Rinse the rice in cold water then leave to soak and set aside

In a large saucepan bring a pot of water to a boil then drain the rice and add to the pan before giving it a stir to spread the rice in the pan

Allow the rice to gently simmer for 12-15 minutes until 80% cooked – at this point the rice grains should have expanded but they will still be relatively hard

As the rice is cooking in a large pan heat up the oil on medium heat until hot

Add the bay leaves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, and green cardamoms then sauté the whole spices for 1 minutes until fragrant

Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken, the finely diced onions and the chopped tomatoes then cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent in colour

Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala, chilli powder, black pepper, turmeric powder, and salt then cook the spices for 5-7 minutes

Add the yoghurt and stir immediately to prevent it from curdling then cook for 10-15 minutes

Add the cumin seeds, green chillies, fried onions, and coriander then mix

Drain the parboiled rice and layer on top of the chicken masala followed by some fried onions and finely chopped fresh coriander

Cover with a lid then reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for 10-12 minutes

Remove the lid and gently mix the chicken masala and rice together – ensure that you mix slowly to not mush the rice

Serve immediately on its own or alongside some raita!