Malai Broccoli is a flavorful and delightful tandoori appetizer recipe where broccoli florets are coated with rich, creamy malai marinade and roasted until perfectly golden and crisp in the air fryer or oven. Serve as a starter or even as a side dish in an Indian meal.
We love broccoli at home and are always looking for new ways to cook it. Luckily, my daughter Dhwani loves it in any form too! I regularly make air fryer broccoli, broccoli spinach soup, and broccoli paneer paratha.
Appetizers are my favorite part in any party or get-together. I enjoy creating fancy appetizers and desserts for my guests, whether it’s tandoori gobi, tandoori broccoli, tandoori naan pizza or avocado papdi chaat.
Today, I am sharing a fusion tandoori appetizer recipe with broccoli called 'Malai Broccoli', ("malai" means cream), which is another crowd-pleaser! Its super easy to make, delicious and can be prepared in either the oven or air fryer.
If you are planning to host guests at your home and need some inspiration, take a look at our collection of 40+ Indian Vegetarian Dinner Party Menu Ideas post.
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Ingredients
- Broccoli: I made this recipe with fresh organic broccoli available in supermarkets. Clean and cut into bite-sized florets.
- Yogurt: Use plain, full-fat hung curd or Greek yogurt for a thick, creamy marinade. Here is the detailed recipe for How to make hung curd at home.
- Cream: I used heavy whipping cream, you can also use fresh cream or Amul cream.
- Cheese: I used Amul processed cheese cubes and grated it. You can use any shredded mozzarella cheese. Just make sure it is incorporated well into the marinade.
- Ginger and garlic: You can mince or use ginger-garlic paste.
- Spices: I have used cardamom powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt, and pepper.
- Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves): This gives a nice flavor to the dish. If you don't have it, skip it.
- Corn Starch:Â Is added to help broccoli coat the marinade well and not stick to the air fryer basket/pan. Skip cornstarch if you are making a low-carb snack. If you don't have cornflour, use besan (gram flour) instead.
How to Make Tandoori Malai Broccoli in Air Fryer
Clean, and cut 1 medium-sized broccoli head into bite-sized florets, roughly the same size for even cooking. You should get around 20-22 florets from a medium-sized head.
The next step is to blanch the broccoli. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and let it cook for 1 minute (for firm broccoli). Immediately transfer them to a bowl filled with water and ice cubes to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain the water and pat them dry with a kitchen or paper towel.
Alternatively, you can steam the broccoli in Instant Pot.
In a large mixing bowl, add the following ingredients
- ½ cup hung curd (or Greek yogurt)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup shredded cheese (I used Amul processed cheese)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- salt and black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or besan)
Mix everything well using a whisker.
Then add the blanched/steamed broccoli florets and mix until each piece of the broccoli is coated well with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Firstly, Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C). Grease the Air fryer basket with some butter (or oil). Place the marinated broccoli florets in the basket and spread them in a single layer (cook in batches if required). Brush or spray some butter on the top, ensuring the broccoli doesn't dry out.
Air fry at 360°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes or until edges start browning and turn tender-crisp. Turn halfway through cooking time.
Remove in a serving plate, squeeze some lime juice, and serve immediately with mint yogurt chutney.
How to Make Malai Broccoli in the Oven
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the marinated cheesy malai broccoli evenly in a single layer.
Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes. Then broil on high for 2-3 minutes till they turn charred and crispy on the edges. Turn halfway through cooking time.
Tandoori Malai Broccoli Serving Suggestions
Serve tandoori malai broccoli tikka hot with
- Mint yogurt chutney
- Onion salad or slices
- Lime wedges
- And a glass of mango lassi or a hot cup of ginger chai.
Variations
- Other Veggies:Â You can also add a medley of vegetables like onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms along with broccoli to make mixed vegetable malai tikka.
- Keto: If you want to make keto or low-carb malai broccoli tikka bites, then skip cornstarch in this recipe.
- Paneer: Replace broccoli with paneer cubes to make malai paneer tikka.
Expert Tips
- Cut them the same size: This helps for quick and even cooking.
- Prep and Dry Broccoli: Wash the broccoli florets, steam them, and pat them dry thoroughly before marinating. Excess moisture will make the roasted broccoli soggy.
- Marination:Â In the refrigerator, let the broccoli florets marinate for at least 30 minutes. If you have some extra time, then let them sit for longer. That way, they absorb more flavors from the marinade.Â
- Corn starch:Â I highly recommend adding corn starch (or besan) to the marinade. This step ensures that the corn starch helps the broccoli coat well and not stick to the air fryer basket/pan.
- Work in batches. Make sure to spread the marinated broccoli in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between each other. Cook in batches if needed.
- Shake the basket halfway:Â It's important to turn them halfway through cooking time for even roasting.
More Air Fryer Indian Recipes
Malai Broccoli Recipe (Air Fryer & Oven)
Equipment
Ingredients
For Malai Marinade
- ½ cup hung curd (or greek yogurt)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup cheese (I used amul processed cheese)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice optional
- 1 tablespoon corn starch (or besan)
Other Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli (about 20-22 medium sized florets, around 300 grams)
- 1-2 tablespoons butter for brushing
Garnish
- lime wedges to serve
- sliced onions to serve
- tandoori mint yogurt chutney to serve
Instructions
- Clean, and cut the broccoli head into bite-sized florets, roughly the same size for even cooking.The next step is to blanch the broccoli. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop the broccoli in the boiling water, let it cook for 1 minute (for firm broccoli), and then transfer it into a bowl filled with water and ice cubes. Once cooled, drain the water and pat them dry with a kitchen or paper towel. Or you may also steam the broccoli in Instant Pot.
- In a large bowl, add hung curd, heavy cream, shredded cheese, ginger-garlic paste, cardamom powder, kasuri methi, garam masala, cumin powder, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch (flour). Mix everything well using a whisker.
- Then add the blanched/steamed broccoli florets and mix until each piece of the broccoli is coated well with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Firstly, Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C). Grease the Air fryer basket with some butter (or oil). Place the marinated broccoli florets in the basket and spread them in a single layer (cook in batches if required). Brush or spray some butter on the top, ensuring the broccoli doesn't dry out.
- Air fry at 360°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes or until edges start browning and turn tender-crisp. Turn halfway through cooking time.
- Remove in a serving plate, squeeze some lime juice, and immediately serve with mint yogurt chutney.
How to Make Malai Broccoli in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the marinated cheesy malai broccoli evenly in a single layer.
- Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes. Then broil on high for 2-3 minutes till they turn charred and crispy on the edges. Turn halfway through cooking time.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Cut them the same size:Â This helps for quick and even cooking.
- Prep and Dry Broccoli: Wash the broccoli florets, steam them, and pat them dry thoroughly before marinating. Excess moisture will make the roasted broccoli soggy.
- Marination:Â In the refrigerator, let the broccoli florets marinate for at least 30 minutes. If you have some extra time, then let them sit for longer. That way, they absorb more flavors from the marinade.Â
- Corn starch:Â I highly recommend adding cornstarch (or besan) to the marinade. This step ensures that the cornstarch helps the broccoli coat well and not stick to the air fryer basket/pan.
- Work in batches. Make sure to spread the marinated broccoli in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between each other. Cook in batches if needed.
- Shake the basket halfway:Â It's important to turn them halfway through cooking time for even roasting.
Variations
- Other Veggies:Â You can also add a medley of vegetables like onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms along with broccoli to make mixed vegetable malai tikka.
- Keto: If you want to make keto or low-carb malai broccoli tikka bites, then skip cornstarch in this recipe.
- Paneer: Replace broccoli with paneer cubes to make malai paneer tikka.
Nutrition
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Arunima Pandey
Awesome recepie. Tried multiple times and each time came out well. Shared it with friends too 😊
Bhavana Patil
Hi Arunima, Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, made my day. Thank you for sharing with your friends, means a lot.