Chicken Malai Boti

Chicken malai tikka is also known as malai boti or murgh malai tikka. The word “malai” means cream in Urdu/Hindi. Which is a key ingredient in the marinade and refers to the creamy melt in the mouth texture of the chicken. The addition of cream also reduces the spiciness in this recipe making it an excellent option for kids and people who can’t eat too many chilies.

This is a very popular corner street joint bbq specialty in Pakistan. Now those of you who are familiar with the Pakistani cuisine know that it’s known for its bold power packed flavors and spices, however, this dish right here is not made with a lot of ingredients or spices. Surprisingly malai boti is seasoned with minimal spices and aromatics but the end result is mind blowing.

Ingredients:

How to Make Chicken Malai Boti?

1. Prepare the Chicken: Cut the boneless chicken into cubes and place them in a bowl.

   

2. Marinate the Chicken: Blend the green chilies and coriander into a paste. Add the green chili paste, along with lemon juice, white pepper, salt, cumin powder, crushed black pepper, cream and yogurt into the bowl. Mix the chicken with the marinade.

   

3. Marinate Overnight: Cover with cling film and marinate for up to 12 hours in the fridge. You could also marinate for only 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry.
4. Prepare the Skewers: Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers. I placed about 4 pieces on each skewer, but you can place as many as you can fit onto your skewers.

   


5. Cook: Thread the chicken pieces on skewers and fry on medium heat. Using a brush coat with the leftover marinade. Keep turning the skewer to give color and charred look on all sides. Cover in between so that the malai tikka is cooked from inside out.

   

Variations:

Chicken Malai Tikka is a very versatile dish and can be used for many things such as:

1. Wraps/Sandwiches: Use it as a filling for tortilla or pita wraps. It would be even great as a sandwich filling.
2. Pizza Topping: Since it’s mildly spiced this malai tikka is perfect as a topping for pizza.
3. Paratha Roll: Best way to enjoy this recipe is to place this malai tikka boti in a paratha with green chutney and onion rings.

Serving Suggestions:

Malai tikka can be served with:

1. Naan/Paratha
2. Tamarind chutney/Green chutney

Recipe Tips:

1. Overnight Marination: Overnight marination is key here to attain soft, melt-in-the-mouth pieces of malai chicken.
2. Soak the Skewers: Before cooking, place the skewers in a bowl of water for 15 minutes. This prevents the skewers from burning while cooking.
3. How to Know If the Chicken is Cooked Through: Chicken is cooked through at 165 degrees, and you can use a cooking thermometer for that. But you can also tell if it is cooked with some visual cues. The easiest way to know if it is fully cooked is by seeing if the juices run clear. If the juices are still pinkish it means the chicken isn’t fully cooked yet. You can also cut one piece and if the meat inside is white, then it means the it is properly cooked.

How to Store:

After cooking, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. You can also store the cooked malai boti in a freezer for up to 1-2 months.