Murgh Malai Kebab Recipe, also known as Reshmi kebab or malai kebab with step by step pictures. Murgh Malai Kabab or Chicken Reshmi Kabab is made with boneless chicken breast that has been marinated in a juicy mixture of curd, cream, and spices before being grilled in the oven. It taste delicious with green chutney. It is a popular Indian kebab dish that can be found in almost any restaurant, flavours are similar to afghan chicken. In this blog post, learn how to make murg malai kebab with step by step pictures and video.
Murg Malai Kebab
Murg malai kebab is my all time favourite kebab. I make this most of the time. What I like most about this is the mild rich flavour of this kebab. This kabab is so juicy and very mild so I am sure kids will love it for sure. Marinate the chicken the day before and grill it just before serving. It will hit the spot for sure.
Jump to:
What is Reshmi Kebab?
Reshmi is an Indian word for silk. This describes the silky-textured chicken kababs that are a traditional Mughlai dish. The juicy succulent meat added to the skewers gives Reshmi kabab its name.
The marinade of curd, cream, and spices gives it a distinct flavour. In fact, the terms Reshmi and & Malai refer to the use of curd and cream. This kababs marination is so juicy and tender that it transforms into a mouth-watering kabab dish.
About Murg Malai Kebab
Murg malai kebab means succulent chicken kebab which is grilled to perfection. The marination for the kebab is super simple made with yogurt, cream. Ginger, garlic, chillies, spice powders and ghee. The marination is similar to this kaju murg tangri.
Tender pieces of chicken is marinated in the above mentioned ingredients. Marinated chicken is skewered and cooked in a tandoor. The main flavouring for this kebab is cream, cardamom, nutmeg and kasuri methi leaves. The chicken marination is done with hung curd and cream, and cornstarch is used as binding agent which creates a silky outer coating.
Once the chicken is marinated it can be cooked three ways. You can cook them in a tandoor, oven or in a grill pan. Tandoor is a large clay pot in which charcoal is used as the heat element. It is mostly used only in restaurants and not an easy find in normal household. The other best option is using oven, I like to grill the meat at highest temperature to get the signature charred look. But you can easily pan cook them as well.
Similar Recipes
Watch Murg Malai Kebab Video
3 Ways of cooking kebab
As mentioned murg malai kebab can be cooked multiple different ways. Stove top, oven and tandoor are the options. I find that cooking kebab in oven is best way because the marinate is so delicate which may stick to the cooking pot when cooking on the stove also, also it may separate when cooking.
Stove top - use nonstick grill pan or frying pan for cooking chicken kebab. It helps the marinate stick to the meat without separating.
Oven - you can either skewer the marinated meat or just place them on baking tray and grill them on high heat. Murg malai kebab is cooked on high temperature in oven which makes the chicken cook faster. If you use chicken breast the cooking time will be very less than using chicken thighs.
Tandoor - Tandoor is a large clay pot in which charcoal is used as the heat element. It is mostly used only in restaurants and not an easy find in normal household.
Murg Malai Kebab ingredients
Chicken - I used chicken breast which is easy to cook and also stays moist in this recipe. You can use boneless chicken thigh as well, which might take slightly longer time to cook but the chicken stay moist.
Ginger Garlic & Chilli Paste - this is a trio of paste used in this recipe. Grind ginger, garlic, green chilli to a smooth paste before adding into the marinade.
Yogurt - make sure to use thick yogurt in the recipe which is unflavoured. You can even use hung curd. Thick yogurt makes the marinate bind and stick to the chicken pieces.
Fresh Cream - one of the main ingredient in the marinate. It tenderises the meat also makes the meat incredibly succulent.
Spice powders - nutmeg, ground cardamom, white pepper powder and garam masala powder is the spices used. White pepper or White Pepper Powder is used in the marinade to give a peppery bite but do not require black flecks.
Kasuri methi leaves - kasuri methi leaves also known as dried fenugreek leaves is one of the main flavourings.
Ghee - ghee adds a rich flavour to the marinate while keeping the meat incredibly moist.
Cornstarch - cornstarch is used as binding agent which creates a silky outer coating.
Cheese - processed cheese is grated and used which is the secret ingredient for juice kebab.
Marinade for kebab
Much malai kebab gets its unique taste from the combination of rich marinade. Like most of kebab recipe, you need to use two step marination. First marination uses just salt, pepper and lemon which penetrates deep into the chicken meat. Second marination creates the succulent outer layer for the kebab.
Cream, yogurt and lemon juice makes chicken juicy and succulent. The combination of spices makes this so special. I used white pepper, garam masala, nutmeg, cardamom makes the kebab more flavourful.
One of the most important ingredients which is used in restaurants is cheese. You can use grated cheese, processed cheese or cheese slice in the marinade. Mash it well, before adding into the chicken. The binding ingredient used in the marinade is cornstarch which creates a silky coating.
How to Party Prep Kebab
If you are making much malai kebab for parties, you can follow these steps to make the process easier. Since kebab taste best when served hot.
Once the creamy marinade is prepared, remove ¼ of the marinade aside to use in the end. You can pre cook the kebab in oven just 2 minutes less than the mentioned time. Once all the chicken is cooked, keep them covered with aluminium foil until ready to serve.
At the time of serving, brush the remaining marinade over chicken. Place it on top rack of oven, grill at 250 degrees for 3 minutes until bubbly and charred. Remove from oven, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with chaat masala. Enjoy.
What to Serve with Murg Malai Kebab
You can enjoy murg malai kebab on its own with green chutney. Enjoy with garlic naan, kulcha or paratha.
You can also enjoy it with rice, veg pulao or dips of choice.
How to Make Murg Malai Kebab (Stepwise Pictures)
First Marination
1)First marination is deep marination for the chicken. I used boneless chicken breast, cut them into small cubes. Make sure the size is even. Take the chicken in a bowl.
2)Add in salt and white pepper powder.
3)Add in a squeeze of lemon juice or vinegar.
4)mix this really well into the chicken and allow it to marinade for at least 30 minutes before adding second marination.
Second Marination
5)Take cheese in a bowl.Use processed cheese and grate them in a bowl.
6)Add in garam masala, nutmeg, cardamom into the cheese. Add in ginger, garlic, green chilli puree into the mixture.
7)Mix that into the cheese. Mash the cheese really well so it completely mashed.
8)Now add in all the remaining ingredients into the marinade. Add in curd, cream, lemon juice, chaat masala, salt, white pepper powder, kasuri methi leaves, cornstarch.
9)Add in ghee into the marinate.
10)Mix the ingredients together to form the marinate.
Marinating Chicken
11)Add the marinade into the chicken.
12)Mix this really well and allow the chicken to marinade for 2 hours.
Kebab in Stove Top
13)use nonstick grill pan or frying pan for cooking chicken kebab. It helps the marinate stick to the meat without separating.
14)Cook the kebab on both sides till cooked.
Cooking Kebab in Oven
15)you can either skewer the marinated meat or just place them on baking tray and grill them on high heat. Murg malai kebab is cooked on high temperature in oven which makes the chicken cook faster. If you use chicken breast the cooking time will be very less than using chicken thighs.
16)Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Grease with oil. Place the skewer in the baking tray. Place the tray into a 250 degree C preheated oven, top rack and bake for 8 minutes.
17)This is how it looks once baked half way.
18)Flip it over, brush more marinade on top and place it back on the top rack of oven and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes.
19)Now the chicken kebab is cooked. Brush top with melted butter or ghee, sprinkle with chaat masala and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- You can use chicken breast, or chicken thigh. If you are using chicken thigh meat, then the cooking time will be slightly high.
- You can use grated cheddar cheese, cheese cube, processed cheese or cheese slice.
- You can add as much green chillies as needed.
- White pepper is used so the colour is not altered. You can use black pepper if u don’t have white pepper.
- If you don’t have oven, use a nonstick grill pan or non stick frying pan for cooking. Cook the kebab on low heat, so it cooks without getting too dark.
- Once chicken is cooked, brush top with melted butter or ghee.
Serving and Storage
You can enjoy murg malai kebab on its own with green chutney. Enjoy with garlic naan, kulcha or paratha.
Marinated chicken can be stored in fridge up to 2 to 3 days. Leftovers can be stored in fridge. Reheated in oven by grilling again.
FAQ
1)What is malai kebab made of?
Tender pieces of chicken is marinated in the above mentioned ingredients. Marinated chicken is skewered and cooked in a tandoor. The main flavouring for this kebab is cream, cardamom, nutmeg and kasuri methi leaves. The chicken marination is done with hung curd and cream, and cornstarch is used as binding agent which creates a silky outer coating.
2)Difference between Reshmi kebab and malai kebab?
Even though reshmi kebab and malai kebab is same. Reshmi kebab has added cashews which create a rich coating.
3)Is malai kebab healthy?
Malai kebab has high amount of cream, butter added in them which can be rich and high in calories. So moderate consumption is recommended.
4)Can I skip cheese in malai kebab?
cheese creates a thick binding in the chicken which makes the coating adhere better.
5)How to cook murg malai kebab in oven?
Preheat the oven to grill mode 250 degree C. Place chicken in a foil lined baking tray and place the tray on top rack, Grill chicken for 8 mins. Now remove from oven and flip over, brush top with more marinade and grill again for 6 to 8 mins.
6)How long should I cook chicken malai kebab?
Murg malai kebab is cooked on high temperature in oven which makes the chicken cook faster. If you use chicken breast the cooking time will be very less than using chicken thighs. It is cooked in 250 degree C under grill mode.
More Kebab Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
Murgh Malai Kebab Recipe | Reshmi Kabab Recipe | Chicken Malai Kabab Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Blender
- Grill pan or Nonstick Pan
- Oven or OTG
- Skewer and Foil
Ingredients
For Cooking Kebab
- Ghee or Butter for brushing on top
- Chat Masala for sprinkling on top
For First Marination
- ½ kg Boneless Chicken Breast cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp White Pepper Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
For Grinding
- 2 inch Ginger peeled and chopped
- 3 no Green chillies
- 10 cloves Garlic peeled
Second Marination
- ¼ cup Cheese grated
- 4 tbsp Cream
- ¼ cup Curd | Plain Yogurt
- 4 tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ tsp White Pepper Powder
- 1 tsp Chaat masala
- ⅛ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1 tsp Garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi Leaves
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together chicken with salt, white pepper, lemon juice and set this aside for 10 minutes.
- In a blender add ginger, garlic, green chilli, and blend well. Take cheese in a bowl, Add in ginger, garlic and chilli paste and mash it well with spice powders. Add all the ingredients given for second marination. Mix well.
- Pour this marinade over the chicken. Mix well and leave this to marinate overnight or at least 2 hours. Remove the chicken a hour before making from fridge so it comes to room temp. skewer the chicken, place it in a greased foil lined baking tray.
- Preheat the oven to grill mode 250 degree C | 500 degree F. Place the tray on top rack, Grill chicken for 8 mins. Now remove from oven and flip over, brush top with more marinade and grill again for 6 to 8 mins.
- Remove from oven. Now brush it with some ghee or butter and serve hot with a sprinkling of chat masala.
Video
Notes
- You can use chicken breast, or chicken thigh. If you are using chicken thigh meat, then the cooking time will be slightly high.
- You can use grated cheddar cheese, cheese cube, processed cheese or cheese slice.
- You can add as much green chillies as needed.
- White pepper is used so the colour is not altered. You can use black pepper if u don’t have white pepper.
- If you don’t have oven, use a nonstick grill pan or non stick frying pan for cooking. Cook the kebab on low heat, so it cooks without getting too dark.
- Once chicken is cooked, brush top with melted butter or ghee.
Serving and Storage
You can enjoy murg malai kebab on its own with green chutney. Enjoy with garlic naan, kulcha or paratha. Marinated chicken can be stored in fridge up to 2 to 3 days. Leftovers can be stored in fridge. Reheated in oven by grilling again.Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest ,Youtube for more Yummy Tummy inspiration.
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING FROM YUMMY TUMMY, MAKE SURE TO POST IT AND TAG ME SO I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS!! #YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI AND @YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI ON INSTAGRAM!
Shilpi Bose
Thanks for visiting my blog, this particular recipe drew my attention, I like the detailed description with the photos, will come back again.
meenakshi
mam i have got sunflame OTG , WANT TO MAKE THIS BUT HAVE NOT understood broil method can you please explain this so that ican go ahead with this recpie.
thanks
Aarthi
@meenakshi
Congrats on buying a new OTG..OTG's are heated by a coil or element that are fixed in the top and bottom of the oven. If you want broil mode, you should set it accordingly so that the top element alone heats up.So that the chicken or whatever gets nice colour and turns crispy. If you are baking, you need to heat both the element so that the cake bakes evenly. there will be options in the oven to do this..Hope this helps you..Come back if need any more assitance..
meenakshi
hello mam ,tommorrow i am planning to make this but again two question have arised first the oven should be preheated with both elements if i want to make this only on broiling mode , secondly on which rack should the chicken tray be placed in OTG for broiling?
thanks
Aarthi
@meenakshi
Heat the grill element alone..
Place the tray in the top most rack. But don't make the chicken to touch the element
Subha
wow i just love your recipies, What OTG do u have ? I am planning to but one. Thank you 🙂
Aarthi
@SubhaI used a koryo 19 liter OTG oven for making this.
Anonymous
can this be done in microwave grill mode ?
Aarthi
@AnonymousIt should have convection mode.
Sameeha Basith
Hi how should i grill this in a convection mode pls assist thank u.
Aarthi
@Sameeha BasithSame method, just set the oven to convection mode and cook.
pari
Hi,which cheese can we use?
Anonymous
Should i add baking powder n cardamom powder too like how it was mentioned in your other post about murg malai kabab or are they optional?
Please reply
Aarthi
@paricheddar cheese, amul cheese slice or cube will be good
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes they are optional..but add cardamom if u need..it enhances the flavour.
Anonymous
Hi
I have tried your many recipes. Infact i find your way of cooking and explaining are very understanding and easy. thanks for sharing.
for this recipe i wanted to know that i dont have OTG, i have inalsa microwave. can you pls explain me how to cook in microwave.
Aarthi
@Anonymousif u have microwave convection mode then you can make this, or else u cannot.
Soumya Murali
Can you post a recipe of a dip for this kebab??
Anonymous
Hi Aarthi. The baking tray used here is made of cast iron? Or can u please guide me on how should I purchase it. Is it oven based... I would like to try this dish...
Aarthi
@AnonymousThe baking tray came with my oven
Rajani Menon
Hi aarti. Nice recipe. If making this in a microwave do I have to only use convection mode or will have to use grill option also.
Aarthi
@Rajani MenonU can bake it in convention mode, then grill them.
Anonymous
Hi, its sanju, I have BBQ unit, how do I grill reshmi kebab on it, with foil,?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can grill them, place a foil as you said. or you can place the skewer directly over it
Anonymous
Hi! In the recipe u hv mentioned to do it in grill mode...later mention convection mode...which one will be more perfect for this revipe
Aarthi
@Anonymousgrill mode is perfect
Moon Jashnani
Can we cook in tawa
Aarthi
@Moon Jashnaniyes u can cook, but you have to cook it on a very low heat
Anonymous
Hi, I tried this recipe the other day and it took almost an hour for it to get grilled even though my chicken pieces were small. When I tasted it after 30 min, the chicken was cooked well inside, but the outer marinating covering was stil having that raw taste and had not dried also. Please help me how I can avoid grilling chicken for such a long time as the final result is that the chicken tastes good, but it is not juicy and is hard.
Aarthi
@Anonymousif you cook it too long then it will turn hard. Did you place the tray on the top rack and did you marinate it well
Jamila Inayat
Hii..i tried it n dey turned out to b amzng..my hubby loved it..kp posting such amzng recipes..waiting for more chicken recipes frm ur syde
V
Hi Aarti,
I am planning to make this kebab for a lunch potluck ( for 3-5 american teachers) and we are a family of 3.So how much chicken should i use for all of us? There are 3 more starters being contributed by others for the potluck.kindly reply.
Aarthi
@Vuse around 1 kg of boness chicken
aisha
Is it possible to fry instead of grill? Plz help
Aarthi
@aishano i am not sure..frying is not suggested
aisha
The recipe is superb. Bt i am nt good vd grilling cn i shallow fry it? Plzzzz help
Aarthi
@aishano i dont think frying works. u have to grill them
sohail khan
Hi aarthi i tried this but it was a big mess... I preheated oven for 10 mins in convection mode.. Then baked chickn for 8 mins both sides.. And then grilled for 5 mins but the chicken was nt cooked from inside... Pls help
Aarthi
@sohail khanyou can increase the cooking time them. First bake it in high temp, then reduce the temp and bake for longer
Anonymous
I once had chicken malai tikka at a hotel while travelling, since then I'm in love with this thing and always wished to prepare it myself. The way you elaborated the things are very good and I sure make this good stuff at home and no wonder it works perfectly, thank you.
Rajesh Kumar
that looks so yummy.. good to see you get back to blogging slowly and steadily !!! thanku for this Chicken Malai Tikka Roll Recipe
Rekha Menon
Hi, I want to serve these kebabs at a party but not sure of the power situation. So was wondering if I can cook them ahead of time and just before serving, I cook it on a tava. Would it work?
Aarthi
@Rekha Menonyes it will work
Anonymous
What is the fresh cream you told here ?
Aarthi
@Anonymousit is amul cream..u can use whipping cream as well
Ayshwarya Singh
This is very delicious, i have to eat this item at my friend house its really amazing and beautiful in taste. thanks for sharing. chowringhee satya niketan menu
plasterers bristol
Wow these look soo good. Bet they taste amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Anonymous
my whipping cream is non diary....can i use it
Husna Fathima
Mam can we soak the skewer in water for sometime to prevent burning while cooking the chicken.
Karen Pinto
Hi Aarthi... I made this today for our new year's party n as like all ur recipes this too turned out so well... I had a lil concern.. Will u please guide me how to make this in a microwave... I tried both grill n combi mode n then finally i gt the required result.
Dur-e-shehwar
Yummy. Easy and tasty. Thanks.