When you think of Indian food, chances are you picture a bowl of either Butter Chicken or Tikka Masala. Both are incredibly popular Indian dishes that you might find on the menu of Indian restaurants, made with pieces of chicken swimming in a vibrant red sauce. This article will help explain the difference between these two popular Indian recipes so you can feel confident ordering out!
What is Tikka Masala?
Tikka Masala is made with just about any meat in a spicy tomato-based sauce. This dish originated in northern India where leftover Tandoori chicken was marinated in a powerful blend of spices like turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cardamom and black pepper, and then stewed in a tomato and yogurt sauce.
Today Tikka Masala is considered the national dish of Britain and is one of the most popular Indian dishes. When the dish was adopted by the British, the amount of creamy curry sauce in the dish was increased, to create a creamy tomato gravy with a unique taste that could be poured over rice and scooped with naan.
Tikka Masala is bright red and usually has some small chunks of tomatoes and onions. The tomatoes in the sauce give it a slightly sweet flavor while the spices give it a kick of heat.
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, also known as murgh makhani in India, is also a curry dish made with a tomato and yogurt-based sauce, but it also contains a generous amount of butter and cream, blended into the sauce until smooth and creamy.
Butter Chicken came from Punjabi cuisine just like this Easy Palak Paneer Recipe and is very popular throughout India. It has since become more popular in the United States, appealing to a crowd that was interested in curry flavor without the curry spice.
The flavor of Butter Chicken is much richer and creamier than Tikka Masala with significantly less heat as well. It’s really the level of creaminess that sets this dish apart from Tikka Masala. The rich sauce still contains a mix of spices but the heat is significantly reduced thanks to the key ingredient–cream.
The heavy cream and butter blended into the sauce gives it a lighter color and creamier appearance. The sauce is often blended until smooth giving it a noticeably creamy texture. The chicken pieces may also be shredded.
Taste
The main and most obvious difference between the two dishes is the taste of the final product.
Tikka Masala has a bold flavor. It’s mostly tomato at first and then the spices come into play. Tikka Masala isn’t considered a very spicy dish but it definitely packs a mild but delicious kick.
Butter Chicken has a creamy and rich flavor. The meat is also grilled, but the cream takes the edge off any spice or chili pepper in the marinade.
Both dishes usually include tomatoes, onions, garlic and ginger but the different chilies used and the lack of cream in Tikka Masala have a big impact on the overall flavor of the dish.
FAQs
Both of these dishes are delicious served over a bed of white rice with a side of butter naan bread to help soak up all the leftover sauce. You could serve them with cauliflower rice and skip the naan for a healthier option and also supplement the meal with plenty of cooked vegetables.
Butter Chicken is mostly sweet but it is also mildly spicy. It contains all the earthy flavors of the spices and the smoky flavor of chicken cooked in a tandoor oven, but it is perfectly balanced with plenty of butter and ghee.
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