Murgh(chicken) Malai Tikka...

If you ask which is your favourite day of the week, 7 out of 10 will answer Friday, the door opener to the weekend. As I child from Wednesday evening I used to comfort myself saying it's only Thursday then Friday and yeeeepeeiii the most awaited weekend, a break. Still now I do that. A break from waking up with the annoying alarm on the phone, a break from everyday must do jobs, a break from routine.

So why not treat your family, friends and yourself with something special on this Friday evening. I do that. And a foodie like me always think about foods on any every single occasion. Be it fun Friday or mundane Monday...only yummilicious foods can make it more merrier or less gloomier. 

Do not assume that I cook a five course meal to celebrate my Friday spirit.....no, it is something small but bright, like cherry on top or a little glitter on the cheek.

This Friday it was Murgh(chicken) Malai Tikka to say TGIF..!!! A quick simple kebab for my family. Tikka means bite size. Malai means cream. So from the name you can make out that the bite size chicken pieces are marinated in cream and then cooked. Traditionally the tikkas are cooked on a clay oven or tandoor. I did mine on the oven.

Things needed to make Murgh Malai Tikka:

• Chicken(boneless): 500gm cut into bite size pieces
• Lime juice: 1tbsp
• Garlic (fine paste): 1tbsp
• Ginger (grated): 2tbsp
• Hung curd or Greek yogurt: 1/2cup
• Fresh cream: 1/4cup
• White pepper powder: 2tsp
• Coriander powder: 1tsp
• Cardamom powder: 1tsp
• Mozzarella Cheese (grated): 1/4cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil: 1tbsp
• Butter (melted): for basting

Steps of making Murgh Malai Tikka:

1. Clean and wash the chicken breasts, pat dry with a kitchen towel. Cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Prick the meat with a fork. Marinate the chicken pieces with lime juice, salt and half of the white pepper powder for 15min.

2. In a bowl add Greek yogurt or hung curd, fresh cream, garlic paste(use only very fine paste), rest of the white pepper powder, coriander powder, cheese, oil. To this add the extract of grated ginger. Discard the fibrous part, you only need the juice of the ginger. Mix well. Marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture. Coat all the chicken pieces well. Cover and marinate for min 6-8hrs inside the refrigerator.

3. Take out the marinated chicken from the refrigerator 1hr before cooking.

4. Preheat the oven to 400F or 200C. Put the chicken pieces in the skewers. If using wooden skewers, then soak them in water at least for 30-40min. For metal skewers no need to do that. As the oven beeps to tell its preheated, reduce heat to 350F/180C and cook the chicken for 10-15min on the top rack. In between turn the chicken and baste with melted butter. When the chicken is cooked set the oven to broiler mode and cook for 3-4min, so the chicken takes nice burnt color.

[To know whether the chicken is cooked or not, take a knife and cut through a chicken piece, if it is white in color then the chicken is cooked. But if it is pink or pinkish then its needed to be cooked more.]

Serve hot with salad, lemon wedges and green chutney. Enjoy your Friday.


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