In the early 1970s, the chicken tikka masala is invented by the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow’s West End, now thought to be the UK’s most popular dish.
The dish was created by Mr. Ali Ahmed Aslam after a diner complained about the dryness of the chicken. Mr. Ali used a can of tomato soup to prepare a gravy for the chicken, hence the birth of chicken tikka masala – It is the UK’s most popular dish (Robin Cook in 2001 claimed it was a British national dish)
Check out this clip from BBC’s Antique Roadtrip, featuring Colourful Heritage’s Dr Saqib Razzaq. It focuses on the journey of lascars who came to Glasgow, and also touches on the invention of the infamous Chicken Tikka Masala.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Credit: Shish Mahal