Easy Chicken Biriyani!

A colleague makes this very tasty chicken biriyani, her mother-in-law's recipe. She says this works well for mutton and vegetable biriyani too. The rice is cooked with the chicken, so it blends very well. Tried it out, it works! And the best thing is, all you need is one vessel, everything is done in that! I used a small cooker.
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Recipe from Sharmila

If you use Jeera rice, then add water in the ratio 1:1/2)

Ingredients: 

1. Cinnamon (pattai) 2 to 3 sticks
2. Cloves (Lavangam/Krambu) 5 to 6
3. Cardamom (Yelakkai) 2
4. Bay Leaf (Punnai ilai) 2
5. Cashewnuts 8
6. Big onions – 2 cut long and thin pieces
7. Tomato -2 cut into pieces
8. Green chilies – 5 (I used less, 3 big ones)
9. Ginger garlic paste 3 tea spoons
10. Coriander leaves little - remove stems and wash
11. Mint leaves one small bunch – remove stems and wash
12. Little turmeric powder
13. garam masala powder one tea spoon
14. Little Chilli powder to taste
15. Salt to taste
16. Oil and Ghee
17. ½ kg chicken
18. ½ kg basmati rice

 Method: 

1. Keep the cooker or thick bottomed vessel on stove and add oil. 
2. Once the oil is heated, add Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Bay Leaf, Cashewnuts and Big onions.
3. Sauté well.
4. To that, add Green chilies, tomato, Ginger garlic paste, Little turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala
5. Saute well.
6. Now wash the chicken and add to the mixture. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
7. Add water (1:2 portions - 1 glass basmati rice, 2 glasses water) and salt to taste.
8. Close the cooker and allow one or 2 whistles, for the chicken to cook.
9. In the mean time wash and soak the rice.
10. When the gas is released from the cooker, add rice to the mixture and mix it well.
11. Close the cooker with a plate. Note that the flame  must be kept high.
12. The briyani is ready for Dum, once you find that there is no more water in the cooker. (Keep an eye here, don't forget about it, the bottom will burn!)

Dum:

1. Remove the plate from the cooker, and close the cooker and put weight.
2. Keep the dosa tava, or any thick pan (in high flame) on the stove and place the cooker on the tava. 
3. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove the cooker form the stove.
4. Once the gas is released, remove the cooker and put ghee to the briyani and mix it without breaking the rice.
5. Fry the mint leaves in ghee and add, for flavour. Also add chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
6. Serve hot.