Man who ‘invented’ Chicken Tikka Masala dies at 77
Pakistani-Scottish restaurant owner and chef in Scotland, Ali Ahmed Aslam, believed to have invented the most popular dish chicken tikka masala, has died. He was aged 77.
Aslam owned Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, which announced his death on Facebook, saying the restaurant would be closed for 48 hours.
Aslam, known locally as Mr. Ali, was born in Pakistan and moved to Glasgow as a young boy. He started his restaurant in Glasgow’s West End neighborhood in 1964, where he claims he invented the iconic chicken tikka masala dish in the 1970s, according to BBC News.
Aslam said he created the new dish because a customer complained the chicken tikka was too dry. So, Aslam created a sauce using Campbell’s condensed tomato soup, which he had in stock because he ate it while recovering from a stomach ulcer, according to Shish Mahal’s website.
Ali Ahmed Aslam opened his restaurant in Glasgow’s West End neighborhood in 1964, where he claims he invented the iconic chicken tikka masala dish in the 1970s.
Man who ‘invented’ Chicken Tikka Masala dies at 77
The dish has become widely famous in Western countries and while there is no evidences that Aslam is the first person to ever make it, there was once a campaign to grant Glasgow legal recognition as the home of chicken tikka masala.
