Murg Malai Kebab

Recipe from Tamarind Tribeca

Adapted by Florence Fabricant

Updated April 29, 2024

Total Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(35)
Comments
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While dining at the Tamarind Tribeca in Manhattan, I had a terrific kebab of tender, marinated chicken breast, zapped judiciously with spice. It was enough to give pause to all those, including me, who consider chicken breast a boring blank slate. The restaurant does not serve the chicken on skewers, as one might expect for a kebab. But I found that using them greatly simplified turning the chicken while it cooked. —Florence Fabricant

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Murg Malai Kebab

    • 4skinless, boneless chicken breasts (halves)
    • 1medium garlic clove, minced
    • 1one-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
    • 1tablespoon malt vinegar
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt
    • ⅔cup Greek-style yogurt
    • ⅓cup paneer (Indian cream cheese) or fromage blanc
    • 1egg, beaten
    • 2tablespoons minced cilantro
    • 1tablespoon minced green chili
    • 1½teaspoons ground cardamom
    • 1½teaspoons ground white pepper
    • Juice of ½ lemon
    • Chat masala sold in Indian stores or ½ teaspoon each coarse black pepper and sea salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

118 calories; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 298 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. For the Murg Malai Kebab

    1. Step 1

      Slice each breast crosswise into 8 pieces. Place in a bowl and massage with the garlic, ginger, vinegar and salt. Set aside 20 minutes. Combine the yogurt, paneer, egg, cilantro, chili, cardamom and white pepper. Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

    2. Step 2

      Lay 4 of the chicken slices side by side on a cutting board. Run an 8- or 9-inch thin wooden skewer through all 4 slices, slightly off-center. Slip a second skewer into the 4 slices parallel to the first. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

    3. Step 3

      Heat an oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the kebabs on it, slathering them with any leftover marinade. Bake about 15 minutes, turning once, until cooked through. Sprinkle with lemon juice and chat masala or salt and pepper.

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4 out of 5
35 user ratings
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Comments

ngsarathy

Does the author mean something other than paneer? Fromage blanc has a totally different texture from paneer, and probably one that’s better suited to a marinade. I’m unfamiliar with indian cream cheese (I imagine it’s not the same as paneer), and interested to know what it is.

ngsarathy

Does the author mean something other than paneer? Fromage blanc has a totally different texture from paneer, and probably one that’s better suited to a marinade. I’m unfamiliar with indian cream cheese (I imagine it’s not the same as paneer), and interested to know what it is.

Connor P.

I used a cheese grater to get a finer texture to the paneer, and it worked great! It mixed in well with the marinade.

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Credits

Adapted from Tamarind Tribeca, Manhattan

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