Add to the 1/2 cup of water, the chili powder, coriander powder, amchur powder and tomato paste (if using). Mix together well and set aside.

Heat oil in deep fryer or large (non-coated) pan to 350 degrees and cook potatoes then cauliflower until cooked. Set these aside.

In a large skillet, large enough to hold all the ingredients, add about 5 tblsp of the oil you just used to fry your potatoes and cauliflower in. Turn the heat to medium/low and add in the cumin seeds.

After the seeds have had a chance to toast slightly, not blacken, about a minute, add in the ginger/garlic paste, tomatoes, chili pepper, onions and turmeric powder. Saute over medium heat until the tomato pieces break down into a mush or sauce (Masala) about 8-12 minutes.

Add the water/chili/spice mix into the pan and also add the salt into the mix, then rub the methi leaves between the palms of your hands, to break it up into the mix. Also add the coriander (Cilantro) leaves.

Prepare the fried onions and set aside.

Mix the yogurt, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, ginger/garlic paste, sliced green chili, cumin seeds, salt, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, ½ cup mint and ½ cup cilantro, lemon juice and ⅓ the fried onions together, now add the chicken mix well and let marinate 4 hours.

Rinse/wash the rice twice with cold water to remove some of the starches. Then cover with cold water and let the rice soak for 30 minutes.

Warm up the milk and mix in the saffron threads and let sit, set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, we're going to par cook our rice, first add the following seasoning to the salted water, 4 cardamom pods, a split green chili, a cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds. Drain the water from the rice and put the rice in the boiling seasoned water. Turn the burner to high if not already and add the rice and give it a stir. Once the rice comes back to a boil, it is almost done. Taste a grain after 1 minute, it should be par cooked to al dente, but no more then that, as it will finish on the stove. Drain the water retaining the rice and spices.

Time to layer it for the final cook. In a large heavy duty pot, start by cooking the chicken and yogurt spiced marinade for 4 minutes. Now remove ½ the chicken and a little of the yogurt and set aside. Add ½ the rice and spices on top of the portion of chicken, keeping the layers fairly even, then add the rest of the chicken on top of the first rice layer, sprinkle some of the browned onions on top, add ⅓ cup chopped cilantro and mint and then the rest of the rice, the rest of the browned onions, another ¼ cup of cilantro and mint and finish it off with placing spoonful's of the saffron milk across the top. Put a tight fitting lid on and cook at medium/high for 5 minutes and lower to low for another 30 minutes. Let sit for an additional 15 minutes with the lid on.

Serve with a side of Greek plain yogurt and lemon wedge. Enjoy!

Loosen the skin of chicken on the open sides, you'll notice it adheres strongly to one side in particular, let that side stay attached.
Square the chicken thigh with a boning knife, by laying it on its skin side down, the skin should now be pushed to side where it does not get trimmed away (make sure that the one side the skin is attached, stays attached!).
Now trim the knuckle off the bone, there will be a groove where your heavier chef knife will do the trick just inside the knuckle bone, press hard with the back end of the chefs knife, give it hard short hit to the knife end with your palm to get the knife through. Trim any pieces of cartilage you may have missed and in general any veins, tendons or any thick pieces of fat that will not render.
Trim the edge of the other side of the knuckle you removed, just square it off.

Wrap the skin around the whole thigh, tuck in ends, smooth the top and tuck tuck tuck. Place 8-10 thighs in each large zip lock bag and add 4 cups of the chicken stock to each bag.
Place the marinated thighs in the refrigerator for 5 hours.

Remove the thighs from the brine and place skin side down on a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath it.
Mix all the dry rub spices together. Sprinkle the dry rub spices evenly over the bottom of the chicken. Don't be shy because a lot of flavor needs to come from that single bite that judges will take!

Now it's time for the spice rub.

300°F. to 310°F.

Put the chick thighs skin side up, making sure they are wrapped snugly in their skin in an aluminum baking pan, 8 to a pan, use a whole stick of butter, cut into pieces, tucked into the sides of the chicken and pan and between the 2 rows of chicken, you don't want to put the butter on top of the chickens skin to keep the spices adhered.
Now a quick thin spritz of I can't believe it's not butter spray over the top of the chicken will help to break down any fat in the skin.

Place in an offset heat source BBQ for 1 hour.

If the color is looking good then put a temperature probe into one of the thickest thighs and wrap the top with tinfoil so you don't burn the chickens skin. You are looking for 196-197°F.
Once the temp is hit, you want to have a quick dunk in your BBQ sauce, let the thighs sit back on a wire rack so the excess sauce drips off and add it back to the smoker for 10 minutes to set the sauce.

The final step is to give the thighs a quick spritz (through a spray bottle) of apple juice to create a shiny sheen on top.
Use any chicken that is too small looking or the skin shrunk back too much as your taste tester, check for salt content and bam! time for the judges to judge!

Pick through the beans to remove any foreign objects and rinse them. Soak the beans for in water for 8-12 hours, draining and rinsing them every three hours.

Bring the beans to a boil with the chicken stock, add the onion and garlic, reduce heat and simmer for 2½ hours.

Working in two batches, in a large frying pan heat 6 tblsp of the lard or bacon fat on medium-low heat, add ½ the beans and their liquid into the hot fat, yes this is going to spatter, be careful, also add half the chili powder in each batch, fry for 8-10 minutes until most of the liquid is gone. You can use a potato masher to mash them at this point, or if you have an immersion blender, you can wait until both batches are together and then us the blender on them. Then you can blend the onion remnants as well!
Taste, add the salt if needed.

Pick through the beans to remove any foreign objects and rinse them. Soak the beans for in water for 8-12 hours, draining and rinsing them every three hours.

Bring the beans to a boil with the chicken stock, add the onion and garlic, reduce heat and simmer for 2½ hours.

Working in two batches, in a large frying pan heat 6 tblsp of the lard or bacon fat on medium-low heat, add ½ the beans and their liquid into the hot fat, yes this is going to spatter, be careful, also add half the chili powder in each batch, fry for 8-10 minutes until most of the liquid is gone. You can use a potato masher to mash them at this point, or if you have an immersion blender, you can wait until both batches are together and then us the blender on them. Then you can blend the onion remnants as well!
Taste, add the salt if needed.

Mix all ingredients. Great rub for chicken, shrimp or fish on the grill, finish with some fresh lemon juice.