No-oil Murg Malai Tikka

It’s official!!! There’s no denial that both me and my hubby are die-hard fans of kebabs and tikkas. We literally gorge like greedy gluttons as soon as a kebab platter hits our table in the restaurant.

Though we like virtually all types of kebabs, it’s the Awadhi & the ones having their roots in the North-West frontier region, are our most favorite. Of these, I’m particularly fond of the fair-complexioned Murg Malai Tikka.

No over-powering tandoor spices, no artificial color…….only pure, aromatic & succulent pieces of chicken, which melt in the mouth so easily. To make it more guilt-free and healthy, I tried out this version which is absolutely oil-free. The credit for this recipe goes to Santanu da, my brother-in-law from Dubai, who keeps on re-inventing recipes. Thank you Dada for this wonderful version of malai tikka.

In case, you overlooked the last sentence, let me take the privilege of introducing a complete no-oil Murg Malai Tikka, which is no less in taste & flavor. In fact, when I tell this fact to my guests after they have had a couple of tikkas, they find it so hard to believe that you can actually make  such a tasty kebab without using a single drop of oil.

Ingredients
Chicken thigh – 750 gms, boneless cut into 1.5 inch pieces

For 1^st marination
Lemon juice – 2 tsp
White pepper – 1 tsp

For 2^nd marination

Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Fresh/canned cream – 350 gm
Mozzarella cheese – 150 gms, crumbled or shredded
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Coriander leaves – 1 Tbsp, finely chopped
Green chilli – 1 to 2 chilies, finely chopped

Method
Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towel. Prick them with a fork so that the marinade can go deep inside.

Marinate the pieces with the 1^st marinade items and keep it covered for around 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, mix all the items of 2^nd marinade with the chicken, cover it and keep it refrigerated for at least 1.5 - 2 hours.

Pre-heat the oven in 360 ^o F or 180 ^o C temperature. Line up the base of a oven proof flat container with 2 folds of aluminium foil. Put the marinated chicken pieces on the foil, neatly separated from each other so that they don’t overlap with each other.

Cook the chicken in grill mode for around 15-16 minutes, turning them with a tong after 10 minutes. Put the oven in broil mode and cook it for another 4-5 minutes for getting the nice burnt color.

Enjoy deliciously succulent pieces of Murgh Malai Tikka with your favorite dip and salad.