Malai chicken
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40Total time: 
Malai chicken
Recipe by Rinku Dutt
This is a delicious, delicately spiced chicken dish with a creamy texture. It’s a perfect starter alongside pickled salads, or can be made as a main too, served with a dhal and rotis. Traditionally a North Indian dish from Punjab, this is now a popular tandoori special found all over India. Many restaurants have really long skewers threaded with chicken pieces that go into a hot tandoor. If you fancy giving it a go on the barbecue in the summer months, the charred chicken is truly spectacular
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40Total time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
321Kcal
Fat
17gr
Saturates
5gr
Carbs
4gr
Sugars
2gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
38gr
Salt
1.8gr
Rinku Dutt
Chef and author Rinku Dutt is the co-founder of the Kolkata-inspired street food business Raastawala. She published her first cookbook, Kolkata: Recipes from the Heart of Bengal (Smith Street Books, £26), in 2022
See more of Rinku Dutt’s recipes
Rinku Dutt
Chef and author Rinku Dutt is the co-founder of the Kolkata-inspired street food business Raastawala. She published her first cookbook, Kolkata: Recipes from the Heart of Bengal (Smith Street Books, £26), in 2022
See more of Rinku Dutt’s recipes
Ingredients
For the Malai chicken
- about 1kg chicken thigh fillets
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1½ lemons)
- 1½ tsp fine sea salt
- 9 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
- 1½ tbsp finely grated root ginger
- 3 tbsp Greek-style yogurt
- 3 tbsp soft cream cheese
- 30g finely grated cheddar cheese
- 1½ tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
- 1½ tbsp finely chopped coriander
- 1 green chilli, very finely chopped (deseeded if you wish)
- 1½ tsp garam masala
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra to brush
For the quick-pickled onion salad
- 1 red or white onion, thinly sliced
- juice of ½ lime, plus wedges to serve
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra to serve
You’ll also need
- 6 skewers
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep the chicken to the end of step 3 the day before.
- Trim the chicken thighs and chop each one into 2 or 3 chunky pieces, depending on size. Combine with the lemon juice and salt in a non-metallic bowl. Mix well, cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, mix all the remaining Malai chicken ingredients together in a large bowl to make the marinade; set aside.
- After 1 hour, remove the lemony chicken from the fridge, drain off any excess brine and then add the chicken to the Malai marinade. Mix well, ensuring the chicken is fully coated. Cover again and chill for 2-3 hours (or see ‘Get ahead’ tip, above).
- Prep the quick-pickled onion salad: combine the onion, lime juice, coriander and a pinch of salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. If using bamboo skewers rather than metal, soak them in water. Line a shallow baking tray with foil or a reusable liner, and brush this lightly with oil; this isn’t needed if using an air fryer.
- Divide the chicken among the skewers and space out on the tray, spooning on any excess marinade. Preheat the grill to medium (or an air fryer to 220°C; brush the chicken skewers with a little oil and place directly in the air fryer basket).
- Place the tray on a rack quite close to the grill, but not very close, otherwise the outside will char without cooking the inside of the chicken pieces. Cook for 16-18 minutes, keeping a constant eye on the skewers and turning half way to ensure all sides of the chicken pieces are cooked. Allow some edges to gently char, giving a delicious smoky taste.
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Transfer the skewers to a platter on a bed of quick-pickled onion salad and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over, and extra coriander scattered on top.Waste notDried fenugreek leaves have a unique flavour which you may be familiar with from butter chicken. It works particularly well with tomato, but can also be added to flatbreads or to melted butter as a drizzle or baste.
