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You should use about four cups of water, and salt it to both regulate the temperature, ensuring an even cook, and to add taste to the rice that's cooked in it. Though you can purchase garam masala powder at the store, to get the best flavor out of your biryani, you should use the actual individual components that go into the powder. Use one cinnamon stick, three or four cardamom pods, and four or five cloves. Add that with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the water. It's important to pack every component of the dish with flavor. You don't want flavorful vegetables mixed in with bland white rice. Pour it into a colander or strainer to make sure you're not adding too much water to the pot, which might cause it to boil over later. Because you've soaked your rice for at least half an hour, it's going to cook much faster than it normally would. If you soak it for an hour, it could cook through completely in 3-4 minutes, so keep an eye on it. You're going to finish cooking it with the vegetables, so remove it from the boiling water early. Test how cooked through it is by spooning some out and chewing it. It should still be toothy when you decide to stop boiling it. Drain the rice in a colander or large strainer. Set it aside.
Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add some oil and whole garam masala to the water. Drain the soaked rice. Add the rice to the pot of boiling water. Drain the rice when it's about cooked through.