Chicken malai tikka is a very popular kebab dish in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It very much originated from Mughal cuisine. Chicken malai tikka is a soft, creamy kebab with lots of flavours. This dish is perfect for appetizers for parties and get-togethers. These tikkas are not so much spicy but full of flavours. Therefore, they are perfect for kids.
Table of contents :
1 . About the recipe
2 . Ingredients
3. Step-by-step method
4. Tips
1 . About the recipe
Chicken malai tikka is a soft, succulent, creamy kebab perfect for any gathering or party. It is made by using boneless chicken with spicy cream and yoghurt mix. Tender pieces of boneless chicken are marinated in a unique blend of yoghurt, cream, papaya and spices and cooked in a Pan. Traditionally, tikka is cooked on the tandoor, but I am making this kabab using a pan. For tandoor flavour, I will use a piece of coal for smoke.
Let’s start cooking!
Serve Suggestion : 3
Marination Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes
2 . Ingredients
- 400gm boneless chicken ( cut into cubes)
- 2 tablespoons raw papaya paste (optional)
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon of black pepper powder
- 1tablespoon of garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon of cumin powder
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 100 gm plain yoghurt
- 3 tablespoons green chilli and coriander leaves paste ( chopped can also be used)
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon of cornflour
- Butter or ghee
- 3 tablespoons of fresh cream
- Coriander leaves chopped for garnish
- 1 piece of coal
3. Step by Step method
- You can make restaurant-style chicken malai tikka from this recipe at your home. You can also make and refrigerate it and use it according to your menu.
First marination
- First, take boneless chicken thighs or breasts; the thigh part will give a soft texture to the tikka. Add salt, ginger, garlic paste, raw papaya paste and lemon juice. Mix it and leave for 1 hour.
Second marination
- Add yoghurt, cumin powder, garam masala powder, cream, black pepper powder, green chilli, and coriander paste in a mixing bowl. Mix it well.
- Add this mixture to the marinated chicken.
- Now add cornflour and mix well.
- Leave for 15 to 20 minutes.
Grilling
- For Grilling, I am using wooden skewers. Soaked wooden skewers in normal water for 1 hour before using. Skewer the marinated chicken.
- Put a little ghee or butter in a hot grill or regular nonstick pan and place the skewers on it. Baste with oil or butter at regular intervals. Turn over and repeat. The kababs should be cooked through and slightly charred on the surface.
- Brush the tikka with butter.
- For tandoori flavour, place a piece of coal on a gas burner, put it in a steel bowl or on aluminium foil, place it in the middle of tikka pieces, pour a drop of ghee and cover the dish. Tikka will be covered with smoke. After one minute, remove the cover.
- You can skip the coal part but miss out on the restaurant-like flavour.
- Enjoy your amazingly soft, creamy, delicious kebab with green chutney.
- Malai tikka is very good to go with Naan, lachcha Paratha, Rumali roti or just roti.
- You can use this tikka in making Paratha rolls or stuffing for sandwiches.
4. Tips
- For better texture, the thigh part of the chicken is best. If you are using the breast part, marinate for one hour more.
- Raw papaya is optional. If you don’t want to use it, you can skip this to increase a little more marination time.
- You can make this tikka without using skewers on a hot pan.
- Brush the tikka with butter or ghee at regular intervals.
- Bring the tikka to room temperature before grilling. It helps in better evenly cooking.
