Pakistan – Tikka Malai Boti Handi

by Dahiza Umar

INTRODUCTION TO THE DISH

This dish is very popular and fusion of two different dishes. Handi is the gravy of any form of meat that is cooked in a round earthen pot and tikka is dry barbequed chicken or beef mutton pieces. So this dish is a fusion of two Pakistani dishes which are tikka and Handi.

The literary meaning of the word ”MALAI” that comes from the word MAKHAN means butter in Urdu. This dish had cream and butter in it also called makhani or malai because of the texture and the buttery creamy texture, flavor, and also creamy color dish.

This dish has four words

TIKKA

Tikka is small pieces of meat like chicken, mutton, and beef. They are spices by many Pakistani spices and then marinated for few hours cooking on the charcoal for a smoky effect.

BOTI

Boti means any small chunk of meat. Boti can be of chicken, mutton, and beef. Boti is usually boneless. So this dish is made of boneless meat.

MALAI

Malai is the word used for CREAM. In this dish, a huge amount of cream is used to make it rich and creamy. Usually, Pakistani dishes have no cream addition but this dish is different so we add MALAI in the name of the dish.

HANDI

Handi is the word used for the cooking pot. Handi is an earthen round pot in which this dish is cooked.

WHAT IS CLAY HANDI?

Handi is a clay earthen pot used in rural areas for cooking on the usual basis. But in cities when earthy and clay flavor is required in the dish like this tikka boti handi, this pot is used. The dish can cook to give a clay flavor to the dish. The taste of the dishes cooked in the clay pot is so powerful and flavorful it can beat any dish made in other pots.

WHAT IS TIKKA ?

Tikka is basically a dish of small boneless pieces of meat. They are marinated by adding all the flavorful Pakistani Spices like cumin, coriander, Mint, red pepper, turmeric, oregano, chat masala, garam masala, lemon juice, etc. Then this kept marinated for few hours. The spices are absorbed by the meat, tender the meat and make it juicy. Now heat up the charcoal, arrange these pieces into the skewers. Then cook it on the flame of charcoal and serve.

This is individually served with some yogurt sauce and Naan but in this dish, this is added to the creamy gravy.

VARIETIES OF MAKHANI HANDI

• Chicken Malai handi
• white mutton handi
• white chicken handi
• Tikka malai hoti handi
• Malai boti handi
• Cream handi
• Cream beef handi
• Makahni Handi
• Tikka makhani handi.

SERVED WITH

This is a dish served with bread, roti, like the given below :

• Paratha
• Roghani naan
• Sada roti
• Khameeri roti
• Phulka
• Sada Naan
• Roghani roti

COMPLEMENTARY SIDE ITEMS

• Salad
• Raita
• Kachumbar salad
• Green chutney
• Mint chutney

TIME REQUIRED

• Preparation time : 10 minutes
• cooking time: 40 minutes
• Total time : 40 minutes

NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS OF THE DISH

• Calories : 300
• protein : 8 grams
• carbohydrates : 30 grams
• fiber : 20 gams
• fats : 39 grams

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken boneless pieces : 1 kg
• onions : 2 large
• Tomato : 3
• garlic paste : 4 tbsp
• ginger paste : 4 tbsp
• Tikka Masala : 4 tbsp
• salt : 1 tsp
• white pepper : 1 tsp
• cumin powder : 1 tsp
• green chilies paste : 5 tbsp
• yogurt : 1 cup
• cream : 1 cup
• Lemon juice : 8 tbsp
• coriander powder : 4 tbsp
• butter: 8 tbsp
• oil : 1/4 cup

METHOD OF COOKING

• Take a large cooking pot add chicken pieces with yogurt, lemon juice and tikka masala to marinate it and let it set for 2 hours.
• Take a cooking pot add butter, oil and add onions to cook for 5 minutes, than add garlic ginger paste, green chilies paste.
• Cook until all the vegetable started cooking and changes it color.
• Add spices into the onion mixture to cook it properly.
• Its time to cook tikka marinated on charcoal. Burn the charcoal and arrange the small pieces on the skewers.
• Cook these chicken pieces over the charcoal but on low heat. It will cook the chicken and make it juicy.
• Add yogurt, cream and cooked tikka chicken pieces into the onion mixture and cook for 20 minutes.
• Serve it with naan and roti.
• Enjoy!