Difference between curry and tikka masala?
Let's assume that they are both made with chicken, and that the curry is a traditional Indian curry, with tomato and traditional spices, not with "curry powder" tossed in it.
Various articles claim to describe the differences, but they disagree with each other.
Recipes for both use the same seasonings, and appear pretty much interchangeable, except that curry often has coconut-something in it, and tikka masala is heavy on butter and cream.
How are they actually supposed to be different?
Best Answer
'Curry' is a very general term, generally applied on cuisines from an outside perspective. In a particular area there may be a 'default' curry but this will differ widely in different places and contexts – "traditional Indian curry" is an understandable misconception, like saying there's a specific dish which is "standard Italian pasta".
Tikka Masala is a more specific dish although there will be variation, a staple of British 'Indian' (which also includes Bangladeshi and Pakistani) cuisine.
So as noted in the comments, tikka masala is a type of curry.
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Quick Answer about "Difference between curry and tikka masala?"
Recipes for both use the same seasonings, and appear pretty much interchangeable, except that curry often has coconut-something in it, and tikka masala is heavy on butter and cream.What is the difference between masala and curry?
Ultimately both curry powder and masala are blended spice mixes that can be added to food to pack a spicy and aromatic kick. In the end, the difference boils down to the different mix of spices, masala being more of a warming aromatic blend and curry powder being more of an earthy blend.Is chicken tikka masala considered curry?
Chicken tikka masala is one of the most popular curry dishes in the Western world. The dish today has been refined from its accidental beginning, although there is no one standard recipe.What curry is hotter than a tikka masala?
Dopiaza translates as 'onions twice'. It is a curry that tastes very strongly of fried onions. It is really tasty and is an excellent choice if you want to go hotter than a chicken tikka masala but want something milder than the mighty madras! The curry is an orange-brown colour with plenty of sauce.Is tikka curry the same as tikka masala?
Tikka Masala has the same chicken chunks used in tikka but the difference lies in the gravy that is prepared for it. The curry is indeed thick and red or brown in color with lots of spices and oil having gone into making it. Lots of tomatoes and butter is used to prepare the curry.The BEST Chicken Tikka Masala
More answers regarding difference between curry and tikka masala?
Answer 2
The difference between curry and tikka is more down to the preparation and way the dish is cooked, rather than the core ingredients, although they may share many common factors.
For instance, the meat for a curry might be marinaded in a sauce (masala) beforehand, or it might just be pan fried along with onions and garlic with the cooking sauce built from tomatoes, yoghurt, stock etc. and the meat (Chicken, beef or lamb) finally cooked off in this sauce. So traditionally, a curry is cooked in a pan or casserole pot.
On the other hand, a tikka will almost always be marinaded beforehand, generally in a mixture of oil, yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, ginger and spices for at least an hour, preferably overnight. The meat (Generally chicken, although lamb is also used) is then placed on a skewer and cooked vertically in a traditional tandoori oven, although a Western adaptation would be to grill or oven cook the pieces. Frequently, food colouring is added to the chicken to give a vibrant red, yellow or orange look, something that is not done in a traditional curry.
Once the tikka meat is cooked it may be served with a side salad, or added to a tomato and cream based sauce which then forms a very modern dish, chicken tikka masala.
Effectively, the difference between a curry and a tikka is stewing/braising versus roasting.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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