Indian Red Food Colouring? The 92 Correct Answer

Wondering why tandoori chicken is red?

When you order this dish in a restaurant, it always looks fiery red.

And that’s the lightest shade of red you’d likely ever see in a food item.

So what is the reason for this?

Why does this dish have to be so red?

I know you must be curious to know more about this dish and its color.

In the guide below, I’ve shared some useful insights on the subject, so let’s check them out.

Why is tandoori chicken red?

The red color in tandoori chicken comes from the red Kashmiri chilies.

It’s those chilies that really make this dish look so fiery.

In case you don’t know, Kashmiri Chili is one of the most popular chilies in India.

It is used more often for its color than for its flavor or pungency.

That’s correct!

These chilies don’t add much heat to dishes, making them an excellent choice for most North Indian-style preparations.

The chillies are often used in powder form because the powder mixes well with most Indian cooking ingredients.

As for the tandoori chicken, there are many other ways you can get its distinctive red color.

I’ve shared some of them in the next section, so you should definitely check them out.

4 Ways to Make Tandoori Chicken Red

Here is a list of ways you can add a red color to your tandoori chicken –

1. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder

As mentioned earlier, it is one of the most commonly used ingredients in this type of preparation.

Red Kashmiri chili powder gives tandoori dishes a typical red color.

It is also difficult to achieve the same color through other ingredients and cooking techniques.

The other reason you should use this chili powder is that it doesn’t add a spicy flavor to the recipe.

This means you can use green chillies and some garam masala to add extra heat and flavor to the dish.

Quick tip:

If you cannot find this chili powder in a nearby store, you can use red Kashmiri chillies.

All you have to do is soak them in water for a few minutes and grind them into a paste.

Once the paste is ready, apply it to the chicken pieces and follow the marinating process as usual.

In the meantime, this technique has become very popular in some professional kitchens, as fresh chillies give the chicken pieces an even better colour.

You can also use Byadgi chillies as an alternative to red Kashmiri chillies.

2. Food colorings

Food coloring is widely used in the baking world.

And if you don’t know, tandoor-style cooking is quite similar to baking.

Tandoors are also known as clay pot ovens.

So the way you cook in these ovens is not too different from the modern ovens.

Regarding food coloring, you can certainly use them for making tandoori chicken or any other tandoori dish in your kitchen.

However, it is mainly used in Dhaba-style cooking because artificial coloring is much cheaper and more convenient than chili powder.

These days you will rarely find top restaurants using such ingredients to serve tandoori dishes to their customers.

Many cooks are now opting for red Kashmiri chili paste or powder, which is a better option than the artificial coloring.

3. Beetroot juice

Yes, the secret ingredient!

If you don’t have access to red Kashmiri chilies or powder, you can consider using beetroot juice.

It’s a beautiful natural ingredient that can add a really dark red hue to your tandoori food.

But how do you use this ingredient?

Well, you can mix up a few tablespoons of this juice while preparing the yogurt marinade.

The amount of juice will depend on how much chicken you will be using to prepare.

In addition, it is quite difficult to use beetroot juice to color the dishes.

If you use it heavily, you’ll have to deal with a completely different shade than your chicken.

And it’s not just about that.

The beetroot juice also imparts a slight bitterness to the dish if used excessively.

Note: You must also use red chili powder and turmeric powder along with the beetroot juice in the marinade.

If you only use beetroot juice in the recipe, the chicken will likely turn a deep pink or maroon color.

So be careful when using this ingredient.

4. Various red chili powders

The best thing about tandoori chicken is that you can use any chilli powder to prepare it.

Although the Kashmiri red chili powder adds color to this dish, you can definitely try other red chili powders.

However, if you want to use other chilli powder, you should make sure that it is not too spicy.

The only goal of using red chilli powder in this recipe is to get the right shade.

Also, you can control the spicy flavor by adding some other ingredients as mentioned in the instructions.

Should tandoori chicken always be red?

Ideally yes, it should be red.

It’s a kind of identity of this dish.

However, you can indeed play with the shade you want your prep to have.

There is no compulsion that you have to make it too bright.

As long as you keep the essence of the traditional recipe, feel free to experiment with this dish as you wish.

If you still want to get that perfect red color, always use Kashmiri red chili powder in your recipe.

frequently asked Questions

1. Why is Tandoori Chicken Pink?

Tandoori chicken may turn pink if you use artificial coloring or beetroot juice.

Both of these elements can add a light pink tint to the dish.

If you ordered it from a restaurant, it’s most likely due to overuse of food coloring.

Note: If the chicken is pink, it is undercooked.

You can reheat the chicken for a few more minutes.

It will help cook the pieces to perfection. 2. Why is Indian food red?

It would not be appropriate to call Indian food red because there are so many dishes in the country that come in different colors.

But yes, there are quite a lot of red color Indian curries.

This color is created by cooking red chilli powder and turmeric powder in the base mixture.

The combination of these two ingredients gives some Indian curries a red or orange color. 3. Should tandoori chicken be spicy?

It depends on your food preference.

In general, it is not as spicy as some of the well-known Indian curries.

If you look at the recipe of this dish, you will not find any hot spices in it.

However, the addition of ground spices and homemade red chili powder can make this dish spicy, especially if you make it at home. 4. What do you eat tandoori chicken with?

Tandoori chicken is generally served as an appetizer or appetizer, so you can enjoy it with mint chutney.

You can also try ketchup, although it’s not the best combination for this dish.

Otherwise, you can also try it with paratha or spicy flavored rice. 5. Indian coloring?

No, Indians do not color food.

In fact, you won’t find dyes in most homes across the country.

As the traditional homemade Indian food is based on natural ingredients, we prefer only chillies and cooking techniques to achieve the right colors for the dishes.

But there are restaurants and eateries that use additional colors to make some of their dishes more appetizing.

It is a common practice in such professional kitchens as they have to ‘sell’ the dish to their customers.

over to you

Well I hope the guide above helped to understand the reasons why tandoori chicken is red.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about this topic, feel free to leave them in the comments.

If you liked this guide, share it with your friends and family.

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As announced by Robin Cook last year, chicken tikka masala is now Britain’s favorite dish. 23 million servings are sold in Indian restaurants every year. It’s also a huge revenue generator for brick-and-mortar retailers — Marks & Spencer’s grocery departments alone sell 18 tons of the stuff a week. It’s a dish created specifically for British tastes (try ordering it in India or Pakistan and they won’t know what you’re talking about). But have you ever wondered what’s in that greasy orange concoction? New research suggests that the contents of the average chicken tikka masala leave a lot to be desired.

A survey conducted by analytical chemists Eurofins Scientific found that almost half of London’s Indian restaurants use potentially unnecessary and potentially dangerous levels of food coloring in dishes. Samples from restaurants across London were tested and around 46 per cent were found to contain high levels of artificial colors including Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow and Ponceau 4R, which is banned in the US. The interim report states that the colorant content in these samples was above the 500 mg per kg permitted under food law. High doses of such additives have been linked to asthma, skin rashes and digestive problems.

The study suggests that some restaurants throw in powdered colors rather recklessly, “either by eye or with a spoon.” And it’s not just the colorings in a typical Indian snack that are a cause for concern. According to nutritionist Patrick Holford, author of The Optimum Nutrition Bible, “Chicken tikka masala is far too high in fat. The problem isn’t the Indian food per se — we could all eat more beans and lentils — it’s that there’s no question that a high-fat diet increases the risk of cancer and heart disease.”

Few would argue that eating traditional Indian takeaways every night of the week is a healthy option, but according to Tania Ahsan, Editor of Tandoori Magazine, Indian restaurants are unfairly singled out. “If Indian restaurants produce food against regulations, that’s wrong,” she says. “But stories tend to focus on Indian restaurants rather than Italian restaurants, for example, because Indian food is reasonably priced.”

Most Indian restaurants have menus tailored to British tastes. Ahsan believes that when customers ask for brightly colored dishes, it’s their own fault. “In the past, customers wanted this almost crimson, bright color, and it’s not possible to get that bright color naturally,” she says.

While such sloppy, bright concoctions are unlikely to disappear from our country’s restaurants any time soon, we can all make healthy choices within Indian cuisine, at least when it comes to fat content. “As with any other food, some Indian dishes have a higher fat content than others,” she says. “Choose chicken tikka — marinated boneless chicken, grilled or grilled — over masala, which is a richer, creamier dish.”

Indian top chef Udit Sarkhel also defends curry when it comes to the coloring controversy. “If you go to a bakery and buy a cake with a pink or green topping, it has coloring in it,” he says. “Sugar is not that color. As long as dyes are used in reasonable amounts, they’re fine.”

So how can we tell the difference between a good curry and a bad one? “A bright red is not normal. That would indicate artificial coloring,” says Sarkhel. “Ideally, a chicken tikka masala should be light orange, which would indicate that it contains peppers.”

A switch to Thai or sushi is not yet necessary. But remember, when it comes to curry, red can mean danger.

Curries belong to Indian cuisine what pasta probably belongs to Italian cuisine and cheese to American cuisine. Whether you’re a vegetarian or non-vegetarian living in the Indian subcontinent, at least one or more of your meals will likely include some type of curry with flatbread such as roti/chapati or rice. The world hasn’t learned to love the curry, which is basically a flavored broth containing a handful of essential Indian spices, including cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and that oh-so-important and not-so-secret ingredient – garam masala. A number of Indian curries now contain pureed tomatoes and are made even more delicious and flavorful with the addition of the ginger and garlic paste, which is prepared loose and used in most dishes.

Indian curries

Curries can be light or rich, thick or thin, depending on what a particular dish calls for. A number of Indian curries tend to be cooked to the perfect thickness with just the right amount of richness and fat to make them smacking good. But before you indulge in curry recipes, what seduces and enchants you about a curry dish is the look and color of the sauce. A curry often doesn’t look appetizing enough if it’s too light. Punjabi chhole, for example, is a curry dish that usually has a deep dark brown hue, which is a desirable appearance for a well-cooked curry. Usually, slow cooking a curry can help you achieve that deeper, richer look.

Also Read: 11 Best Indian Chicken Curry Recipes | Chicken Sauce Recipes

Cooking Tips: That deep color in Pindi Chhole or Punjabi Chhole is achieved with a simple trick

The same goes for a range of chicken and mutton curries, including Bhuna Masala, Rogan Josh, etc. But sometimes you may find that your curry refuses to take on that deep color. Maybe you mixed in a little too much cream or milk, or maybe your onions and tomatoes didn’t caramelize properly enough to darken. What do you do then? There’s an extremely simple trick to correcting the color of your curry – it’s a very simple method and very easy to perform. You can darken the color of your veggie or non-veg curry with the help of some black tea leaves!

Also Read: 11 Best Curry Recipes | Popular curry recipes

How to make your curry deeper and darker:

1. Take some water in a deep-bottomed pan and add some black tea leaves.

2. Boil the water until it turns black in color.

3. Add this water to your curry during cooking to get that perfect deep brown shade.

4. Alternatively, you can throw some tea bags with the strings cut off into your curry while it is cooking and remove them after a while.

5. Another way to deepen the color of your curry is to secure some tea leaves in a tiny, thin muslin cloth and toss that little bag of tea leaves into your curry. Fish out this bag when you’ve reached the color you want.

So now you know! This trick is commonly used to darken the color of chickpeas that are prepared a number of different ways. A few tea bags thrown in the water while the chickpeas are pressure-cooked can help you get darker choles. Do you know any other tricks and tips to darken the color of curries? Let us know in the comments section below!

When it comes to bright looking curries, chicken tikka masala is as vibrant as it gets. This bright red color is certainly distinctive. But what makes tikka masala red? There are a few reasons, but it’s due to the variety of red ingredients used in the dish. I’ll give you the answer and show you what goes into a delicious tikka masala to give it that red color.

Quick Response | What Makes Tikka Masala Red?

Tikka Masala is a tomato-based dish. Therefore, it will be red in color. You will read elsewhere that the red color comes from Kashmiri chillies. that is not completely right. Tikka Masala is a really mild dish and doesn’t need any chili powder at all… Especially not with cashmere chili powder. Although bland and red, you won’t typically find it in this BIR dish.

Because tikka masala has become synonymous with a “bright red” curry (and because people complain when it’s not), some restaurants are complementing their curry color by using artificial food coloring!

Read on if you want to learn more about where tikka masala gets its red color from.

What is Tikka Masala?

Tikka Masala is a bright red curry thought to have originated in Britain. If you know the history of chicken tikka masala, it was traditionally made with a can of tomato soup. The curry is traditionally prepared with chicken.

Tikka Masala is one of the “safe” options on an Indian take-out menu. It is usually prepared without hot spices and is considered a very mild dish.

While tikka masala is traditionally considered “red,” it can come in a variety of colors. Some curry restaurants serve a bright orange version of the dish. In contrast, others add certain “secret” ingredients to bring it to that bright red color we all know and love.

Why is My Tikka Masala red?

Alright, let’s get down to business. There are a few reasons why tikka masala is red. To understand why, we need to look at the ingredients that give tikka masala that distinctive red color. They are as follows:-

tomatoes

Red tandoori masala paste

Red food coloring

paprika

lemon juice

Tandoori chicken

Let’s take a look at each ingredient in turn…

tomatoes

For those of you familiar with chicken tikka masala, it’s definitely a tomato-based dish. Generally, whole tomatoes are not used. Instead, it’s prepared with something called tomato puree. This is a naturally red ingredient, giving that color to any dish it is used in.

Red tandoori masala paste

Authentic Indian curry chefs don’t have time to assemble spice pastes and powders for every curry dish.

I hate to tell you, but based on my experience at an Indian restaurant, they have a few food cheats and shortcuts. Yes, this includes the use of glass-based pastes.

Red tandoori masala paste is bright red in color. It also includes an additive or two that really makes that red color “pop.”

Red food coloring

If your tikka masala isn’t red, why not give it a little boost?

A pot of red food coloring or a tube of red colored food gel works wonders to give your tikka masala a really bright and vibrant red color.

Want to know what the restaurants use?

The powder certainly, but that can be difficult to come by in the supermarket. The good news is that ordering red curry food coloring online is easy.

paprika

Paprika is a bright red spice that is relatively mild in taste. It is made by drying relatively mild red peppers before grinding them into a fine powder. As a result, you get all that beautiful red color without making the dish too spicy.

It doesn’t take a lot of paprika to add a little blush to practically any dish.

lemon juice

wait what

Lemon juice is not red.

No, I know that! However, lemon juice is an acid. Acid elements have a very interesting effect in combination with food coloring. The acid can help preserve the structure and color of red food coloring during cooking.

If you’re a dessert fanatic, you’ve seen this work to great effect in red velvet cake.

If you add a squeeze of lemon juice to your tikka and also use some red food coloring, you’ll find that it’s a much more vibrant and eye-catching color.

This only works with certain food colorings. I almost always use red food coloring gel in my recipes. Red food coloring liquid usually doesn’t produce the bright colors that I like.

Tandoori chicken

As I said before, tikka masala is usually served with chicken. If you’ve picked a good Indian restaurant, there’s a good chance they use tandoori chicken. If you don’t know what tandoori cooking is, be sure to check out my guide.

Tandoori chicken is also bright red in color. This is because it’s marinated (usually overnight) in a mixture of red food coloring, garlic, ginger, and a few other herbs and spices.

As a result, this marinade will leach into the tikka masala curry, so it could be one of the things that makes tikka masala red.

What Makes Tikka Masala Red? Final Thoughts…

They say you taste with your eyes and I think that’s true. I don’t know why, but I find that a tikka masala that isn’t red just doesn’t taste the same. What Makes Tikka Masala Red? It’s a combination of the ingredients used that all work together. These include bell peppers, tomato puree, red tandoori chicken pieces, not to mention the occasional addition of a little red food coloring. As a result, you get a bright red, lively and very tasty curry. Just don’t drop it on the carpet!

Mallika is a content writer and foodie who loves her native Indian cuisine. She enjoys exploring the kitchen and sharing it with others.

Traditional tandoori chicken tikka is red

Tikka Kebab in a rainbow of colors

Chicken tikka kebab is an iconic Indian dish that has become very popular overseas as well. Originating from the tandoor ovens of Punjabi cuisine, this dish is a staple at Indian parties, gatherings and restaurant menus.

The word tikka means boneless chicken cubes or pieces. Typically, thighs or breasts are used for this dish, although thighs are generally preferred because they are wetter and tastier.

I show you seven beautiful, natural-colored chicken tikka kebabs. The seven colors featured are red, yellow, green, white, pink, brown, and black.

recipes in this article

Basic Chicken Tikka Kebab (see this recipe for technical guidelines)

Authentic Chicken Tikka (Red)

Garlic Chicken Tikka (Yellow)

Hariyali Chicken Tikka (green)

Malai Chicken Tikka (white)

Kandhari Chicken Tikka (pink)

Mughalai Masala Chicken Tikka (brown)

Kaala Chicken Tikka (Black)

Suggestions for attachments

Chicken tikka goes with almost anything. It can be served with chutneys, butter naan, flatbread, plain biryani rice, plain pulav and any salad. Condiments like mayonnaise, mustard sauce, and tomato sauce are also tasty side dishes.

Why is traditional chicken tikka red?

Traditionally, chicken tikka kebabs and tandoori chicken are red due to the use of red food coloring or natural food coloring. The latter is achieved through the use of high-quality red chilli powder or oil infused with red chili.

Chicken tikka with flavored rice

Basic recipe for chicken tikka kebab

Whichever chicken tikka kebab recipe you choose, the technique is the same. There are four basic steps: marinating, skewering, grilling and basting.

Meat: Boneless skinless chicken, thigh preferred

Quantity: 500 grams or half a kilogram

Necessary utensils

cutting board and knife

Bowl for marinating

Steel or wooden skewers

All grilling devices such as charcoal grill, open flame, electric grill, pan grill or tawa, griddle etc.

raffia brush

steel tongs

grill fork

serving plate

instructions

Step 1: Marinate

On a cutting board, cut the chicken into small to medium cubes or pieces. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl. Wash the chicken twice under running water. Drain and squeeze the water from the chicken and place the chicken in a clean, dry marinating bowl. Marinate the chicken pieces with the prescribed marinating ingredients and allow the chicken to rest for the prescribed time (see recipe variations below). Some recipes in this article use single marinating and some use double marinating. Time for the first marinade: 1 hour. Time for the second marinade: 1 to 2 hours. For easy marinating recipes: Marinate the chicken pieces with the prescribed ingredients and let the chicken rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. For double marinated recipes: Marinate chicken with the prescribed ingredients of the first marinade and marinate for 15 minutes (no refrigeration required). Take a wide marinating bowl and add all the ingredients for the second marinade and mix well. Transfer the second marinade to the first marinated chicken and mix well. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.

Step 2: Impale

Skewer the marinated chicken pieces onto steel or wooden skewers and set aside on a plate for 5 minutes. This way you can see if marinating liquid is dripping off the chicken. (Note: When using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water completely for 2 hours to avoid burning the skewers when grilling.) Prepare the grilling equipment for grilling.

Step 3: Grilling

Start grilling chicken tikka with your desired grilling equipment and grill the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes on both sides. After this time, check if the chicken is done or not.

Step 4: Stapling

Baking is a cooking technique in which oil or butter or a sauce is applied to the grilled meat with a pastry brush to retain moisture in the meat and add color and flavor.

When the chicken is 90 percent cooked, take the skillet and brush the chicken tikkas with butter or ghee or oil or leftover marinating paste and allow the chicken to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure the tikkas are lightly charred, but don’t burn them. Transfer them to a serving platter. Allow the skewers to cool slightly and slowly loosen the chicken tikka skewers using a grill fork or grill tongs. Do not poke the skewers with the fork, use it to loosen the skewers from the skewers. Be careful not to tear the tikkas. Serve the chicken tikka with a side dish and enjoy.

Authentic chicken tikka kebab in fiery red

1. Authentic Chicken Tikka Kebab (Red)

Authentic chicken tikka kebab is red due to the use of tandoori masala powder and red food coloring.

Red color

Cuisine: Punjabi

There are two different ways to prepare this kebab: one uses tandoori masala powder and the other does not.

Option 1: With tandoori masala powder

Type of Marinade: Single

Ingredients for the marinade

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

3 tablespoons Hungated Quark or thick yogurt

2 tablespoons tandoori masala powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon mustard oil

Option 2: Without tandoori masala powder

Type of Marinade: Double

Ingredients for the first marinade:

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chilli powder

1 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients for the second marinade:

3 tablespoons cottage cheese hung

1 tablespoon roasted chickpea flour or besan

2 teaspoons oil infused with red chilli powder for red color (see below)

2 teaspoons mustard oil

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi

1/2 teaspoon black salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

1/2 teaspoon chat masala powder

Salt to taste

Oil Infused with Red Chili Powder Ingredients:

This oil is used to give the food its natural red color without artificial coloring.

1/4 mustard cooking oil or other cooking oil

3 teaspoons high quality red chili powder or Kashmiri chili powder

Red Chili Powder Infused Oil Instructions:

Take a pan and heat it up. Keep the heat down. Pour the cooking oil into the pan and heat the oil over medium-high heat. The oil should be hot. Turn off the heat and add the chili powder. Stir the oil continuously for 1 minute. The mixture should be red. Cool the oil and store it in a kitchen oil container.

Note: If turmeric powder is used instead of red chilli powder in the above process, it will turn into turmeric powder-infused oil and add a beautiful yellow color to the dishes.

Garlic Chicken Tikka is a sunny yellow color

2. Garlic Chicken Tikka Kebab (Yellow)

This bright yellow kebab tastes like fresh garlic.

Color yellow

Cuisine: Punjabi

Type of Marinade: Single

Ingredients marinade:

3 tablespoons cottage cheese hung

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

1 tablespoon roasted chickpea flour or besan

2 teaspoons oil infused with turmeric powder. for yellow color

2 teaspoons mustard oil

2 teaspoons yellow chilli powder

2 teaspoons green chilli paste

1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

1/2 teaspoon chat masala powder

Salt to taste

Note: Homemade Yellow Chili Powder can be made from the seeds of dried red chillies. Deseed 10 to 20 dry red chillies and puree the yellow seeds in a blender jar until smooth.

Hariyali Chicken Tikka Kebab is loaded with healthy greens

3. Hariyali Chicken Tikka Kebab (Green)

The word hariyali means green, and in fact many shades of green are used in this recipe because of their color. It’s a healthier kebab that offers the benefits of both plant and non-plant nutrients.

Color green

Cuisine: Punjabi

Type of Marinade: Single

Ingredients marinade:

2 tablespoons green paste (see below)

1 tablespoon of hung cottage cheese

1 tablespoon roasted chickpea flour or besan

2 teaspoons mustard oil

1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

1/2 teaspoon chat masala powder

Salt to taste

Ingredients Green Paste:

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup chopped spinach

6 to 8 green chilies

4 to 5 garlic pods

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons mustard oil

Green Paste Instructions:

In a blender, grind all the ingredients for the green paste into a smooth paste. Don’t add water.

Silky and smooth Malai Chicken Tikka Kebab

4. Malai Chicken Tikka Kebab (White)

Malai is fresh cream. This kebab is milky white in color with a silky soft texture.

Color white

Cuisine: Mughalai

Type of Marinade: Single

Ingredients marinade:

2 tablespoons cottage cheese hung

2 tablespoons fresh cream

1 tablespoon cashew paste

1 tablespoon processed cheese paste

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

1 tablespoon green chili paste

2 teaspoons of white pepper powder

2 teaspoons sunflower oil

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

Salt to taste

Kandhari Chicken Tikka is pretty in pink

5. Kandhari Chicken Tikka Kebab (Pink)

A perfect appetizer for a ladies’ cocktail party, this kebab has a bright pink hue due to the use of beetroot juice extract and fresh pomegranate seed extract.

Colour: pink

Cuisine: Mughalai

Type of Marinade: Double

Ingredients for the first marinade:

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients for the second marinade:

3 tablespoons thick beetroot juice extract

2 tablespoons cottage cheese hung

1 tablespoon cashew paste

2 teaspoons sunflower oil

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi

Salt to taste

Mughalai Masala Chicken Tikka Kebab

6. Mughalai Masala Chicken Tikka Kebab (brown)

Mughalai Garam Masala Powder is one of the unique spice powders of Mughalai cuisine and this kebab is infused with these flavors. It is a unique and innovative doner kebab.

color: brown

Cuisine: Mughalai

Type of Marinade: Double

Ingredients for the first marinade:

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients for the second marinade:

2 tablespoons cottage cheese hung

2 tablespoons brown onion paste (lightly fried onions made into a paste)

1 tablespoon green chilli paste

1 tablespoon cashew paste

2 teaspoons Mughalai Garam Masala (see below)

2 teaspoons sunflower oil

Salt to taste

Mughalai Garam Masala Powder Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cumin

1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 green cardamoms

1 black cardamom

1/2 inch cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon star anise

1/4 teaspoon shank

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

Instructions for Mughalai Garam Masala Powder:

Dry roast all of the above ingredients, then grind into a smooth powder.

Kaala chicken tikka kebab

7. Kaala Chicken Tikka Kebab (Black)

This is the only kebab of its kind; It is a spicy kebab that has the authentic flavor of a unique masala powder called kaala (black) masala powder, which originated in Maharashtrian cuisine. This kebab would be a perfect addition to a Halloween party.

Color: Black

Cuisine: Maharashtrian

Type of Marinade: Double

Ingredients for the first marinade:

2 tablespoons cottage cheese hung

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

1 tablespoon fresh coriander paste

1 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients for the second marinade:

2 tablespoons kaala paste (see below)

1 tablespoon Kaala Garam Masala Powder (see below)

2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided

Salt to taste

Ingredients Kaala Paste:

2 medium onions

1 small whole dry coconut

5 green chillies

1 teaspoon peanut oil

Kaala Paste Instructions:

Cut the ends off the onions. Place the onions on a gas stove over low heat over direct heat and char them on all sides. Don’t overburn them. In the same manner, char the dry coconut and green chilies separately and set aside to cool. Transfer the three charred items to a blender grinder and make a smooth paste. Don’t add water. This paste should be black. It is the main ingredient that gives the kebab its black color. Take a pan and add the peanut oil. Roast the kaala paste for 2 minutes. Turn off the stove and cool down.

Kaala Garam Masala Powder Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds

3 dry red chillies

1 black cardamom

3 cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon Triphal

1/2 teaspoon Nagkesar or Ceylon Ironwood

1/2 teaspoon star anise

1 bay leaf

1/2 inch cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Kaala Garam Masala Powder Instructions:

Dry fry all the above ingredients, then chill. Place the cooled ingredients in a blender and blend into a smooth powder.

Alternative kaala (black) kebab option

There is another way of preparing kaala (black) kebab – and that is using black chicken meat; i.e. the Kadaknath chicken also known as the Kali Masi chicken. The meat of this breed is black.

A tikka for every occasion

Next time you have a party or gathering, why not choose a platter of Chicken Tikka Kebabs? Choose from these gorgeous colors and delicious flavors – there’s something for every theme and mood. Enjoy!

© 2021 Mallika Lotus

“It’s perfumed fresh Thai basil leaves that you stir in in the last minute of preparation to boost the herbal elements already in the paste (you don’t do that with yellow curry),” she wrote. “Also, all kinds of meats are used when it comes to green curry. The herbal ingredients traditionally used in it tend to be indigenous — those grown in a typical home garden, e.g. You don’t see a green curry with potatoes or onions in Thailand (unless it’s made for tourists). On the other hand, you don’t see yellow curry with aubergines or bamboo shoots.”

Here is the difference between yellow curry and green curry

Curries come in such a wide variety of colors, flavors, and origins that it can be difficult to even understand exactly what curry is. A tikka masala curry and a Thai red curry have very different flavors – can they really fall under the same category?

According to Auguste Escoffier, food historians believe that the word “curry” in India comes from “kari” meaning “sauce”. The British colonizers applied this term to all kinds of gravy-based dishes that the Indians prepared; Over time, both the word and the food itself spread throughout South and Southeast Asia, creating a wide variety of condiments and sauces in many different cuisines.

Typically, Thai curries are often sold as a paste that you heat and mix with coconut milk or broth (via Bon Appetit). Usually named for their colors, red, yellow, and green are the most common; while many Indian curries have their own individual names, such as dhansak, korma, and saag. According to The Spruce Eats, curry powder, a spice widely believed to be of Indian origin, was actually created by the British to mimic the taste of Indian food using a mixture of different spices. Curry leaves themselves are often cooked in South Indian cuisine (via Bon Appetit).

You can add the main ingredient(s) of your choice to this chasni sauce.

This is a British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style chasni sauce that produces fantastic results every time!

Chasni sauce was invented in Britain and is now considered by many to be the new chicken tikka masala. It’s mild but has bite.

Chasni curries are also usually bright red. This is done with red food coloring.

Where is this chasni sauce recipe from?

Chasni sauce is believed to have been developed in Indian takeaways in Scotland. In fact, that’s where I learned to make this hugely popular curry.

work ahead…

You can prepare this sauce a few days before serving. The flavors will actually develop as you do this and the flavor will be even better.

Feel free to add the main ingredient of your choice. If you’re adding red meat instead of the chicken I used, be sure to pre-cook it before adding it to the chasni sauce.

Here is my recipe for pre-cooked lamb. This is a flavorful way to deliciously tenderize red meat.

If you want to make things even easier on yourself, you can also par-cook red meat and chicken in your base sauce.

What is the base sauce?

Preparing a base sauce is essential when making a curry-style curry like this chasni sauce. The base gives BIR curries their unique flavor and texture.

Here is one of my recipes.

It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s actually very easy. The base sauce also freezes well so you can use it however you like.

If you enjoy this chasni sauce recipe, you might also want to try some of these house curry favorites…

Tikka Masala Sauce

korma sauce

Pasanda sauce

Chili Garlic Sauce

Ceylon sauce

Pathia sauce

Jalfrezi sauce

Keema sauce

Bhuna sauce

methi sauce

Madras sauce

Vindaloo sauce

phaal sauce

Curries are an important part of Thai cuisine and refer to both the dish and the curry paste used to prepare the dish. There are three main types of Thai curries – red, yellow and green – which are categorized by the color of the curry paste. The color of the chilies and other ingredients gives each curry its own color.

Traditionally, all Thai curries are made with the same ingredients, except for one thing: the chillies. Red curry was made with multiple red chillies for a fiery hot dish, while green curry was made with green chillies and yellow curry was made with yellow chillies. In Thailand, these chillies have slightly different taste characteristics in addition to their color. However, over time, other ingredients have been added to curry pastes to enhance each recipe and set them apart. Although all three colors can be spicy-hot depending on the chef, green is usually the mildest and red is the hottest, with yellow somewhere in between.

Green Curry

Green curry is considered to be the most popular curry in Thai cuisine. The green color of Thai green curry sauce has become more vibrant over the years with the addition of fresh coriander (cilantro), macrut lime leaf and zest, and basil. These herbs are combined with fresh green chilies and several other ingredients like lemongrass, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and shallots.

Two common green curry paste recipes (kreung gaeng keo wahn) are Thai green curry with chicken or beef and fish dumplings. Green curry is perhaps the most distinctive Thai curry as it differs most from the curries of other countries.

0:48 Watch Now: Healthy Thai Green Curry Paste Recipe

Red curry

Thai red curry paste has stayed more or less the same over time, with traditional Thai cooks adding up to 20 red chilies to give it that red color and make it spicy. However, some modern cooks prefer to reduce the number of chilies in exchange for chili powder and sometimes tomato sauce, which have the added benefit of enhancing the red color and adding a deeper flavor.

The most versatile of curry pastes, red curry paste (kreung gaeng phet daeng) is found in a variety of dishes from Thai red curry with chicken to baked salmon in Thai red curry sauce. Both recipes feature coconut milk in the sauce along with the curry paste which contains garlic, spices, galangal and shrimp paste along with the red chilies.

1:21 Watch Now: The Best Homemade Red Curry Paste

Yellow curry

As with the traditional Indian curry, the yellow Thai curry also contains turmeric as one of the most important ingredients, which gives the curry its typical golden yellow colour. In fact, some Thai yellow curries resemble Indian curry in appearance but remain distinctly Thai in flavor.

Yellow curry paste (nam prik gaeng karee) has a mild, slightly sweet taste with a little spice. In addition to turmeric, curry powder is pounded in combination with coriander seeds, cumin, lemongrass, galangal or ginger, garlic, and yellow or red chili. Thai yellow curry chicken is a common dish, and the paste is often paired with coconut milk and used in fish stews.

Other types of Thai curry

In addition to red, yellow and green, there are numerous other types of Thai curry. These include Massaman curry, Penang curry and sour curry.

Massaman curry is one of the most unique Thai curries thanks to Persian influence. Native to southern Thailand near the Malaysian border, it is a thick sauce with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Massaman curry dishes are characterized by the inclusion of several whole spices and peanuts, which is otherwise unusual in a Thai curry.

2:17 Watch Now: How to make tasty Thai Massaman Chicken Curry

Thai Penang red curry is richer and sweeter, but also drier than the other curries. It’s named for the island off the west coast of Malaysia and is sometimes served with coconut cream. The paste consists of dried or fresh red chilies and is usually prepared extremely hot. You will most often see this curry cooked with beef.

Sour curry paste consists of only five ingredients, making it the easiest curry to prepare. It has a lighter consistency than the other curries and is usually prepared with fish or pork, similar to this Goan curry. Tamarind, sour pineapple or other sour fruits give the curry its distinctive sour taste.