Topic: Tandoori vs Tikka is there a difference

[Edwin Catflap]

Hi Guys

What's your opinion on the difference between the two. Is it just colour and bones or what??

Ed

[Peripatetic Phil]

For me, different spicing.  When I prepare these for myself I use different spicing, and find that the results satisfactorily emulate the different flavour of each that I expect to experience when eating in a local (Kent/S E London) BIR.  And at a superficial level, I expect tandoori chicken to be a full saturated carmine/crimson whilst I expect chicken tikka to be far less saturated and more towards the yellow end of the spectrum.

** Phil.

[Edwin Catflap]

Thanks Phil, do you use any particular Tandoori spicing (e.g PC's) and what tikka spicing do you use?

Cheers

Ed

[Peripatetic Phil]

I'll have to refer to my notes, Edwin (which are some distance from here); from memory, the spicing is based on Kris Dhillon (KD-1), with personal modifications made in the light of experience.  More later when I have access to my notes (not necessarily today).

** Phil.

[Stephen Lindsay]

Interesting post. I know on here there has been a general view that tandoori is red and tikka is orange but I can't say I really embrace the difference and as for spicing I pretty much do the same for both. I like the taste so haven't felt the need to do anything different. I am however quite happy to accept that that's just me and that Phil's description of the difference is more accurate.

[Edwin Catflap]

Hi Phil

Would this be the detail you refer to in your comments in the link below, hope you don't mind me putting it here, and is it still the case and have you started to use mint??

Looks interesting and a marked difference between the two.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5321.msg52041.html#msg52041


Cheers

Ed

[Peripatetic Phil]

That is exactly it, Ed., and no, I still use no mint in the recipe(s); there seems little point to me, since almost by definition both the tandoori chicken and the chicken tikka will be served with a mint raita as an accompaniment (I never use chicken tikka as an ingredient in a curry).

** Phil.

[jb]

I would say that the vast majority of BIR restaurants/takeaways 'cheat' and use pre-made pastes(tikka/tandoori/kashmiri massala) instead of taking the time to make their own specific spice blends.To me it is cheating,they either can't be bothered to make their own own or it's a time/cost value.The difference between tandoori chicken and chicken tikka is one is on the bone,one isn't.They simply adjust the amount of tikka/tandoori paste depending on what they're making.Every kitchen I've been into always seem to have a ready paste supply.

[Stephen Lindsay]

jb I suspect what you say is true but although I've never made it, blade's tikka recipe got rave reviews on this forum and I think it was made pretty much in the way you describe, using commercial pastes. Maybe others who have made blade's tikka can testify to it's quality?

[jb]

jb I suspect what you say is true but although I've never made it, blade's tikka recipe got rave reviews on this forum and I think it was made pretty much in the way you describe, using commercial pastes. Maybe others who have made blade's tikka can testify to it's quality?

I did make some of Blade's tikka myself,very nice it was too(although it's main ingredient is tandoori as opposed to tikka paste so I've always questioned whether it is actually chicken tikka as a BIR would make it).I managed to get hold of some Pacso catering pastes recently,so I'm not against using them.