Malai Broccoli Recipe | Creamy, Smoky & Delicious Vegetarian Starter
- Preeti Shridhar
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
A delicious Malai Broccoli recipe made with a creamy, flavourful marinade and roasted until lightly charred. An easy vegetarian starter for parties and gatherings.
Broccoli may not be the first vegetable that comes to mind when you think of Indian starters, but give it a creamy, flavour-packed marinade and a little char, and it transforms completely.
Malai Broccoli is one of those recipes that is surprisingly simple yet feels special enough to serve at a dinner party. The broccoli is coated in a rich, mildly spiced marinade flavoured with cream, cheese and aromatic spices, and then roasted until beautifully charred around the edges.
The result is tender broccoli with a smoky exterior, a creamy coating and just the right amount of spice.
It is a wonderful vegetarian alternative to the usual kebabs and tikkas—and even people who claim they don’t like broccoli may be tempted to go back for seconds!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
* A delicious way to enjoy broccoli
* Creamy, mildly spiced and smoky
* Perfect vegetarian starter for parties
* Can be prepared ahead of time
* Requires very little oil
* Ready in a short time once the broccoli is marinated
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Ingredients
Broccoli Florets 10-12
Olive oil for brushing
Lemon wedges 2
Smoked paprika to sprinkle
Marinade
Hung curd 1/2 cup
Chat Masala 1 /2 tsp
Fresh Cream or Malai 2 tbsp
Cheese Cube 1
Salt to taste
White Pepper Powder 1/2 tsp
Sattu Powder 2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Olive Oil 2 tbsp
Method
Mix everything mentioned under marinade until you get a smooth mix.
Keep it aside
Wash the broccoli florets.
Steam them until done yet crunchy… approximately 4-5 minutes.
Immediately dunk them in ice cold water.
Remove them on a clean kitchen towel after a couple of minutes.
Once slightly dry, toss them in the prepared marinade.
Keep them in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Just before serving :
Arrange them in the AirFryer basket/ tray, spray generously with oil .
Airfry them in a preheated air fryer at 200 degrees celsius for 10- 12 minutes or until they are slightly charred and smokey.
Mine were done in 12 minutes.
Keep an eye after 8 minutes so as not to burn them.
Serve immediately with coriander mint chutney and a slice of lemon.
You may sprinkle little smoked paprika fro drama.
Tips for Perfect Malai Broccoli
Dry the broccoli well.
This is especially important after steaming.Excess moisture will dilute the marinade.
Use thick hung curd.
A thick marinade sticks much better to the broccoli and gives you a lovely coating after roasting.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer.
Cook in batches if necessary. Good air circulation is what gives the broccoli those beautifully charred edges.
Don’t skip the resting time.
Even an hour of marination allows the flavours to penetrate the broccoli.
Serve immediately.
Malai Broccoli is at its best when it is hot, creamy and slightly smoky straight from the air fryer.
Serve Malai Broccoli as a starter with:
* Coriander-mint chutney
* Lemon wedges
* Sliced onions
* A sprinkle of smoked paprika
It also makes a lovely addition to a vegetarian party platter alongside paneer tikka, tandoori vegetables or other Indian kebabs.
Closing Notes
I love recipes that take an everyday ingredient and turn it into something that feels completely different. Malai Broccoli does exactly that.
Creamy, mildly spiced and beautifully charred, it is proof that vegetarian food doesn’t have to be complicated to be impressive.
And if you’re looking for a starter that is a little different from the usual paneer tikka, this one deserves a place on your table.
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