Punjab cuisine
Lahori Malai Boti
Lahori Malai Boti is a traditional Punjab Pakistani dish. Lahori Malai Boti is the creamy, mild, utterly addictive BBQ that has taken Lahore by storm — boneless chicken marinated in a rich cream and cheese mixture, grilled to silky golden perfection. The kebab that converted spice-phobic relatives everywhere.
Malai boti might be relatively new to Pakistan's ancient BBQ tradition, but it's captured hearts faster than almost any other dish in recent memory.
Lahore's Mughal heritage makes it the natural home of malai boti. Walk into any Lahori BBQ restaurant today and malai boti outsells almost everything else. Why? Because it hits every pleasure point simultaneously: rich cream, soft juicy chicken, subtle aromatics, and the slight char from the grill that contrasts with the silky interior. It's also wonderfully inclusive food — mild enough for children and spice-averse guests, sophisticated enough to satisfy serious food lovers. Fun fact: malai boti was largely invented by Lahori restaurants in the 1990s responding to demand for milder BBQ options — and it became so popular it's now considered a Pakistani classic. Sometimes new traditions are created so good they feel ancient within a generation.
Ingredients
Instructions
- CREAM MARINADE: Whisk together cream, cream cheese, and yoghurt until smooth. Add ginger garlic paste, black pepper, cumin, salt, lemon juice, and coriander. Mix well. HINT: Taste the marinade — it should be rich, slightly tangy, and delicious even before cooking.
- MARINATE: Coat chicken cubes thoroughly. Malai boti only needs 2-4 hours of marination — the cream tenderises quickly. Overnight is fine but not necessary.
- COLD SKEWERING: Keep the marinated chicken cold until grilling. The cream firms up when cold, making skewering easier and helping the marinade cling during initial grilling.
- MEDIUM HEAT IS KEY: Grill on medium heat — NOT high. High heat burns the cream marinade and turns it bitter. Medium heat allows the cream to caramelise gently into a golden coating. 4-5 minutes per side.
- BUTTER BASTE EVERY MINUTE: Baste with melted butter every minute of grilling on each side. This is the technique that produces malai boti's signature glossy, golden appearance.
- GOLDEN FINISH: Malai boti should be pale golden-cream, not charred. Remove when golden all over and chicken is cooked through. A tiny bit of colour is fine; dark char is a sign of too-high heat.
Chef's Secrets
- Medium heat — not high — is the most important technique point for malai boti
- Generous butter basting is what creates the signature golden gloss
- Thigh meat is absolutely mandatory; breast malai boti is a travesty
- Some Lahori restaurants add a tiny pinch of food colouring for that pale yellow-gold look
Common Questions
How long does Lahori Malai Boti take to make?
Total time is 30m — 15m prep and 15m cooking.
How many servings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 4 servings, and is rated easy difficulty.
Which region of Pakistan is Lahori Malai Boti from?
Lahori Malai Boti is from Punjab, Pakistan — one of the country's most distinctive culinary traditions.
What do you serve with Lahori Malai Boti?
Serve with mint raita and plain naan. Avoid heavy chutneys that overpower the delicate cream flavour. A lemon wedge on the side and a very light sprinkle of chaat masala is sufficient.
Goes Well With
Malai Boti
Malai Boti is Pakistan's most indulgent BBQ dish — tender cubes of chicken or mutton marinated in a rich cream-cheese marinade, skewered and grilled until just charred at the edges. Mild, melt-in-mouth, and dangerously easy to eat too many of.
Chicken Malai Tikka
Cream and cheese-marinated chicken grilled until charred and smoky — Lahore's favourite non-spicy appetiser that melts on your tongue.
Lahori Seekh Kebab
Juicy, spiced minced meat kebabs grilled on skewers over live charcoal — the smell alone will bring your entire neighbourhood to the gate. Lahori seekh kebab is richer and spicier than its Peshawari cousin, packed with herbs and fried onion for moisture and depth.
What Cooks Are Saying
Incredible depth of flavour. The spice balance is just right — not too hot, not too mild.
Made this for Eid and everyone asked for the recipe. Highly recommend.
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