spice mixture and the yogurt to the pan and mix gently until well-blended with all the rice.
Place the rice into a glass baking dish and bake in a 350F oven for 40 minutes.
Serve immediately as a main course or side dish.