CHICKEN MALAI BOTI

CHICKEN MALAI BOTI
500 g boneless chicken(cubes)
2 tablespoons thick yoghurt
4 tablespoons fresh cream
2 green chillies
4 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped with stems
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
pinch of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 tablespoons oil/melted butter
1 teaspoon corn flour
Clean, cut and dry your chicken cubes using kitchen towels. The marinade works best if the chicken is dried thoroughly from any moisture. Add half of the salt, half the lemon juice, half the ginger/garlic pastes and the red chili powder. Mix well and refrigerate for an hour.
Grind the green chilies with the coriander. Do not use any water for grinding; you can use the remaining lemon juice to grind to a paste. Add this paste to all the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Add the marinated chicken into the mixture, combine well and refrigerate again for 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Thread the chicken pieces on skewers
(if you’re using wooden skewers, remember to soak them for 30 minutes before using to prevent them from burning).
Turn on your oven’s grill/broiler to 200 C and grill for about 10-12 minutes per side. Turn the skewers over once they begin to color; keep an eye that the chicken doesn’t burn. You can brush them with some melted butter midway through grilling. You can even grill these on a proper charcoal grill.
Alternatively, you can shallow fry the skewered chicken on a pan on both sides until cooked through.
Once done (if you’re grilling them in the oven or pan-frying them), smoke the chicken skewers to give them a lovely bbq aroma.
Serve hot with accompaniments of your choice.
My family love this with salad, coleslaw, fries and pita bread.

Recipe and photo: Leyla Randera