History of Food: The Chicken Tikka Masala
By Milan Gregory Perera, 3rd Year English
The Bristorian Magazine and The Croft Magazine (University of Bristol’s Lifestyle magazine) are back with another special collaboration article. This collaboration article focuses on the History of the Chicken Tikka Masala. The Historical breakdown of Chicken Tikka Masala is provided in this article. For recreation of both historical and present day recipes of the Chicken Tikka Masala, visit the Croft (Food) site here.
Chicken Tikka Masala is a paradox. After Indian cooking has conquered the culinary frontiers of the world, Chicken Tikka masala is considered the most popular and quintessential Indian dish. In reality, it has very little to do with the subcontinent of India but the South Asian diaspora in the UK. It seems that fish and chips has been apotheosised as the national dish of England. Ironically, the fried battered fish is Continental European in its origins as it has direct links with Jewish Portuguese culinary traditions. Despite the various theories surrounding the origin of tikka masala, it remains uniquely British as much as pale ale is.
Chicken Tikka Masala (front) and Chicken Tikka (back)- Photographed by Saiba Haque
Chicken Tikka Masala is made with grilled or roasted chicken (called Chicken Tikka, with “Tikka” translating to “pieces”), marinated in a mixture of spices and yogurt, and then simmered in a creamy tomato-based sauce. The dish is known for its rich, complex and often sweet flavours, which are a combination of Indian spices and creamy tomato sauce.
The lesser theory suggests that the dish has its roots in the Punjab region of India, where it was originally made with lamb or goat meat. According to this theory, the dish was created as a way to make use of leftover grilled meat, which was then simmered in a rich and flavourful tomato-based sauce.
But the widely accepted theory is that it was the creation of one Ali Ahmed Aslam at his restaurant Shish Mahal, which he opened in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1964. Born in Pakistan (British India at the time, Aslam arrived as a child in Glasgow when his family emigrated. Like all great inventions, necessity had been the key to the invention of Chicken Tikka Masala. According to Aslam when a patron complained to him about the dry texture of a chicken dish that was served, Aslam experimented with few ideas to make the chicken tender, moist and succulent. His eureka moment came when he managed to achieve the desired texture using a yogurt based tomato sauce to accompany the meat. Both a culinary and cultural phenomenon has begun and reached the four corners of the world where it is widely represented as the quintessential Indian dish despite its origin in the United Kingdom. Chicken Tikka Masala beloved to have come from Glasgow in early 1970s.
Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala- Photographed by Saiba Haque
In 2001, Chicken Tikka Masala pushed fish and chips off the pedestal as the most popular dish in the UK. With no pun intended, it demonstrates what a rich melting pot post-colonial Britain has been when it comes to assimilating and sublimating a cornucopia of flavours and spices from its former subjects. Sadly Mr. Aslam passed away in December 2022 at the age of 77. His passing even made news in global news networks such as the CNN.
There was an attempt to to get Tikka Masala EU protected status, and its Glasgow origins recognised, but the bid failed in 2009 as other restaurants claimed its origin. Such is the unenviable status of Chicken Tikka Masala for British cultural history.
Featured Image by Saiba Haque