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Author Topic: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?  (read 28,888 times)

AI Summary
The discussion centers on whether the marinades for tandoori and tikka dishes are the same or different. Participants share their experiences, noting that while some local takeaways use similar ingredients, there are distinct differences in flavor and color, with tandoori typically being red and tikka more orange. Ultimately, the consensus is that there is no definitive answer, as recipes can vary widely based on regional practices and personal preferences.

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Offline Stephen Lindsay

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Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« on: December 29, 2010, 11:14 AM »
Sad person that I am, that's the question I found myself pondering.

Is the recipe for tandoori and tikka the same? Of course I'm not referring to tandoori chicken (which is on the bone) and chicken or lamb tikka (boneless) pieces, but the mixture in which the meat is marinated.

I don't know why but I have in my own mind that they are essentially the same ingredients though I tend to associate tandoori as having a deep red colour and tikka as being orangy red and this is only cosmetic.

What's the view of others?
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Offline Razor

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2010, 11:35 AM »
Hi Stephen,

I could be wrong but I think we have discussed it before.

I can only offer my slant on things based on my experience.

My local TA's tikka and tandoori, which doesn't have a tandoor by the way, are very different.

As you say, tandoori tends to be red, whereby tikka is yellow to orange but they also taste different.

Their lamb tikka, and tandoori chicken both taste the same.  They have a definate minty note to both of them, so I would suggest that they use the same marinade for these.  However, their chicken tikka, tastes and looks completely different.

Their chicken tikka is a yellowy orange colour, and tastes very savoury, and I can difinately taste methi (fenugreek) in there.

My local TA is Pakistani owned, which may explain the differences I experience but I would suggest that, what they do is typical of the food around this part of Manchester.

Ray :)
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Offline Stephen Lindsay

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2010, 12:01 PM »
Hi Ray

Yeah I wasn't sure if this had been discussed on the forum before but I knew that good folks like yourself would have some helpful contributions to make. I was just looking at Bruce Edwards' Curry House Cookery article and his recipes are the same for both so maybe that's where the seeds of my own thinking were from.

However your experience is that they are very different which adds to the variety of views. Maybe there is no hard and fast answer? I can see how it might be quite easy to have different recipes, especially if using pre-made spice pastes. Interesting though that your takeway's Lamb Tikka has a different mixture from the Chicken Tikka (and the same as Tandoori Chicken). So in one respect they are the same in in another they are different!

Thanks for this Razor.
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Offline Razor

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2010, 12:11 PM »
Hi Stephen,

I could be wrong but I would say that the marinade for both the lamb tikka and Tandoori chicken, probably lends itself better to longer cooking, it may even contain more oil.

My TA displays their uncooked tikka's in large counter fridges.  Certainly the lamb looks quite glossy compared to the chicken.

They are very different in flavour.

It is a good talking point though this, and I don't think we ever reached a general concensus last time.

Most if not all the cookbooks suggest that it is indeed the same marinade for both.

Ray :)
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Offline Stephen Lindsay

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2010, 02:08 PM »
Quote from: Razor on December 29, 2010, 12:11 PM
I could be wrong but I would say that the marinade for both the lamb tikka and Tandoori chicken, probably lends itself better to longer cooking, it may even contain more oil.

That's a good point and one I hadn't thought of.
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Offline Graeme

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2010, 11:14 AM »
As you say on the bone tandoori (could be a whole bird) off the bone tikka (small bits off the bone) using the same marinade?
I don't blame most bir's for coming up with diffrent recipes for what used to be the same marinade. Even Pataks have tandoori paste and tikka paste and i can only guess this is down to marketing or upselling when your shopping. I would like to think its a way of offering diffrent marinades in a bir on the same plate, something diffrent. I don't mind if my chicken tikka is diffrent to my lamb tikka (i quite like it) but i do think its down to offering a new angle on an old idea, again call it marketing if you want or one up-manship on the bir up the road. Its just like us doing two diffrent marinades for say one of our parties.
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2010, 12:11 PM »
Thought I'd add my two penn'orth, particularly as my loose-leaf recipe binder is to hand !  I definitely believe that chicken tikka and tandoori chicken have a noticeable different flavour (and always have done), and my own recipes for each have both elements in common and elements unique to each.  They are as follows :

IngredientChicken tikkaTandoori chicken
Chicken4 large breast fillets4 legs and wings
Curd500g + 2 tablespoons500g + 2 tablespoons
Ground red chilliesNone1 teaspoon
Bassar curry masala3 teaspoonsNone
Fresh green chilliesNone3
Green ginger, grated2/3"2 tablespoons
Garlic, grated1 clove3 cloves
Kala jeeraNone2 teaspoons
Garam masalaNone1 1/2 teaspoons
Salt3 teaspoons2 teaspoons
Sugar2 teaspoons1 teaspoon
Sherry vinegarNone2 teaspoons
Groundnut oil1 dessertspoon2 tablespoons
Red food colouring2 drops2/3 teaspoon
Yellow food colouring4 drops1/3 teaspoon

O&OE (and maybe consider substituting mustard oil for some of the groundnut oil).               

** Phil.
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Offline Razor

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2010, 12:25 PM »
Hi Phil,

Interesting that neither of your marinades contain mint, fresh, jarred or otherwise.

Around here, apart from the colour, that's one of the key differences between tikka and tandoori.

I wouldn't mind giving both of them a go!

Ray :)
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2010, 12:50 PM »
Quote from: Razor on December 30, 2010, 12:25 PM
Interesting that neither of your marinades contain mint, fresh, jarred or otherwise.

I certainly wouldn't rule out including mint, and I can remember no reason why it doesn't feature in the list of ingredients, particularly as we have a very healthy crop of it on the patio, but looking at the historical record in the spreadsheet (which shews how the recipes have evolved over time) it does not look as if I have ever included it.

** Phil.
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Offline TheFasterCurryMaster

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Re: Tandoori and Tikka - Same or Different?
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2011, 10:46 AM »
Interesting Phil.

How many tbsp is 500g curd and what is the Bassar curry masala. Is it just a brand of a curry powder?
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