The first time I had the pleasure of dining at Zareen’s in Palo Alto, my husband and I ordered chicken samosas, thali plates, and an obscene amount of flatbreads.

But apparently, that wasn’t enough. Because just as we began digging into it all, Owner Zareen Khan walked over with a plate of grilled chicken botti, sizzling away on a cast-iron platter and filling the air with the warm scent of garlic, cumin, and paprika. “You have to try this,” she said, proudly.

She was right. It is now a must-order for us whenever we dine there. We’re definitely not alone, as it’s the most popular dish at the restaurant.

You’ll find that “Grilled Chicken Boti” recipe in her new cookbook, “Zareen’s Pakistani Kitchen” (Sasquatch Books), of which I received a review copy.

The book was written with her husband, Umair Khan, who is the founder of Folio3 Software and a founding partner of Mentors Fund, as well as a visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley.

She and her husband, who met in high school, were both born in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan. The cookbook showcases the Pakistani and North Indian specialties of Zareen’s, as well as beloved home-cooking staples and street-food favorites.

After following her husband to Cambridge, where he was studying at MIT, Khan started cooking for fellow students. When the family moved to California, she continued to do that, as well as teach cooking classes and cater while raising three daughters and working a corporate job. As word spread about her cooking, though, it wasn’t long before the corporate job fell by the wayside, and she began turning out hundreds of kababs that she and her husband would deliver on weekends in their minivan to families around the Bay Area.

Catered gigs for Silicon Valley start-ups eventually led her to open her first Zareen’s restaurant in 2014 in Mountain View, just a stone’s throw from Google’s headquarters. In short order, the Palo Alto one debuted in 2016; and the Redwood City restaurant opened its doors in 2020.

Beyond gifting a platter of chicken boti, Khan’s generosity is often on display in so many other ways, including in her cookbook, where she decided to devote pages to profiling half a dozen women she admires. Not only that, but she and her husband plan to donate half the earnings from sales of their cookbook to these women’s chosen charities.

Among them are: Michelle Tam, creator of Nom Nom Paleo, whose charity is The Women’s Building in San Francisco; and Stacy Brown-Philpot, former CEO of Taskrabbit, whose charity is Planned Parenthood, USA.

If you’re already a fan of the soulful and vibrantly flavorful dishes served at Zareen’s, no doubt you will eagerly embrace this cookbook with its recipes for “Memoni Samosa,” “Desi-Style Chicken Corn Soup,” “Nihari (Pakistani Beef Stew),” and “Zafrani Caramel Custard.”

Because not everyone has a cast-iron platter at home or wants to handle a ripping hot one, Khan adopted her chicken boti recipe so you can cook it on an outdoor grill or in the oven under the broiler.

Boneless chicken thighs get cut into strips, then marinaded in a heady mixture of yogurt, paprika, cayenne, garlic, coriander, cumin, black pepper, lime juice, garam masala, and mashed papaya. You only need 1 tablespoon of papaya, which helps tenderize the chicken, and also gives you a fabulous excuse to spring for one to enjoy for breakfast.

The marinade calls for 2 teaspoons of cayenne, which will add a pretty good kick of heat. If you prefer a tamer version, just use less.

After the chicken has marinated, just grill or broil it. Serve with slices of sauteed onions, cilantro sprigs, green chilies, lemon wedges, and Pakistan’s most popular chutney. Hari chutney is a breeze to make. Just blitz cilantro, mint, serrano chili, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, cumin seeds, and sugar with a couple of ice cubes in a blender until smooth and brilliant green.

Spicy, citrusy, grassy, and earthy, the chutney is a powerhouse of flavor. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the tender chicken that’s wonderfully spicy and smoky tasting. Serve with rice or flatbreads. And if you find your taste buds need some cooling down, serve some yogurt on the side. It’s a natural as an extra garnish.

This version of “Grilled Chicken Boti” is every bit as satisfying as the one served at Zareen’s. It may not come to the table on a dramatic smoking platter. But it won’t set off your home smoke detector, either.

Grilled Chicken Boti

(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

For the marinade:

3 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne red chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic paste

1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon mashed fresh papaya

1/4 teaspoon garam masala, store-bought or recipe below

For rest of the dish:

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch strips

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sliced green chilies (optional)

Lemon wedges, for serving

Hari Chuntney (recipe below), for serving

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all the marinade ingredients.

Add the chicken thighs and toss to evenly coat the pieces. Let them rest for 30 to 60 minutes.

Grill or barbecue the marinated chicken pieces for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once midway through grilling until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is done, i.e. juice no longer runs pink when cutting into the thickest part of the meat. Alternatively, on a greased baking sheet in the oven, broil the chicken on high, without turning, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is done. Set aside.

Add the oil to a small frying pan and saute the onion over medium heat until sweet and translucent, not brown, about 2 minutes.

Serve the grilled chicken with sauteed onions and garnish with cilantro and green chilies. Serve with lemon wedges and hari chutney on the side.

Garam Masala

(Makes about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup coriander seeds

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

6 pieces star anise

5 pieces mace

1/2 nutmeg

2 cinnamon sticks

8 green cardamom pods

4 black cardamom pods

On a tava or cast-iron skillet, dry roast all the ingredients on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until they release their rich aroma.

Enjoy several minutes of aromatherapy, then transfer the roasted spices to a coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder or pound with a mortar and pestle.

Continue the aromatherapy session for a minute or two more; then store in a sealed jar at room temperature.

Hari Chutney

(Makes 4 servings)

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 serrano chili, finely chopped, deseed to reduce heat

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 to 5 ice cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a blender, add the cilantro, mint, chili, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, sugar, cumin seeds, ice cubes, and salt, and blend until smooth.

Serve on the side in a shallow bowl.

Pro Tip: The ice cubes keep the chutney ingredients cool during blending, helping it retain its vibrant green color.

From “Zareen’s Pakistani Kitchen” by Zareen Khan and Umair Khan

More: A Visit to Zareen’s in Palo Alto