Juicy, succulent grilled chicken bites coated with a creamy and herby marinade are tucked into soft naan breads, topped with chutneys and enjoyed as a delicious wrap.
You will need:
For the Chicken Malai Kebabs,
Chicken thighs - 1 lb, boneless and skinless
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Lime juice or white vinegar - 1 tbsp
Green chili - 1, small (or use a small serrano pepper)
Cilantro leaves - ½ cup
Mint leaves - 5-6
Thick yogurt - ¼ cup
Heavy cream - ¼ cup
White cheese - 3 tbsp, finely grated (use white cheddar, mozzarella or parmesan)
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp, heaped
Cumin powder - ½ tsp
White pepper powder - ½ tsp
Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp
Star anise - a small piece, crushed
Salt - 1 tsp (or as per taste)
Butter - 2 tbsp, melted (for basting)
For the Green Chutney or Mint Chutney,
Mint leaves - ½ cup, roughly chopped
Cilantro - ½ cup, roughly chopped
Green chilies - 1-2, small (as per heat desired)
Ginger - a small piece
Salt - ΒΌ tsp
Water - as needed
For the Red Malai Chutney,
Leftover marinade - around 1 cup (or whatever is leftover)
Tomato - 1, crushed
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Milk or heavy cream - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
For naan wraps,
Naan - 6
Shredded cabbage - 1 cup
Red onion - 1, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves - a few
Lime or lemon - 1, cut into wedges
How to:
Chicken Malai Kebabs: Cut chicken into small pieces and dump it into a mixing bowl. Add ginger-garlic paste and lime juice (or vinegar). Mix well, cover and set aside for 15- 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make a paste with green chili, cilantro, mint, yogurt, cream, cheese, garam masala, pepper powder, cumin powder, cardamom powder and star anise. Season with salt as per taste.
Dump this creamy marinade mixture over the chicken pieces. Toss well to coat all the pieces in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 425 deg.F. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil and set a wire rack over it.
Shake off excess marinade from chicken pieces and thread them onto skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for half an hour before threading the chicken.
Set skewers on wire rack and bake in upper half of the oven for 20-25 minutes. Midway through the baking process, baste chicken with melted butter and turn the skewers over so that the chicken browns evenly. Broil for the last 1-2 minutes, keeping a close eye so as to not burn the chicken.
Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Mint Chutney: Blend all the ingredients to make a smooth paste, adding water as needed.
Red Malai Chutney: Pour the leftover marinade in a saucepan. Add a crushed tomato and ½ tsp of garam masala.
Cook over medium-high heat till sauce bubbles and starts to reduce. In a few minutes, you will see fat starting to separate at the sides. Remove saucepan from heat and quickly whisk in the milk or cream. Add salt to taste and cook till just heated through and slightly thickened, whisking constantly. It will thicken further as it cools.
Naan Wraps: Remove chicken pieces from a skewer and line them in a naan bread. Top with some shredded cabbage, red onion slices, cilantro leaves and drizzle generously with green and red chutneys. Wrap and serve with lime or lemon wedges and a cold drink.
Notes:
1. The prep time given here does not reflect the chicken marination time. 2. Traditionally, malt vinegar is used in the first marinade. If you do not have it, simply use white vinegar or lime juice instead as mentioned in my recipe. 3. If cooking kebabs over an outdoor grill, make sure to cook for 10-15 minutes or till chicken is no longer opaque. 4. Prepare the chutneys while the chicken is in the oven to save time and get everything ready to serve while kebabs are still hot and fresh off the oven.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2017/03/03/chicken-malai-kebab-naan-wraps/