This creamy, melt-in-your-mouth Malai Broccoli recipe is a delicious and flavorful twist on classic broccoli. Made with cream, cheese, yogurt, and a handful of spices, this makes a healthy and indulgent appetizer or side.
Each broccoli piece is coated in a rich, spiced marinade that infuses deep flavors into every bite. It takes only 25 minutes when made from scratch!
Visit international or ethnic markets to discover fresh and authentic ingredients that aren't readily available in mainstream stores.
Table of contents
Making this restaurant style Malai Broccoli at home is super easy and quick. Just make the creamy and flavorful marinade by blending the ingredients, marinate the blanched broccoli florets, and bake, air fry, or pan fry them! That’s it! Can it get any easier than this?
About the Recipe
Malai Broccoli is a creamy, flavorful, and delicious snack or appetizer. Malai Broccoli translates to Creamy Broccoli in English, as “Malai” means “cream.”
It combines blanched broccoli with a creamy-spiced marinade that has yogurt, cashews, cheese, and spices. Then it is baked in the oven until golden.
With a touch of Indian spices and a creamy texture, this Cheesy Malai Broccoli is both healthy and indulging. Ideal for times when you want something flavorful and delicious.
With its soft and velvety texture, every bite of this broccoli has deep, marinated creamy and spicy flavors. Plus, it uses only a handful of basic ingredients that are easily customizable.
You can enjoy them as a snack or appetizer along with mint-cilantro chutney, or serve them at a party or get-togethers as an impressive appetizer or as a side dish with some filling salads, breads, or soups.
You can also enjoy them in your wraps—simply spread some avocado cheese spread on your pita, paratha, or flatbread, add the cooked broccoli florets, top with veggies of your choice, and voilà! Enjoy the delicious wrap that is perfect for on-the-go or easy meals.
So, are you ready to make it?
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This Malai Broccoli
✓ is a nutritious and delicious dish
✓ is simple to make
✓ uses basic ingredients
✓ is very versatile
✓ is easily customizable
✓ makes a restaurant-style dish
✓ has a creamy, flavorful coating
✓ can be served as a snack, appetizer, or a side dish
Ingredients
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Broccoli: It is the star ingredient of this recipe, used as a base. You need medium size florets for making this recipe. Also, I have blanched the broccoli florets for 1 minute, but you can also use them without blanching.
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Hung Curd or Cream Cheese: I have used hung curd to add creaminess and tang to the marinade. You can also use cream cheese here; that also works fine.
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Soaked Cashews: They are added for creamy richness, smooth texture, and mild sweet notes.
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Green Chilies, Garlic, and Ginger: Green chilies add heat, while ginger and garlic add spicy and aromatic notes. You can also use ginger garlic paste in this recipe.
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Coriander and Mint Leaves: They add fresh herbiness and a beautiful green hue.
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Fresh Cream and Cheese Slices: They are added to make the baked florets extra creamy.
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Yogurt: It helps in binding the spices and adds much-needed tang to the marinade.
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Mustard oil: A bit of mustard oil enhances the overall flavors of this malai broccoli and gives it a bit of a hariyali paneer tikka like taste. Adding mustard oil is optional though.
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Lemon juice: Some lemon juice is added to brighten and balance the overall flavors of this malai broccoli.
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Spices: I have used salt, ground black pepper, chaat masala, garam masala, and kasuri methi to give this classic Indian flavor.
Variations
Paneer Malai Broccoli
You can also add some cubed paneer pieces along with broccoli to make it protein-rich.
Cooking
I have cooked the broccoli florets in an oven. For paneer tikka style serving, you can also thread the marinated paneer onto wooden skewers and cook them over direct heat for charred perfection and smoky flavors.
Spices
You can add a pinch of smoked paprika or cumin powder, or use tandoori masala for a tandoori Malai Broccoli. You can also increase or decrease the amount of green chilies to adjust the heat.
Smoky Flavor
To give this malai broccoli some smoky flavors, bake them until they just start to turn brown. Brush the hot pieces with some ghee and either broil them for 1 minute or cook them directly over a flame. You can also use a torch to char them.
Serving Suggestions
This is a versatile dish that can be served in many ways. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer with mint coriander chutney for parties.
You can also serve it as a side dish with chicken tikka, grilled paneer, grilled veggies, naan, or pulao. Or wrap them in a flatbread to make a wrap, or use them as your sandwich filling.
They can also be added to a fresh salad for extra flavor and texture.
Storage Suggestions
Refrigerate: You can store marinated broccoli pieces for up to 2 days in an airtight container in a refrigerator. If you have cooked leftovers, then simply place the cooled broccoli florets in a parchment paper-lined airtight container and store them for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
When you want to serve, simply reheat them in the oven, air fryer, or on a stove-top pan.
Important Tips and Tricks to make the best Malai Broccoli
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Broccoli: I have blanched the broccoli for about 1 minute to soften them slightly, which is ideal for marinating.
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Marinate for Flavor: Marinating allows the spices to penetrate the broccoli.
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Baking: You need to bake them until golden. They might get overcooked, so keep an eye on the broccoli as they start turning golden.
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Storing: You can store them in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Freezing is not recommended for this recipe, as the marinade will separate.
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Sweet spice: You can also add some flavoring like cardamom powder or a pinch of nutmeg powder for different flavors.
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Air Fryer: To air-fry, preheat the air fryer to 180°C (350°F). Place the marinated broccoli in a single layer, spray with some oil, and air fry for 10-12 minutes, shaking halfway through for even browning. And your air fryer Malai Broccoli is ready.
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Pan Fry: To pan-fry, heat a little oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the marinated broccoli and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the florets are golden and tender.
Malai Broccoli (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to Make Malai Broccoli
- In a blender, add hung curd or cream cheese, soaked cashews, green chilies, garlic cloves, and chopped ginger. Also add coriander leaves and mint leaves.
- Blend until smooth. Now, add fresh cream and processed cheese slices and blend again until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, salt, black pepper, chaat masala, and garam masala powder. Also, add mustard oil, lemon juice, and the blended mixture.
- Then add crushed kasuri methi, and whisk everything well to combine. the blended mixture. Add the broccoli florets to the marinade mixture and mix well to coat evenly.
- Once coated, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors. After marinating, transfer the broccoli florets to a parchment-lined baking tray. Make sure to leave a little space between each floret. Alternatively, you can also thread the broccoli pieces onto wooden skewers. Drizzle the remaining marinade over the broccoli florets for extra flavor.
- Spray with oil and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 200°C, or until the broccoli is light golden and fully cooked. You can also air fry or pan-fry them.
- Once done, remove the baking tray from the oven. Your delicious malai broccoli is ready! Serve it hot with mint-coriander chutney and enjoy!
Recipe Card
Malai Broccoli [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 4.9 from 5 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Appetizers | Indian | 4 |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 215 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Malai Broccoli
- 500 grams broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets
- 1/4 cup hung curd or cream cheese
- 1/4 cup soaked cashews
- 2 green chilies
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1-inch piece of ginger, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
- Some mint leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh cream
- 2 processed cheese slices
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi
- Oil for spraying
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to Make Malai Broccoli
- In a blender, add hung curd or cream cheese, soaked cashews, green chilies, garlic cloves, and chopped ginger. Also add coriander leaves and mint leaves.
- Blend until smooth. Now, add fresh cream and processed cheese slices and blend again until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, salt, black pepper, chaat masala, and garam masala powder. Also, add mustard oil, lemon juice, and the blended mixture.
- Then add crushed kasuri methi, and whisk everything well to combine. the blended mixture. Add the broccoli florets to the marinade mixture and mix well to coat evenly.
- Once coated, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors. After marinating, transfer the broccoli florets to a parchment-lined baking tray. Make sure to leave a little space between each floret. Alternatively, you can also thread the broccoli pieces onto wooden skewers. Drizzle the remaining marinade over the broccoli florets for extra flavor.
- Spray with oil and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 200°C, or until the broccoli is light golden and fully cooked. You can also air fry or pan-fry them.
- Once done, remove the baking tray from the oven. Your delicious malai broccoli is ready! Serve it hot with mint-coriander chutney and enjoy!
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NOTES:
- Air Fryer: To air-fry, preheat the air fryer to 180°C (350°F). Place the marinated broccoli in a single layer, spray with some oil, and air fry for 10-12 minutes, shaking halfway through for even browning. And your air fryer Malai Broccoli is ready.
- Pan Fry: To pan-fry, heat a little oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the marinated broccoli and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the florets are golden and tender.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/malai-broccoli/
