Air Fryer Chicken Malai Tikka

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless chicken, in 3 cm cubes
• 3 tbsp fresh cream
• 2 tbsp grated cheese (processed cheese works well)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• A pinch of green cardamom powder (optional)
• Juice of ½ lemon (optional)
• Salt, white pepper, 1 tbsp oil

Steps

1. Whisk the cream, grated cheese, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli, cardamom, lemon juice, salt and white pepper together until smooth.
2. Coat the chicken cubes thoroughly in the mixture and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for the best flavour - malai tikka relies on the marinade rather than dry spice, so it needs time to work.
3. Thread onto skewers if you like, or leave loose in the basket.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C, keeping the heat a little lower than a spiced tikka - the dairy marinade catches and browns faster than a dry rub.
5. Brush lightly with oil and air fry for 7 minutes.
6. Turn the pieces over and air fry a further 6-7 minutes (about 14 minutes total) until lightly charred at the edges and cooked through, with no pink in the centre.
7. Rest for 2 minutes before serving - the creamy coating firms up slightly and clings better to the chicken.

Tip: Watch the last few minutes closely - the cream and cheese in the marinade brown much faster than a chilli-based tikka, so it can look done on the outside before it's cooked through.

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Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated from standard ingredient data — actual values vary by brand and exact quantities used.