Who was Ali Ahmed Aslam? Inventor of chicken tikka masala dies at 77

Chef Ali Ahmed Aslam dead: The self-proclaimed inventor of the chicken tikka masala dish, Glasgow-based chef Ali Ahmed Aslam, passed away at the age of 77 recently.
Aslam, who founded the Shish Mahal eatery in 1964, passed away on Monday. His Glasgow restaurant, Shish Mahal, announced Ali Ahmed Aslam's passing. The restaurant announced, "Hey, Shish Snobs … Mr Ali passed away this morning … We are all absolutely devastated and heartbroken (sic).”

The chef, popularly known as 'Mr Ali', was born in Pakistan, but as a child, he relocated to Glasgow in Scotland, with his family.

He detailed the time he came up with one of the most popular dishes Westerners love in a statement to the AFP news agency.

He revealed that the chicken tikka masala was invented in the 1970s in response to a customer's request to make his chicken tikka 'less dry'. He decided to add a rich tomato sauce as a fix.

He said: “Chicken tikka masala was invented in this restaurant. We used to make chicken tikka, and one day a customer said, 'I'd take some sauce with that, this is a bit dry."

“We thought we’d better cook the chicken with some sauce. So, from here we cooked chicken tikka with the sauce that contains yoghurt, cream, and spices. It’s a dish prepared according to our customer’s taste. Usually they don’t take hot curry – that’s why we cook it with yoghurt and cream.”

Later, it rose to the top spot among menu items in British eateries.

Although it is challenging to pinpoint the exact origin of 'chicken tikka masala', it is generally accepted that it is a curry that has been modified to appeal to Western tastes.
According to the renowned chef, the chicken tikka masala is made as per each customer's preferences.

The former British foreign minister Robin Cook once referred to the dish as an essential component of the country's culture, which is one of the arguments used by those who favour giving it protected status.

"Chicken tikka masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences," Cook said in a 2001 speech on British identity.

{With agencies inputs}

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