Chicken Malai Kabab

Who doesn't like chicken malai kabab??? If you are a carnivore, you have to try these kababs. 'Malai ' means creamy so these kababs are spicy, soft and utterly creamy. If you end up with  leftover kababs ( that is a Big if),  wrap them in a fluffy Kawan parantha, throw in some chopped onions and green chutney...viola !....delish meal all set.

Most Peshawari recipes use raw papaya or yogurt as a tenderizer. A tenderizer breaks down the meat, cuts down grilling time and gives the kababs its unique 'melt-in-your-mouth' texture. I use an unseasoned tenderizer ( available in Publix spice aisle) because it acts quickly and lets me control the salt amount.  Regardless of the type of tenderizer you choose,  I would suggest that you do not skip the tenderizer in this recipe because you need the meat to be buttery soft.

The other important point to note is to eliminate water at every step. Ingredients should be fairly dry for the marinade to stick to the meat throughout the cooking process. This is true for all kababs including grilled paneer. Stay tuned for grilled paneer recipe ....

Ingredients:
2 large boneless chicken breast
1 tbsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp tenderizer ( or follow directions on the container)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste ( squeeze out the water)
1 cup of cilantro leaves
4 green chillies ( adjust per taste)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
2 sprigs of mint leaves
1tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp cream cheese
melted butter for basting
chat masala
lemon wedges
Salt to taste
Sliced onions and green peppers optional

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Cut into similar size chunks for even cooking. In a bowl mix chicken chunks, salt, pepper powder, tenderizer, garam masala and ginger garlic paste. Set aside for 15 minutes.

3) In a mortar, pound together cilantro leaves, mint, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and chillies to a coarse paste. Do not add water.

4) To the above paste add cream cheese and sour cream( discard the whey/water content). Add in the marinated chicken pieces. Let it sit for 15 minutes. If using yogurt/ papaya, marinate for  4-5 hours.

5) Skewer the chicken pieces and brush with melted butter. In a casserole dish layer onions and green peppers. For easy clean-up, line the casserole dish with aluminium foil before layering the veggies. Hang the skewers in between the two sides of the casserole dish such that the yummy drippings from the kababs will be caught by the layer of veggies as it cooks.
6) Grill for 10 minutes. Remove, baste with butter. Turn and grill the other side for 5 more minutes. Cooking time depends on the size of the chunks.
7) Remove from the skewers carefully, sprinkle with chat masala and lemon juice. Enjoy..!