Actually malai chicken is basically a Punjabi dish where chicken is simmered with milk and spices. It is also called as murgh malaiwala & is most commonly seen on the menus of Indian restaurants serving authentic North Indian food. However there are different versions of malai chicken served in restaurants and is mostly a region based thing. So the recipe I have shared here is not the Punjabi dish but it is a variation & tastes extremely good. This recipe was inspired from a malai chicken that I got to eat in Bangalore many years ago. Name this whatever!! But give this recipe a try. I am sure you will be in love with my version of malai chicken. The recipe is pretty easy. Briefly saute the chicken and then marinate it with yogurt, tomatoes, herbs and spices.
Tips to Make Malai Chicken
An overnight marination not only helps the chicken soak up all the flavors but also make it so tender, juicy and succulent. Later cook the chicken along with the marinade on a very low flame. Then to finish off and balance the tang add as much cream as you like. So this recipe like the murgh malaiwala uses no milk at all. If you like to further simply the dish then use tomato paste instead of cooking down the pureed tomatoes. There is one more ingredient which brings a unique flavor to the dish. That is fried onions. These are the same deep fried onions used in making authentic Hyderabadi biryani. However if you are on a low fat diet, then just fry the thinly sliced onions in 3 tablespoons oil until crisp and golden. They won’t turn as crisp as the deep fried onions but they will be flavorful. Alternately you may air fry the onions until crisp and golden or use store bought onions. Related Recipes
Recipe Card
This Malai chicken recipe is from the Archives and was first published in 2014.
