Cut the chicken breasts into cubes.

In a bowl, combine the chicken with yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, salt, a drizzle of lemon juice, and Kashmiri red chili powder.

Mix well and marinate for 24 hours in advance.

Start by preparing the basmati rice.

Rinse the rice four times until the water runs clear.

In a preheated pot over high heat, add butter, cardamom, and bay leaves.

Pour in the water and add coarse salt.

Once the water starts boiling, add the rice.

Stir occasionally until most of the water has evaporated.

Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil a small amount of water and add saffron.

Set it aside to allow the color to infuse.

After the rice has rested, drizzle the saffron water over the rice in a swirl to create a two-tone effect.

Cover and set aside until serving.

Now prepare the mawa.

In a saucepan over low heat, add butter and milk powder.

Stir continuously to prevent burning.

Add liquid milk gradually and mix until a smooth paste forms.

Turn off the heat and set aside.

Cut the onions and tomatoes into large cubes.

For the butter chicken sauce, heat a pot and add butter with ginger and garlic paste.

Once lightly golden, add the onions and sauté.

Add cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.

When the onions soften, add the tomatoes.

Reduce the heat and let them simmer until they break down and release their juices.

Add the tomato sauce and kasuri methi, then stir well.

Continue cooking until the sauce thickens.

Add coarse salt, sugar, and Kashmiri red chili powder, then mix.

Add half a chicken stock cube and stir well.

Cover and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

Add a small amount of tomato paste to maintain a rich red color after blending.

Let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, then blend the sauce until smooth.

Set the sauce aside.

Blend the soaked cashews into a smooth paste.

In another pot, heat butter, then add the liquid cream, mawa, and cashew paste.

Whisk well until combined.

Strain the prepared sauce into this pot using a colander.

Bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat.

The sauce is now ready.

Cook the marinated chicken in a preheated skillet with a little oil.

Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding, allowing the chicken to sear properly without releasing too much moisture.

Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.

To finish, combine the chicken with the sauce or serve it separately as desired.

For the final presentation, refer to the video for the serving style.