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Malai Chicken

Serves 4
50 mins
450 Kcal
The Indian dish Malai Chicken, or Murgh Malai, is made up of rich, creamy chicken. The silky smooth taste profile can easily make this dish appealing to the palate of people who love rich, soft, creamy food with mild spices. The word "malai" actually means cream, which mostly features the way this dish receives its richness and velvety texture.The malai chicken preparation process begins with marinating boneless pieces of chicken in a mixture containing yoghurt, fresh cream, ginger-garlic paste, and some spices like garam masala, coriander powder, and cumin. Cashew or almond paste does, however, enrich this marinade, aiding in the thickening of the gravy as well as providing a rich nutty undertone. Lemon juice, and sometimes green chillies, are added to the marinade to give it a slight tang and balance out the richness that comes from the cream. The marinated chicken is grilled, pan-fried, or cooked in a tandoor until it is soft and partially charred. Once the chicken is cooked, the very rich cream sauce made of fresh cream, butter, and even more aromatic spices is allowed to simmer inside the chicken. This sauce on a low spice scale depicts how good this Malai dish turns out when the creaminess of Malai and tenderness of the chicken are put at the forefront of the pleasure. Generally garnished with freshly chopped herbs like coriander or mint, glistening above the dish, it adds a fresh flavour to this dish, otherwise rich and creamy. With a succulent texture that melts in your mouth, this dish is best kept for special occasions and indulgent dinners, either as a main course or as an accompaniment alongside Indian bread or naan, paratha, or tandoori roti; alternatively, one can opt for aromatic rice items, such as jeera rice or steamed basmati rice, served along with it. They are popular in restaurants and homes because of the mild flavour yet satisfying. 

Ingredients required for Malai Chicken

  1. 500 gms chicken
  2. 2-3 green cardamom
  3. 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
  4. 1/2 tsp salt
  5. 3 tbsp yoghurt
  6. 3/4 tsp garam masala
  7. 15 cashews
  8. 1/2 tsp black pepper
  9. 1 tsp coriander powder
  10. 1 tsp kasuri methi
  11. 1/2 cup onion
  12. 3/4 inch ginger
  13. 2 large garlic cloves
  14. 1/2 cup full fat milk
  15. 1-2 green chillies
  16. 1 tbsp ghee
  17. 1 black cardamom
  18. 2 clove

Cooking steps for Malai Chicken

  1. 1
    Take a bowl and put in it all the ingredients for the marinade: 11/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons Greek yoghurt or hung curd, ¾ teaspoon garam masala without chilli powder, one teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi, or dried fenugreek leaves. Yoghurt marinade is the flavour base in this Malai chicken recipe.
  2. 2
    Taste the marinade to check the salt and heat. Add more if needed. Use thick yoghurt so that while cooking, the marinade clings well to the chicken.
  3. 3
    Add 1/2 kg (1.1 lbs) cubed boneless chicken from the breasts or thighs, cut into 11/2 inch pieces. Mix well in the marinade until well coated. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. For an even better flavour, you may refrigerate your marinated chicken for as long as 36 hours.
  4. 4
    If you don't have a powerful grinder, soak 15 cashews in half a cup of hot water while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients for the malai gravy. The cashews should be added to the malai chicken recipe to make it creamy.
  5. 5
    Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 1/2 cups of sliced onions avoid red or purple onions, ¾ inch of peeled and sliced ginger, and two large peeled and sliced garlic cloves.
  6. 6
    Fry on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Try to make the onions translucent, but do not let them get brown.
  7. 7
    Once cooled, transfer the saut ed mixture to a grinder with soaked cashews and 1/2 cup milk or cream. Blend it smooth until a puree formation. Now, this is the creamiest base of the malai chicken recipe.
  8. 8
    In the same pan, add 1 Tsp ghee. Add 1-2 chopped green chillies, one black cardamom (optional), a 2-inch cinnamon stick, two cloves, and two strands of mace (optional). Let the spices sizzle for about 30 seconds, allowing the masala to release their flavours. Please be careful as some spices splutter.
  9. 9
    Return the puree blended back into a pan with spices. Stir it very well and slowly add 11/2 cups of water. Should the gravy turn too thick, you can add half another cup later.
  10. 10
    Bring the mixture to a soft boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for around 12-14 minutes or so until the raw onion flavour dissolves away.
  11. 11
    Heat another tablespoon of ghee in a different pan. Pan-fry the marinated chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Add it to the thick, creamy gravy, then mix in garam masala, kasuri methi, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, adding cream if desired. Serve hot, garnished with crushed pepper over naan, rice, or salad.

Shop Ingredients

Cashews (15)
272
1
296
1
534
1
118
1
451
1
657
1
136
1
287
1
465
1
736
1
Black Cardamom (1)
62
1
Clove (2)
73
1
37
1
48
1
120
1
113
1
220
1
195
1
230
1
210
1
118
1
Coriander Powder (1 Tsp)
30
1
Onion (1/2 cup)
51
1
123
1
32
1
33
1
51
1
94
1
64
1
132
1
72
1
77
1
Green Chillies (1-2)
9
1
23
1
181
1
81
1
Ginger (3/4 inch)
19
1
36
1
68
1
Garam Masala (3/4 Tsp)
96
1
79
1
88
1
63
1
52
1
90
1
108
1
82
1
42
1
82
1
Yoghurt (3 Tbsp)
26
1
32
1
39
1
126
1
42
1
57
1
33
1
75
1
75
1
110
1
Salt (1/2 Tsp)
27
1
21
1
112
1
22
1
50
1
107
1
58
1
99
1
47
1
83
1
Garlic Cloves (2 large)
127
1
108
1
143
1
133
1
176
1
170
1
144
1
140
1
Black Pepper (1/2 Tsp)
53
1
145
1
270
1
243
1
180
1
276
1
135
1
130
1
179
1
121
1
Green Cardamom (2-3)
182
1
52
1
121
1
258
1
340
1
192
1
220
1
242
1
442
1
150
1
Kasuri Methi (1 Tsp)
30
1
23
1
29
1
25
1
54
1
50
1
30
1
30
1
22
1
Ginger Garlic Paste (1/2 Tsp)
38
1
43
1
49
1
42
1
50
1
99
1
Chicken (500 gms)
159
1
275
1
249
1
239
1
135
1
319
1
Ghee (1 Tbsp)
384
1
584
1
297
1
547
1
323
1
635
1
658
1
549
1
696
1
129
1

FAQs

What is Malai Chicken?

It's also known as Malai Chicken or Murgh Malai. It is prepared with boneless chicken pieces marinated using the yoghurt mixture, fresh cream, ginger-garlic paste, and a powder of spices with garam masala, cumin, and coriander powders. Richness is added with cashew or almond paste to the marinade. When marinated, the chicken is grilled or cooked and then simmered in a smooth, creamy sauce prepared from more fresh cream and butter.

Is Malai Chicken spicy?

The Malai Chicken could be more spicy, in general. The dish is more about the creaminess of the textures and mild flavours rather than their pungency. Though it contains spices like garam masala, cumin, and sometimes green chillies, these are mainly used for flavouring, and their effect is more on the perfume and not too spicy. The richness of the cream and the cashew paste tempers the spiciness as a whole, so it is ok even for those who tend to prefer milder dishes.

How is Malai Chicken prepared and served?

It will be entirely lit with naan, roti, or paratha with creamy sauce. It also goes well with jeera rice or steamed basmati rice. The mild flavours have made it a great dish for special occasions and festivals. Fresh herbs such as coriander or mint are popular garnishes, giving freshness to the dish.