Malai chicken. The subtle spiced chicken gets a creamy upgrade with the addition of fresh cream. The nutty flavor brings in the ‘restaurant style’ touch, while tender chicken absorbs the delicate flavors to make the dish satisfying and delicious. A generous sprinkle of dried fenugreek leaves rounds out the flavor. It pairs well with a variety of sides like parathas, naan, rice and roti.
Why I Love This Mild, Creamy Curry
I’m always up for a fakeaway challenge. Recreating the exotic flavors of restaurant style dishes is no easy feat, however, the aroma and comfort that they bring is extraordinarily amazing. And at the moment, my dinners are all about comforting dishes, specifically this creamy chicken curry. Read on to master this celebratory dish for a quiet dinner at home or a weekend feast with friends.
The word “malai” literally translates to cream, and the creamy trifecta makes it rich, indulgent, and fancy like a restaurant dish. The trifecta includes yogurt, cream, and cashew nuts delivering its signature velvety texture. The curry leans heavily on these creamy additions while the spices simply stay subtle and don’t dominate. Instead of fiery chilies flavoring the dish, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, cumin, coriander, and a light touch of garam masala create layers of warmth and fragrance.
When it comes to serving, it’s remarkably versatile, but basmati rice makes for the most popular choice. Warm naan is also equally irresistible, perfect for scooping generous spoonfuls of the sauce. For special occasions, it pairs wonderfully with pulao, jeera rice, or saffron rice, creating an elegant spread that feels festive. To introduce a contrast to the richness of the sauce, add crisp cucumber salad, cooling raita, pickled onions, and fresh lemon wedges.
Key Ingredients In Malai Chicken
- Chicken - Chicken thighs stay juicy and tender.
- Cream - For the signature velvety finish.
- Whole spices - Cardamom, cloves, peppercorns.
- Ground spices - Cumin, coriander, garam masala.
- Yogurt - More creaminess.
- Herbs - Dried fenugreek leaves, coriander (cilantro) leaves.
- Cashew nuts - Optional ingredient to make the sauce extra creamy.
How To Make Malai Chicken
Prep ingredients - Marinate chicken with salt, white pepper, and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Simply sauté onions with green chilies and cashews, and then blend into a smooth puree to make silky sauce. Mince ginger and garlic.
Make the curry - Start with butter and a few whole spices like cloves, cardamom, and black peppercorns. When the kitchen starts to smell amazing, add juicy chicken and fry for a few minutes. The ground spices goes into the pan, and get a simple mix with yogurt and water. Let the chicken soak up all those incredible flavors. Now for the best part, the cream. Watch the sauce turn silky, rich, and absolutely irresistible. Don’t be surprised when everyone asks for seconds.
Restaurant Style Malai Chicken
Ingredients
Marinate chicken:
- 700 g boneless chicken, preferably thighs, cut into cubes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Onion paste:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 2 green chilies, sliced
- 10 cashew nuts
Curry:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 5 black peppercorns
- 3 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cm ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ⅓ cup yogurt
- ¼ cup heavy (thickened) cream
- 1 green chili, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- Water
- Salt to taste
Garnish:
- Chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
To serve:
- Rice, naan, paratha, fried rice
Instructions
Marinate chicken:
- Place chicken in a large bowl.
- Squeeze in lemon juice. Toss to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Onion paste:
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add onions. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add green chilies and cashew nuts. Saute, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Cool completely.
- Transfer the onions to a food processor, and process to a smooth paste.
Make curry:
- To the same pan, add butter and oil. Place the pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add black peppercorns, cardamom and cloves. Saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
- Add garlic and ginger. Saute, stirring, for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.
- Add cumin, coriander, and garam masala. Saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds or until aromatic. Season with salt.
- Add yogurt and ½ cup water. Stir to combine. Cook, covered, for about 7-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in cream. Add green chilies and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir to combine. Heat through.
- Garnish with chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves.
- Serve with rice, fried rice, naan or paratha.
Video
Notes
- Onions - Don’t let onions turn brown.
Nutrition
Like this restaurant style malai chicken recipe? Then join Nish Kitchen on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Watch exclusive recipe videos on YouTube.
Leave a Reply