Indian butter chicken question?

Question

This may sound strange but what is the traditional color of this dish. I always thought it was a light brown but I went to a new Indian rest and it was deep nuclear red! I think I like the brown version better. What makes it so red? Do they add food coloring?

Answer 1

Its orangish red orignally. They use equal quantity of tomatoes to chicken. Meaning 1 kg chicken = 1 kg tomatoes pureed approximately. Then they use loads of butter and cream to give it the light colour to the tomatoes. No authentic butter chicken recipe does not use food colouring.

The brown version is a regular curry and is not authentic butter chicken.

I just ate some tonite from the most authentic restaurant in the country. Moti Mahal in N.Delhi. Butter chicken is a North of India speciality and a punjabi dish. You can get most authentic butter chicken in either Delhi or Punjab only.

Answer 2

red/orange colored food dye (usually powered), thats traditional!  But style varies place to place, cheif ro cheif!

Answer 3

The basic ingredients for a Makhani (Buttery) Curry are as follows

1. Tomato

2. Little bit of yogurt

3. Cream

4. Butter

5. Degi Mirch (Paprika)

I don't know about anybody else Makhani Dish, Mine is always orangish red.. red from tomatos, crisson red from Degi Mirch, white from cream and yogurt,, almost orange-red.

I never had a brown color Makhani Dish.

You could make Makhani Black Beans (Mah ki Dal), even that won't be brown

Answer 4

Yes they do add some food coloring to the raw chicken while marinating it then its roasted then added to the butter curry that's why its red.Avoid eating this dish as i feel its made from the previous days left tandoori chicken