Butter chicken vs tikka masala — what to order in Coral Springs.

If you have only eaten Indian food from a delivery app, butter chicken and tikka masala can look like the same orange bowl. In a kitchen that still builds gravy in layers, they are cousins — not twins.

Butter chicken (murgh makhani)

Tandoori chicken folded into a slow tomato reduction finished with butter and a little cream. Mild, rich, and the plate most first-time guests in Coral Springs finish. Ours is $22. Heat stays at the low end unless you ask otherwise.

Chicken tikka masala

Charred tikka in a spiced onion-tomato gravy — deeper, less sweet, more of the fire on the meat. Also $22. If you liked butter chicken last month and want the next step, this is it.

What to put on the table with them

Garlic naan. Dal khazana if you want a vegetarian bowl that can stand alone. Jeera rice if you prefer a spoon to bread. From Parkland or Coconut Creek, this is the takeout order that travels: the gravies hold, the bread you should collect on the way home so it is still soft.

Both dishes live on the khana kh'zana menu in Coral Springs. Search the menu for “butter” or “tikka,” or ask when you reserve. We will cook the heat to you.