A thick, clotted layer of cream skimmed from slowly simmered whole milk, used throughout South Asian cooking to add richness and sweetness. It's related to Western clotted cream but tends to be softer and more spoonable, with a smooth, mildly sweet, dairy-forward flavor. Malai enriches curries and sauces, as in chicken tikka masala, and forms the base of desserts like kheer, kulfi, and rasmalai. Don't confuse it with heavy cream or creme fraiche, which are made differently and taste tangier or thinner by comparison.