Chicken Malai Boti
چکن ملائی بوٹی
Malai boti is the BBQ dish for people who don't want the heat. Instead of red chili, the chicken soaks in cream, cream cheese and a little yogurt, scented with white pepper and green cardamom, so it cooks up pale, soft and juicy with just a few charred edges. The secret is a two-step marinade: a quick sharp one first, then the creamy one for at least four hours.
- ⏱ Total: 40 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 15 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the chicken with the ginger and garlic paste, lemon juice and salt. Leave it for 30 minutes; this first marinade seasons the meat all the way through.
Blend the cream, cream cheese, yogurt, cashews, green chilies, white pepper and cardamom until completely smooth. Pour it over the chicken, mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Light the coals and let them burn until they're covered in a fine grey ash, about 20–25 minutes. If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you wait.
Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving a small gap between pieces so the heat reaches every side. Grill over medium coals for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the edges are lightly charred and the juices run clear.
Brush the chicken with melted butter for the last 2 minutes and turn once more.
Slide the boti off the skewers and serve hot with green chutney, onion rings and naan.
Kitchen notes
Thigh meat stays juicier than breast. If you use breast, take it off the grill as soon as the juices run clear; it dries out quickly.
Malai boti burns more easily than red tikka because of the cream. Keep it over medium coals, not the hottest part of the grill.
The mild side of Pakistani BBQ
Every BBQ spread in Pakistan has at least one dish for children and anyone who can’t take chili, and malai boti is usually it. You’ll find it at Karachi’s BBQ restaurants next to the fiery red tikka, on wedding menus and at family barbecues on Eid’s second day, when there’s plenty of meat to grill. Its appeal is simple: it’s soft, creamy and gently spiced, but it still has the smoky edges that make grilled food worth the effort.
Why two marinades
The first marinade of ginger, garlic, lemon and salt works its way into the meat and seasons it from the inside. The acid also loosens the surface so the second, creamy marinade clings better. If you mix everything together at once, the cream coats the chicken before the salt and lemon can do their job, and the inside tastes bland.
Getting the texture right
Cut the chicken into even 3 cm pieces so they cook at the same rate. Pat it dry before the first marinade, and don’t skip the resting time in the fridge. Over the coals, resist the urge to keep moving the skewers: turn them every couple of minutes, no more, so each side gets a chance to colour.
Serving
Serve malai boti straight off the skewers with green chutney, lemon wedges and onion rings, and plenty of naan or paratha. It sits well next to spicier dishes like seekh kebab or Bihari boti on a mixed BBQ platter. Leftovers make an excellent filling for a paratha roll the next day.
Questions people ask
Can I make malai boti without a grill?
Yes. Cook it in a heavy non-stick pan or on a tawa with a little oil over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, turning often. For smoky flavour, finish with a few minutes of coal smoke (dhungar) under a lid.
What can I use instead of cream cheese?
A tablespoon of grated mild cheddar or processed cheese works. You can also leave it out and add an extra spoon of cream; the boti will be slightly less rich.
How long can the chicken marinate?
Between 4 and 24 hours in the fridge. Longer than a day and the lemon starts to make the texture soft and mealy.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 425
- Protein
- 44 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
