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Creamy Malai Chicken (NO NUTS)

Kankana Saxena
Creamy Malai Chicken is a rich milk based chicken curry, and you prepare using aromatic dried herbs, nuts, heavy cream and milk. Unlike most other chicken curry, this particular chicken curry is off white in shade or sometime mild orange because of the addition of saffron.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Curries and Stew
Cuisine Indian
Calories 438 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 and ½ lb Chicken pieces (mix of bones and boneless)
  • 2 green chili
  • 3 garlic cubes
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1 medium onion (8 oz)
  • 1 and ½ tablespoons ghee
  • A drizzle of oil
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon fennel powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • finely chopped cilantro leaves to garnish on top

Instructions
 

  • Using a small grinder, grind the ginger garlic and green chili. You can also, simultaneously, finely chop or pound it using a mortar pestle.
  • Marinate the chicken pieces with the ginger garlic and chili paste, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves and leave it aside for minimum 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.
  • When you are ready to make the curry, finely chop the red onion.
  • Place a heavy bottom skillet at medium hot temperature. Pour the ghee and drizzle the oil. Once it heats up at the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cardamoms and bay leaves. Stir it around for a few seconds for the aroma to release.
  • Scatter the onion and stir it around.
  • Season with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves. Cook in medium heat for 1 minute. You don't want to brown the onion.
  • Pour the heavy cream and keep stirring around occasionally for the onion to soften down completely. It will take roughly 5 minutes.
  • Add the marinated chicken pieces and give it a toss.
  • Sprinkle ½ teaspoon fennel powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 green chili slice in half. Mix it around and then pour the milk.
  • Stir occasionally, and let the chicken cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cardamom powder in between and continue cooking.
  • After 20 minutes, a lot of that milk will be reduced and the chicken should be cooked. Add the garam masala powder and a little bit more dried fenugreek leaves and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • The Creamy Malai Chicken is ready. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Adding color to this Malai Chicken Recipe

I personally like to keep it off white shade, but if you prefer the orange yellow shade in chicken curries, then add turmeric or saffron.
Saffron will not make it very colorful and will instead add a very light tint of orange shade.
Turmeric will definitely make it look very yellow like any other home style chicken curry.

Because the chicken is cooked in heavy cream and milk, there are no tomatoes added. The acidity in tomato can curdle the texture of the gravy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serves 2Calories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 21gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 1162mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7g
Keyword chicken, curries, dinner, Indian food