Creamy, aromatic malai broccoli tikka is a fantastic vegetarian Indian snack for parties that everyone loves.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Malai Broccoli
- Serving Suggestion
- My Tried and True Tips
- Air Fryer Malai Broccoli Recipe
Malai Broccoli is a modern-day fusion Indian dish. In recent years, it has started appearing on the vegetarian menu of many popular Indian restaurants. The dish got its name because of the white, cream-like marinade called malai in Hindi.
This delicious, rich, creamy white sauce differs from the bold paneer tikka or gobi tikka marinade. And it is the main reason for the popularity of the malai broccoli tikka.
More Reasons to LOVE Malai Broccoli
- gluten-free
- easy to make
- air fryer friendly
- tasty vegetarian appetizer
- mildly spicy with subtle aroma of spices
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Broccoli – use fresh or frozen florets. I highly recommend using fresh broccoli florets for bright green colour and natural taste.
- Cashew Paste: A smooth blend of cashews, ginger, garlic, green cardamom, and hot water.
- Yogurt or curd for the marinade.
- Cheese: Use grated parmesan, cheddar, or any other cheese for baking you prefer.
- Seasoning: Cumin Powder, Salt, Black or White Pepper Powder, Granulated White Sugar, Garam Masala , Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Corn Starch helps thicken the marinade and stick it to the broccoli.
How To Make Malai Broccoli
Step 1) Soak cashews, ginger, garlic, and cardamom in hot water for 10 minutes. Blend to a smooth paste.
Step 2) Blanch broccoli florets.
- Boil salted water in a saucepan.
- Add broccoli florets. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Transfer them to a colander. Drain all the water.
- And then, immediately transfer them to a bowl full of ice-cold water.
- Once again, drain all the water and transfer the broccoli to a colander.
- Allow it to sit for 15 – 20 minutes to drain all the excess liquid.
Step 3) Prepare marinade by combining cashew paste, yogurt, salt, spices, seasoning, coriander leaves, and cheese. Whisk nicely!
Step 4) Add broccoli florets and coat each piece with the marinade.
Step 5) Air Fry at 200 degrees Celcius for 15 minutes, turning the malai broccoli halfway through the cooking time.
Serving Suggestion
Malai Broccoli Tikka tastes great with mint chutney or roasted red pepper dip . You can serve it with a dipping sauce of choice, like any other grilled appetizer.
Broccoli Tikka makes an excellent component for vegetarian buddha bowls, salad bowls, or tacos. Or serve it on your mezze platter with other vegetarian snacks and dips.
My Tried and True Tips
- Marinade broccoli without blanching or soaking it in hot water. I prefer blanching it to get rid of that raw taste.
- While blanching, do not cook the broccoli for too long in hot water. Quick 1 – 2 minutes are fine to get rid of that rawness.
- This is a medium spicy malai tikka. You can add red chilli powder, kasuri methi, or green chilli paste to make it a little extra spicy.
- You can cook malai broccoli in a greased pan over the stovetop or grill it on a BBQ.
- Malai Broccoli Tikka is best consumed fresh and hot. Because once grilled, after a few hours, its crunchiness is lost.
More Air Fryer Snack Recipes
- Gobi Tikka
- Pasta Chips
- Karela Chips
- Crispy Chickpeas
- Sweet Potato Chaat
Get 25+ Healthy Sweets and Snacks Recipe Ideas for Diwali
Ingredients
- ▢ 250 gram broccoli florets
- ▢ ¼ Cup cashews (kaju)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic cloves
- ▢ 2 green cardamom
- ▢ ¼ Cup plain Greek yogurt
- ▢ ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ▢ ½ teaspoon powdered white sugar or caster sugar
- ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam Masala ( get recipe )
- ▢ ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ▢ salt to tastes
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch), optional
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- ▢ Oil Spray
Instructions
- Soak cashews, ginger, garlic, and cardamom in ¼ cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Blend to a smooth paste.
- For blanching broccoli, boil salted water in a saucepan. Add broccoli florets. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer them to a colander. Drain all the water. And then, immediately transfer them to a bowl full of ice-cold water. Once again, drain all the water and transfer the broccoli to a colander. Allow it to sit for 15 – 20 minutes to drain all the excess liquid.
- Prepare marinade by combining cashew paste, yogurt, salt, spices, seasoning, coriander leaves, cornstarch (if adding), and cheese. Whisk nicely. It should be thick and smooth with a spoon dropping consistency.
- Add blanched broccoli florets and coat each piece with the marinade.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees Celcius. Brush or spray the inner basket with oil. Arrange marinated broccoli in the inner basket. Do not overcrowd the basket. Spray oil over the marinated broccoli.
- Air Fry at 200 degrees Celcius for 15 minutes, turning the malai broccoli halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve malai broccoli with green chutney or a dip of your choice.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Air Fryer Malai Broccoli Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 250 gram broccoli florets
- ¼ Cup cashews (kaju)
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves
- 2 green cardamom
- ¼ Cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ½ teaspoon powdered white sugar or caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala ( get recipe )
- ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
- salt to tastes
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch), optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- Oil Spray
Instructions
- Soak cashews, ginger, garlic, and cardamom in ¼ cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Blend to a smooth paste.
- For blanching broccoli, boil salted water in a saucepan. Add broccoli florets. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer them to a colander. Drain all the water. And then, immediately transfer them to a bowl full of ice-cold water. Once again, drain all the water and transfer the broccoli to a colander. Allow it to sit for 15 – 20 minutes to drain all the excess liquid.
- Prepare marinade by combining cashew paste, yogurt, salt, spices, seasoning, coriander leaves, cornstarch (if adding), and cheese. Whisk nicely. It should be thick and smooth with a spoon dropping consistency.
- Add blanched broccoli florets and coat each piece with the marinade.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees Celcius. Brush or spray the inner basket with oil. Arrange marinated broccoli in the inner basket. Do not overcrowd the basket. Spray oil over the marinated broccoli.
- Air Fry at 200 degrees Celcius for 15 minutes, turning the malai broccoli halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve malai broccoli with green chutney or a dip of your choice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This whipped paneer dip is incredibly versatile. It’s perfect for a casual weeknight snack, a sophisticated appetizer, or a delicious addition to a mezze platter.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Paneer Dip
- Whipped Paneer Dip Recipe
This is not just any dip, whipped paneer is the kind of dip that makes you want to gather your favourite people, crack open a bottle of something refreshing, and forget all your worries. It’s light yet satisfying, full of bright flavors, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Imagine this: creamy, tangy, and impossibly smooth whipped cottage cheese, perfectly balanced by a drizzle of olive oil, infused with the warmth of chilli, garlic, and the sweet depth of tomatoes. It’s a symphony of flavours and textures.
While the whipped feta is undoubtedly the star, the spicy tomato-infused olive oil is the unsung hero that elevates this dip from delicious to divine. The slow infusion allows the olive oil to absorb all the wonderful flavours of the tomatoes, garlic, and chilli, resulting in a fragrant and flavorful topping
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Whipped Paneer:
- Fresh Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) , soft, and preferably not frozen. You can substitute it with feta or goat cheese.
- Hung Curd or plain Greek Yogurt to enhance the creaminess of the dip.
- Herbs : From cilantro, mint, green onion, dill, to parlsey. Feel free to add the ones you like.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic (optional, for extra garlic lovers!), Oregano, and Salt
For the Spicy Tomato-Infused Olive Oil:
- Good Quality Olive Oil or any seed/nut oil.
- Red Pepper Flakes (adjust to your spice preference) or use smoked paprika.
- Minced Garlic Cloves to infuse the oil with garlicky flavour.
- Cherry Tomatoes , cut into halves, preferably sweet ones. You can use sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained) also.
- a pinch of salt to season
How To Make Paneer Dip
Whip the Paneer:
- Add the crumbled paneer, hung curd or Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic (if using), salt, cilantro, and oregano to a food processor.
- Process until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. This might take a few minutes.
- You’re looking for a light, airy, and spreadable consistency.
Start with the Spicy Tomato-Infused Olive Oil:
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, cherry tomatoes, and a pinch of salt.
- Let it gently simmer for about 4 – 5 minutes, allowing the flavours to infuse without burning the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Transfer the whipped paneer to a shallow serving bowl or plate, spread it evenly using the back of a spoon.
Spoon the slightly cooled spicy tomato-infused olive oil generously over the whipped paneer dip. You can leave the tomato and garlic bits in for texture and flavor, or strain them out if you prefer a smoother oil.
Serve with warm pita bread, crusty baguette, crackers, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips , or any of your favourite dippers like baked mathri , crispy tofu , smashed potatoes , or the potato wafers .
More Dip Recipes for you to try
- Tomato Salsa
- Spicy Mango Dip
- Creamy Corn Dip
- Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Roasted Eggplant Dip
- Greek Cucumber Sauce
- Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Ingredients
Ingredients For Whipped Paneer
- ▢ 150 gram paneer, crumbled
- ▢ ¼ Cup thick or hung curd
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ Small handful of cilantro, chopped
- ▢ cold water, if required
Ingredients For Flavoured Oil
- ▢ 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ▢ 5 – 6 cherry tomato, cut into haves
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- ▢ a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the crumbled paneer, hung curd or Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic (if using), salt, cilantro, and oregano to a food processor.
- Process until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. This might take a few minutes.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, cherry tomatoes, and a pinch of salt.
- Let it gently simmer for about 4 – 5 minutes, allowing the flavours to infuse without burning the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Transfer the whipped paneer to a shallow serving bowl or plate, spread it evenly using the back of a spoon.
- Spoon the slightly cooled spicy tomato-infused olive oil generously over the whipped paneer dip.
- Serve whipped paneer dip with warm pita bread, crackers, cucumber slices , or any of your favourite dippers.
Recipe Notes:
- Adjust Spice Level: Add more red pepper flakes to the oil. Prefer a milder kick? Use less!
- Make Ahead: Both the whipped paneer and the infused olive oil can be made a day in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Let the feta come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving for the best texture. Gently rewarm the oil if needed.
- Don’t whip paneer for too long otherwise it might taste bitter.
- Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of cold water if the paneer is not whipping nicely or to get the desired consistency.
- You can leave the tomato and garlic bits in the oil for texture and flavour, or strain them out if you prefer a smoother oil.
Nutrition
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