🍢 Chicken malai tikka
Chicken malai tikka is boneless chicken marinated in cream, soft cheese, yogurt, ginger, garlic and cardamom, then grilled in a tandoor or a very hot oven. Unlike red tikka it uses little or no chili, so the pieces come out pale, juicy and mild with lightly charred edges. It is served as a starter with sliced onion and lemon.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 700 g boneless chicken thighs, in cubes
- 100 g thick yogurt
- 60 ml cream
- 50 g soft cheese
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- Salt, white pepper
- Sliced onion and lemon to serve
Method
- Mix the yogurt, cream, cheese, ginger-garlic paste, cardamom, salt and pepper into a smooth marinade.
- Coat the chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Thread onto skewers and grill at 240 °C or over charcoal for 12–15 minutes, turning once.
- Serve hot with onion rings and lemon wedges.
How to make it lighter
- Swap some of the cream for extra yogurt in the marinade.
- Use chicken breast instead of thighs for leaner pieces.
- Serve with a large salad and onion rings as the side.
History
Malai tikka is part of the tandoori tradition of North India and Punjab, where meat is marinated and cooked in a clay oven. The creamy, mild version is a staple of North Indian restaurant grills today.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →