Ingredients

for the rice 2 cups basmati rice or long grained rice 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1 or 2 tsp chopped mint leaves or both mint+coriander leaves 1 bay leaf 1 inch cinnamon 2-3 cloves 3-4 green cardamom a pinch of mace 2 star anise tsp shah jeera/caraway seeds a pinch of saffron 1 tbsp curd vegan or dairy a few drops of lemon juice 4 cups water 2 tbsp oil or ghee salt as required for garnish: 1 medium onion, sliced thinly 8-10 whole cashews 1 tbsp oil a pinch of salt few mint leaves

Instructions
1. rinse the basmati rice for a couple of times in water. 2. soak the basmati rice in water for 20-25 minutes. 3. drain and keep aside. 4. heat oil or ghee in a pan. preparing the rice: 1. add the caraway seeds and fry them. 2. add all the whole spices and fry them for a half a minute. 3. now add the ginger-garlic paste and mint leaves. 4. saute for a minute or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic disappears. 5. lastly add the saffron and stir. 6. add rice and stir gently. 7. now add 4 cups of water, few drops of lemon juice and salt. 8. stir and cover the pan tightly with a lid. 9. let the cook rice till its just done. 10. the rice should have an al dente texture and not become soft or mushy. 11. check in between but dont stir as this will break the rice grains. 12. if you feel the water is less, then just add the required amount of hot water. 13. cover and let the rice cook till done. preparing the garnish: 1. whilst the rice is cooking, heat oil in a small pan. 2. add the sliced onions and fry till they become golden. 3. add a pinch of salt so that the onions brown quickly. 4. remove and drain them on paper tissues so that the extra oil is soaked. 5. in the same pan, roast the cashews till golden. 6. while being served, garnish the biryani rice with the fried onions, cashews, mint leaves.