Reshmi kabab or chicken malai kabab recipe – Kebab or kabab is a piece of meat or other food that is mostly grilled on the charcoal fire. Reshmi kabab has its roots from the Mughalai cuisine. It is not commonly prepared in the house holds due to the absence of charcoal fire. It is mostly found on the Indian restaurant menus and tops the orders among the list of chicken dishes. These are also known as chicken malai tikka.
The marinade used to make these malai kabab is unique and lends a great taste to the soft and tender chunks of grilled chicken.
In Indian & Mughlai cuisines, there are a lot of dishes to which malai aka fresh cream is added to enhance the richness and texture of the dish. Malai chicken curry and Paneer malai kofta are 2 such dishes which I shared on the blog.
This appetizer gets the name chicken malai kabab again since malai is used. It tastes rich and creamy due to the addition of cream, ground cashews and almonds.
Serve it as an appetizer or a side in a meal. This mint chutney and green chutney are usually accompanied with these kababs
For more kabab recipes, you may like to check
Chicken kabab recipe
Shami kabab
Dahi kabab
Hara bhara kabab
Veg seekh kabab
Preparation for malai kabab
1. Ingredients for preparing the marinade. Ginger, garlic, pepper corn or powder, salt, lemon juice, almonds, cashews, thick curd or hung curd/ greek yogurt and fresh cream.
2. We will have to blend the ginger garlic, almonds and cashews along with fresh cream and yogurt. No water is added here.
3. The ground paste has to be thick.
Marination
4. We will need boneless chicken cubed.
5. Add all the ingredients.
6. Squeeze the lemon juice.
7. Add 1 tsp oil.
8. Mix up everything well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight. The longer we allow them to rest, the softer they turn out. If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least one hour.
How to make chicken reshmi kabab
9. Preheat the oven to 240 C for at least 15 mins. Put them on to the skewers. Grill them for 15 mins. Flip the skewers and grill for another 10 mins. Keep an eye after 25 mins of grilling to prevent burning.
Serve with mint chutney.
Related Recipes
Reshmi kabab (chicken malai kabab)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 250 grams boneless chicken (or breast) (½ lb)
- 2 tbsp fresh cream
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt or thick curd or hung yogurt
- 1 to 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 2 tbsps cilantro chopped or coriander leaves
- 1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger 3 to 4 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 almonds (or 1 tbsp cheese)
- 8 cashewnuts (or 1 tbsp cheese)
Instructions
Preparation for chicken malai kabab
- Add chicken to a bowl and pat dry any excess moisture otherwise the chicken malai tikkas will let out lots of moisture.
- If using cheese, then mix together all the ingredients. If using nuts instead of cheese, then add almonds, cashews with cream and yogurt to a blender jar. Make a smooth paste.
- Add this to the chicken.
- Mix together and marinate in the refrigerator for about 4 hours to overnight. Overnight gives best results.
How to make reshmi kabab
- Preheat the oven to the highest. At 240 C or 470 F for at least 15 mins.
- Put the chicken on the skewers and grill for 15 mins.
- Flip them and grill again for 15 mins. Check after 25 mins of grilling to prevent burning.
- The last 2 minutes grill them on a broil mode for charring. Remove the grilled chicken malai tikkas from the oven and brush butter over them.
- Serve chicken malai kababs with mint chutney.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Can we first boil the chicken then marinade and finish it on electric grill so that the chicken will be completed cooked
Hi Melissa
You will loose much of the flavor in the chicken if you boil it. Please follow the recipe as mentioned
Yum, really delicious and straightforward! I did the cashew+almond version, not cheese – tasted better than any I tried in restaurants. yum.
Glad to know!
Thank you!
What kind of cheese can I use instead of cashew and almods?
Hi,
Cream cheese goes well for this recipe. I haven’t tried with any other.
Hi swasthi,
Have you considered Master chef ? You really need to ,you are amazing, all your recipe is awesome, and has never failed.and this one truely adds to it.My husband just loves malai chicken,made it today and he was all praises. Thank you for the amazing recipe.
Hi Ashika!
Haha! Thank you! Glad to know the recipes are working out well.
🙂
What can we substitute if there is no fresh cream or malai ?
Thanks
Try skipping it.
Didn’t have the time to use the oven, so grilled it on a tawa… Ma Sha Allah, Turned out great.
Thank you! Glad the kababs turned out good
Developed my cooking skills
I appreciate the Reshmi kabab
Thank you
Today i tried your recipe and it made my day. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe with us.
Welcome Mini
Glad you liked the kababs
This recipe is out of this world. Too, too good. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sanchari
You are welcome. Thank you so much for the comment. Glad you liked it.
Hi Madame…. If I wanna make this recipe for 500g and 1 kilo how I add the ingredients. I have party coming up. Pls help me.
Hi Mumtaz
Multiply all the ingredients by 4 to make 1 kg reshmi kabab. Hope this helps
Superb recipe….tried it out for the 2nd time…
Thanks for trying
Super for reshmi maSala Thanks
Welcome
Hi,
Today will be the 2nd time I’m trying our your recipe. The first time outstanding. Thank you.
Welcome. Glad to know it turned out good. Thanks for the comment
Tried this today. Was a clear winner. Plan to make this again for the offuce potluck next month. I doubled the quantity today and it was still vanishing from the plate before i could refill it. ?
Hi Mich, Thanks for trying. Happy to know kababs turned out good
I have tried couple of your recipes like
Green round egg plant recipe and
Chicken rashmi kebab
Wow v nice, and now I will try many more, Too good ??
Thanks ??
Hi… I wanted to try this recipe using the oven at home since it looks and sounds heavenly! However I don’t have skewers so can I place it on a rack or a tray inside the oven and make.it??
Yes you can grease a wire rack and then place the chicken over it. Place a tray beneath to collect the drippings
Wow.. I tried this recipe last night.. Tastes so goood.. A big thanks.. keep posting more. ..
Welcome Payel
Thanks for trying
I’ve already tried this recipe multiple times. It’s so yum! How can I print the recipe card? I can’t seem to highlight anything.
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Welcome Sabah.
Glad to know you liked the recipe. Due to technical problems there is no print option on this blog. Thanks for writing
How can 250gms change chicken serve 4?
Yes it serves 3 to 4. It is on the heavier side since cream, yogurt and nuts are used. It may not be good to over eat these
Can we make these kabab using induction can u tel me the cooking time of these kabab on indiction….plzzz
Hi Ruhi
I assume you are asking about making these kebabs on induction stove using a pan. If this is your question, you can try on a high flame on the tawa, but it will release lot of moisture and stick up to the pan. You should be able to manage that. You can try with small quantity