Malai Chicken is an amazing chicken recipe which originates from India. It is one of my favourites and go to recipes because it is so simple, comes together so easily and can make your taste buds dance.
The marinade for this is pretty simple, it’s just cream, yogurt and a bunch of spices mixed together and then the chicken is marinated for a few hours. It is usually cooked on grilled on charcoal, but since I love simplifying recipes I will be cooking this in the air fryer. Choose any method of cooking still this recipe will be a hit in your homes. It is usually served with naan, some chutney and a side of salad.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- 4 chicken legs
- 50 ml cream
- 4 tsp thick yogurt
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- Salt to taste
- Lemon juice ( 1 whole lemon)
- Chopped coriander( handful)
- 2 tsp oil
MARINATING THE CHICKEN
In a bowl add 4 chicken legs, cream, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder, chilli flakes, salt, lemon juice, chopped coriander and oil. Mix everything and let the chicken marinate for a couple of hours. If you have time I suggest you go for overnight marination because it is always best to marinate overnight. The chicken turns out more tender and juicy.
If you want a smoky flavour to the chicken, you can heat a small piece of charcoal place it in aluminium foil and then place it in the bowl. Add a few drops of oil and once it starts to smoke cover with a lid and let it rest for 30 minutes before cooking.
AIR FRYING THE MALAI CHICKEN
Once the chicken is well marinated, place it in the air fryer basket and air fry for about 30 to 35 minutes at 185 degree celsius. Once it is done brush some garlic butter on it and its done!
ALTERNATIVE TO AIR FRYING
If you do not have an air fryer you can still make malai chicken tikka. You can either bake this in the oven or just cook on charcoal in a more traditional way. You can simply cook this on a pan as well.
HOW TO FREEZE MALAI CHICKEN
After applying the marinade to the chicken just store it in ziplock bags and freeze it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to cook remove it out of the freezer 12 hours in advance and thaw it. Then cook as usual. This stays good in the freezer for about a month.
MORE RECIPES :
CHICKEN TIKKA SKEWERS
MALAI CHICKEN TIKKA
Malai Chicken is an amazing chicken recipe which originates from India. It is one of my favourites and go to recipes because it is so simple, comes together so easily and can make your taste buds dance. The marinade for this is pretty simple, it's just cream, yogurt and a bunch of spices mixed together and then the chicken is marinated for a few hours. It is usually cooked on grilled on charcoal, but since I love simplifying recipes I will be cooking this in the air fryer. Choose any method of cooking still this recipe will be a hit in your homes. It is usually served with naan, some chutney and a side of salad.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs
- 50 ml cream
- 4 tsp thick yogurt
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- Salt to taste
- Lemon juice ( 1 whole lemon)
- Chopped coriander( handful)
- 2 tsp oil
Instructions
In a bowl add 4 chicken legs, cream, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder, chilli flakes, salt, lemon juice, chopped coriander and oil. Mix everything and let the chicken marinate for a couple of hours. If you have time marinate overnight as it works best.
Once the chicken is well marinated, place it in the air fryer basket and air fry for about 30 to 35 minutes at 185 degree celsius. Once done brush it with some garlic butter.
Serve as it is or with some chutney, naan or rice and enjoy!