Site icon Recipes, Reviews, Travelogues

The Best Chicken Malai Tikka – Succulently Beautiful

Murgh is chicken, Malai is creamy, and Tikka refers to boneless chunks/ pieces. Together Murgh Malai Tikka or Chicken Malai Tikka make for something altogether irresistible.

Chicken Malai Tikka is succulently soft, juicy creamy chicken tikka that simply melt in your mouth. These tender pieces of boneless chicken are marinated in a unique blend of yoghurt, cream, cheese, and spices and cooked on a gas tandoor oven.

These nibbles are perfect for a luncheon or an evening over drinks.

Chicken Malai Tikka is also known as Chicken Reshmi Kabab, Chicken Malai Kabab, Chicken Reshmi Tikka, Murgh Malai Tikka, Murgh Reshmi Kabab. However, the basic composition of the recipe is more or less the same.

These tikka are mild and creamy with a superb rich taste that lingers on long after they’ve disappeared.

The essence of a great Chicken malai tikka lies in its marination. To marinate this Chicken Malai Tikka we especially use 2 souring agents.

One is lemon juice and the second is curd. These 2 ingredients turn the chicken pieces soft and tender as they are very good tenderiser.

The buoyant flavour in the tikka is that of cardamom while green chillies add to the spice quotient. The creaminess is also aided by the contribution of cheese in the marinade.

The richness comes in by the addition of malai or cream making it one of those lightly spiced and delicately flavoured recipes that are fabulous for kids.

Chicken Malai Tikka or Chicken Reshmi Tikkas get their name from their silky smooth, soft and velvety texture. It’s a rich and indulgent starter. These tikkas stay khasta or slightly crispy or charred on outside but are super moist and soft on the inside.

Despite the rich ingredients, they are very light because of their delicate texture. You will perhaps eat half a dozen without noticing that you have eaten anything at all.

CHICKEN THIGHS OR BREASTS?

While you should use chicken thighs, you can use either. Chicken thighs are preferred because they contain more fat & are naturally more juicy meat as compared to breasts.

As a result, cooking a chicken thigh over high heat doesn’t make them dry and keeps them tender too.

However, just ensure that if you are using chicken breasts you marinate them for more time than thighs to get that tenderness.

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS

Cooking Tools Recommended Recommended Ingredients

Chicken Malai Tikka or Murgh Malai Tikka
Print

The Best Chicken Malai Tikka or Murgh Malai Tikka - Succulently Beautiful

The Best Chicken Malai Tikka or Murgh Malai Tikka - Succulently Beautiful. Chicken Malai Tikka is succulently soft, juicy creamy chicken tikka that simply melt in your mouth. These tender pieces of boneless chicken are marinated in a unique blend of yoghurt, cream, cheese, and spices and cooked on a gas tandoor oven
Cuisine Indian
Keyword chicken malai tikka, cream chicken tikka, creamy chicken tikka, malai tikka, murgh malai tikka, tandoori malai tikka
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 3 people
Calories 80kcal
Author Sumit Malhotra

Ingredients

  • 5 piece Chicken Thighs Boneless. Without skin
  • 0.25 cup Thick Yoghurt Hang the usual dahi or use a Greek Yoghurt
  • 1 piece Lemon Juice Medium Sized
  • 1 Teaspoons Garlic Paste
  • 1.5 Teaspoons Ginger Paste
  • 1/2 Cup Cheese Any processed cheese (grated or even Parmesan or Cheddar or Cream Cheese)
  • 1 Teaspoon White Pepper Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
  • 2 piece Green Chillies Finely chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons Coriander Leaves Fresh & finely chopped
  • 170 ml Heavy Cream
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter For basting
  • 0.5 Teaspoon Salt To taste
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Chaat Masala For garnishing

Instructions

  • Get your ingredients ready.
  • Hang the curd if it is not a thick one already.
  • Wash and dry the chicken legs.
  • Cut the legs into half and then into two pieces each.
  • Coat the chicken in the lime juice, garlic paste and salt. Mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for as long as you wish (at least 1 hours)
  • Add the yoghurt, turmeric, garam masala, red chilli powder and black cumin powder to a bowl. Mix well until combined.
  • Add the marinated chicken from 5.
  • Mix again and leave in the fridge for approximately 1 hour ( but it is better overnight) before grilling
  • Heat the gas oven tandoor on your gas stove and fill up the bottom tank with some water.
  • Place the marinated chicken lehsuni tikkas on the tandoori plate.
  • Cover it with the lid.
  • Turn once after 10 minutes and baste them with some butter.
  • Cook for another 5 minutes. Once cooked turn off the gas and rest for 5 minutes.
  • Once done, sprinkle cut coriander leaves and lemon juice.
  • Serve with sliced onions, mint & coriander chutney and lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Marinate the chicken overnight (if time permits). This helps in tenderising the chicken further and helps it absorb all the flavours from spices + herbs.
  • Use fresh chicken breasts as opposed to a frozen one as its more tender and fresh.
  • To make the chicken malai tikka extra juicy, slather a generous amount of butter/ghee on top before serving. This tenderises the cooked murgh malai tikka further and makes them extra juicy.

LOOKS AND READS UP LOVELY BUT I AM A VEGETARIAN

For a vegetarian version, simply substitute chicken with paneer/tofu. Vegetarian Malai kabab can be made with with paneer, and it comes out really smashingly good. The texture of the paneer is just as melt in the mouth!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR CHICKEN MALAI TIKKA

Pile them up on to a platter and serve with dhaniya pudina, or mint and coriander chutney, and a finely chopped tomato, cucumber and onion salad steeped in salt and lemon juice.

Onions and hari chutney – awesome

While these are good to go without but you can also pair them with roomali roti or buttered naans.

TO SUM IT UP

Chicken malai tikka or murgh malai tikka

The best piece of creamy and succulent chicken – chicken malai tikka or murgh malai tikka, that you have ever put in your mouth! This Malai Tikka recipe will never fail to impress you. Make it to believe it. Gorgeously delicate and melt-in-your-mouth morsels of well made charred tandoori deliciousness.

STAY CONNECTED

If you like this recipe, you can let us know in the comments below or on social media using #gosumitup and tag me @gosumitup. I am always happy to read your feedback and if you liked the dish :)

You can also connect with me directly on my Instagram and Facebook or on Pinterest.

And, keep visiting for more of such awsomeness.

Exit mobile version