Red Malai Chicken
Marinated chicken simmered in a super flavorful, delicious and creamy Indian masala. Serve it with basmati rice or any Indian breads like naan, roti or paratha.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips.
© Swasthi's Recipes - www.indianhealthyrecipes.com
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- ½ kg chicken
- ½ to ¾ cup tomato puree (pureed tomatoes)
- ½ cup plain yogurt (avoid sour yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ½ tbsp fresh ginger paste, ½ tbsp garlic paste)
- ¼ cup fried onions (refer notes)
- 1 green chili (slit, optional)
- 8 to 10 mint leaves (fresh , very finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1½ teaspoon chicken masala powder (or garam masala, use good one, adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (more if needed, to balance)
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter (adjust if needed)
Whole spices
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 green cardamoms
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds (or shahi jeera)
- 1 inch cinnamon piece
- 2 to 4 cloves
- 1 strand mace (single strand, skip if you don't have)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper corn (or crushed pepper, skip if you don't have)
How to make the recipe
Preparation
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add all the whole spices and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Be cautious as they may splutter.
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until a nice aroma comes out. Do not brown and burn this.
- Add chicken and fry on medium heat till it turns white or pale in color. This takes around 3 to 4 mins. Transfer this to a plate.
- Pour 1 teaspoon oil to the same pan, add pureed tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Cook this until all of the moisture evaporates and turns thick like a sauce. This step takes around 4 to 5 mins.
- Turn off the stove and transfer the chicken to the tomato mixture. Cool all of these completely. Cooling them is very important.
- Once cool, combine the chicken, tomato mixture, yogurt, fried onions, mint, coriander leaves, turmeric, green chili, red chili powder, salt & half of the chicken masala powder.
- Marinate the chicken, set aside for at least 1 hour. For best flavor, taste & tender meat marinate overnight in the fridge.
How to make malai chicken
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter or oil in a pan. Then add marinated chicken.
- Turn down the flame to lowest, Cover and cook till the chicken turns tender. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- I do not add any water as the chicken releases some juices. However this depends on the kind of meat.
- Once the chicken is tender, add the rest of the chicken masala powder & kasuri methi. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 mins. If the curry looks runny, evaporate the excess moisture by cooking further (uncovered) on a higher heat. At the end of this step the curry must be quite thick since it will thin down after adding the cream.
- Add the cream and mix well. Taste test and add more salt or cream to taste. Garnish with more cream and coriander leaves.
- Serve malai chicken hot with roti, naan, chapati or basmati rice.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 883IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg