Malai Chicken Curry (Murgh Malaiwala)

By Neha Mathur

4.35 from 35 votes
Updated: Jun 24, 2025 | Published: Jun 07, 2025
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GFIndian Gluten Free

Malai Chicken Curry (Murgh Malaiwala) is a rich and creamy chicken curry where chicken pieces cooked with heavy cream, yogurt, and spices. Make it using my easy recipe and serve with naan or lachha paratha for an indulgent meal (gluten-free).

Here are some more chicken curry recipes that you may like – Chicken Salna, Andhra Style Chicken Curry, Desi Chicken Curry, Chicken Vindaloo, and Tomato Chicken Curry

Malai chicken curry served in a bowl.

Table of Contents

About Malai Chicken Curry

Malai in Hindi means the thick cream layer collected on the milk. It is basically heavy cream.

Malai Chicken Curry (Murgh Malaiwala) is a North Indian chicken curry with chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and mild spices and then cooked in a rich heavy-cream-based curry.

This Malai Chicken Curry is loaded with flavors and comes together in no time using a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Chicken – I like to use skinless bone-in chicken pieces as the bones release a lot of flavor into the curry. I used whole chicken but you can also use only chicken drumsticks. If you are not a bone-in chicken person, then you can use boneless chicken breast or thighs cut into small pieces.

For the Marination

Chicken pieces are marinated with Greek yogurt (or thick yogurt, dahi, curd), freshly squeezed lime juice, ginger garlic paste, salt, and garam masala powder.

For The Curry

Cream and Milk – Unsweetened heavy cream and milk are the ingredients that make this creamy malai chicken curry different from other curries.

If you live in India, you can use Amul cream. You can also use milk malai in place of tetra-pack cream.

Whole Spices – You will need cloves (laung) and whole black peppercorns (kali mirch).

Spice Powders – The curry is flavored with basic spice powders such as cardamom powder (ground cardamom), Kashmiri red chili powder, white pepper powder, and garam masala powder.

Others – You will also need oil, ghee, onions, green chilies, saffron strands, dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi), and crispy fried onions (birista).

Make Crispy Fried Onions at home or buy them out.

How To Make Malaiwala Murgh

Marinate The Chicken

Add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well.

  • 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt (or thick curd)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
Marination ingredients added to a bowl.
Mixed well.

Add 2 pounds (1 kg) of rinsed skinless bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) to the bowl and coat well with the marinade.

Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Chicken mixed with the marinade.

Make The Curry

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.

Oil and ghee heating in a pan.

When the oil is hot, add 3-4 cloves and 5-6 whole black peppercorns and saute for 4-5 seconds.

Cloves and black peppercorns added to the pan.

Add 1 and ½ cups of chopped onions and cook until they turn translucent (6-8 minutes), stirring frequently.

Onions added to the pan.

Now add 2-3 green chilies (slit into half) and cook for 8-10 seconds.

Green chilies added to the pan.

Add the marinated chicken pieces with the marinade and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken is slightly browned and the raw smell is gone. Stir frequently while cooking.

Marinated chicken added to the pan.

Now add 1 cup of water and mix well.

Water added to the pan.

Reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked well. Stir a few times while cooking.

Pan covered with a lid.

Now add the following ingredients to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.

  • 3.5 oz (100 ml) unsweetened heavy cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • 15-20 saffron strands
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 2 tablespoon Kasoori methi
Cream, milk, saffron, cardamom powder, white pepper powder, and kasuri methi added to the pan.

Add 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and mix well.

Chilli powder and garam masala powder added to the pan.

Add ½ cup of crushed crispy fried onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Crispy fried onions added to the pan.

Check for salt and add more if needed.

Serve hot.

Ready malai chicken curry.

Pro Tip By Neha

To make malai chicken curry extra indulgent for parties or festive dinners, I add a tablespoon of Shaan brands chicken masala along with the other spice powders.

Serving Suggestions

Murgh Malaiwala tastes delicious with any Indian bread, be it a plain tawa paratha, naan, tandoori roti, missi roti, or any other bread that you prefer.

It can also be served with steamed rice, jeera rice, Indian turmeric rice, or any other lightly spiced pulao or biryani.

Storage Suggestions

Chicken Malai Curry has cream and milk as its two main ingredients. Therefore, it will last only about 2 days. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot. Add a little water and adjust the consistency if the curry has thickened after refrigeration.

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Malai Chicken Curry (Murgh Malaiwala) is a rich and creamy chicken curry where chicken pieces are cooked with heavy cream, yogurt, and spices. Serve it with naan or lachha paratha for an indulgent meal (gluten-free).
4.35 from 35 votes

Malai Chicken Curry Recipe (Murgh Malaiwala)

By: Neha Mathur
Malai Chicken Curry (Murgh Malaiwala) is a rich and creamy chicken curry where chicken pieces cooked with heavy cream, yogurt, and spices. Make it using my easy recipe and serve with naan or lachha paratha for an indulgent meal.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people
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Ingredients 

To Marinate The Chicken

  • 2 pounds skinless bone-in chicken (1 kg, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces, rinsed)
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or thick plain yogurt (dahi, curd))
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder

For The Curry

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 3-4 cloves (laung)
  • 5-6 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
  • 1 and ½ cups chopped onions
  • 2-3 green chilies (slit into half)
  • 3.5 ounces unsweetened heavy cream (100 ml)
  • ½ cup milk
  • 15-20 saffron strands
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 2 tablespoons Kasuri methi (crushed)
  • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ cup crispy fried onions (crushed)
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Instructions 

Marinate The Chicken

  • Mix together yogurt, lime juice, ginger garlic paste, salt, and garam masala powder in a bowl.
  • Add chicken to the bowl and coat well with the marinade.
  • Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Make The Curry

  • Heat oil and ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.
  • When the oil is hot, add cloves and black peppercorns and saute for 4-5 seconds.
  • Add onions and cook until they turn translucent (6-8 minutes), stirring frequently.
  • Now add chilies and cook for 8-10 seconds.
  • Add the marinated chicken along with the marinade and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is slightly browned and the raw smell is gone. Stir frequently while cooking.
  • Now add 1 cup of water and mix well.
  • Reduce the heat to low.
  • Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked well. Stir a few times while cooking.
  • Now add cooking cream, milk, saffron strands, cardamom powder, white pepper powder, and Kasuri methi, and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Add chili powder and garam masala powder and mix well.
  • Add crispy fried onions and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Check for salt and add more if needed.
  • Serve hot.

Video

Notes

Use bone-in chicken pieces as the bones release a lot of flavor into the curry. If you are not a bone-in chicken person, then you can use boneless chicken cut into small pieces.
You can use fresh homemade malai in this recipe in place of tetra pack cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 114mg, Sodium: 974mg, Potassium: 381mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 515IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 1mg
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4.35 from 35 votes (29 ratings without comment)

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18 Comments

  1. Super recipe! I made a slight change – instead of adding cream, I added a paste of soaked almonds.
    Will definitely be making it again.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I tried this at home, and it is an absolutely wonderful , tasty and easy dish to prepare. Restaurant quality final product and my family really loved it.

    Reply