Quick: what is the first dish that comes to mind when you think of Indian food?
Did you say chicken tikka masala? While many people would, what few realize is that the dish may not actually be of Indian origin. In fact, it has become the source of heated debate between two nations. This curry dish consisting of roasted chunks of chicken in a creamy, rich, lightly spiced tomato-based sauce may actually have originated in Glasgow, Scotland.
One man who lays claim to the title of tikka masala’s creator is Ali Ahmed Aslam, then-proprietor of Glasgow’s Shish Mahal restaurant. He alleges that when a British diner complained decades ago that his chicken tikka was too dry and requested gravy, he threw together a tin of Campbell’s tomato soup with a pinch of spices, unwittingly creating one of the first “fusion” dishes. Chicken tikka masala has become so popular in the UK that the Glaswegian government petitioned the European Union in 2009 to award the dish EU Protected Designation of Origin status–a move that would have made chicken tikka masala to India what Champagne is to Champagne, France.
And how do India’s most revered chefs feel about this claim? Outraged. Chef Zaeemuddin Ahmad of Delhi’s Karim Hotel, which was established by the last chef of the last Mughal emperor, says the recipe for tikka masala has been passed down in his family for generations. According to him, it is an authentic Mughali recipe, prepared by his forefathers who spent months traveling in the jungle and enjoyed roasting chickens with spices. Meanwhile, Rahul Verma, the leading expert on Delhi’s street food, insists that the dish is of Punjabi origin dating back forty to fifty years, and was likely the result of accidental discovery.
Another thing chicken tikka masala afficionados have a hard time agreeing on is the recipe. One study found that out of 48 different recipes, only one common ingredient was shared by all: chicken. But despite all the debate, the consensus between Scots, Indians and just about everyone else seems to be that chicken tikka masala is delicious. To see why two countries have exchanged vicious words over this dish, come to Bombay Spice and try it out! For an interesting variation, order our shrimp or beef tikka masala.