Ali Ahmed Aslam, self-proclaimed inventor of chicken tikka masala, dies at 77: NPR

The death of a Pakistani-Scottish chef who claimed to have cooked the world’s first chicken tikka masala is sparking an avalanche of tributes to what has been described as “Britain’s national dish” and reigniting debate over its true origin.

Ali Ahmed Aslam, widely known as ‘Mr. Ali’, died Monday of health complications at age 77, his nephew Andleeb Ahmed confirmed to NPR.

Aslam was the owner of the popular Glasgow restaurant Shish Mahal, which he opened in 1964 after emigrating from Pakistan as a child.

In his narration, Aslam came up with the world-loved recipe one night in the 1970s, when a customer complained that the traditional chicken tikka was too dry. The chef returned to the kitchen and combined spices, cream, and a can of condensed tomato soup. Voilà: the modern model of chicken tikka masala was born.

But so was a debate about its origin.

Who created chicken tikka masala?

In 2009, a Glasgow politician campaigned for chicken tikka masala to be granted heritage protected status and for the city to be named its official home. But the offer was rejected. after several establishments across the UK reclaimed the dish.

Others say that curry was surely invented in South Asia. Monish Gurjal, director of the popular Moti Mahal chain of Indian restaurants, says his grandfather was already serving chicken tikka masala to Indian heads of state in 1947.

“It’s like, who invented chicken noodle soup?” says Leena Trivedi-Grenier, freelance food writer who investigated the various origin claims in 2017. “It’s a dish that could have been invented by any number of people at the same time.”

Chicken tikka (without masala) has been a popular street food in Pakistan and North India for decades. In its essence, it is it involves chicken marinated in chili powder and yogurt, then blackened on a grill or in a tandoor, an oven made of ground clay.

The cooking method leaves chicken tikka prone to drying out, says Trivedi-Grenier; the idea of ​​adding a sauce with staples like cream, butter, and tomato isn’t too revolutionary.

Another point of debate is the relatively mild taste of the dish. In an interview originally shared by AFP newsAslam said the recipe was adapted from traditional cooking “according to our customer’s taste.”

“Usually they don’t have hot curry,” he said of the UK diners. “That’s why we cook it with yogurt and cream.”

In 2001, the UK Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, said in a speech that chicken tikka masala it is a “true British national dish”, epitomizing “multiculturalism as a positive force for our economy and society”.

But for Trivedi-Grenier, the idea that chicken tikka masala was created solely to satisfy British palates is “screaming” when you consider the symbolism.

“How do you colonize and enslave an entire country for a century and then claim that one of their dishes is from your own country?”

Clients remember Aslam as a humble man and a talented chef

A man who shunned attention, Aslam found a sense of purpose in exposing his customers to new flavors, said his nephew, Andleeb Ahmed.

“He was actually serving customers until the end of his life,” Ahmed said. “That was his passion. That was what he loved to do.”

Around the world, those who dined at Shish Mahal remember Aslam as someone kind and talented, and someone who helped expand their culinary sensibilities.

“Tasted my first curry at the Shish Mahal in 1967 and continued to enjoy it throughout my student days and beyond,” a former member of the Scottish Parliament tweeted.

Vijay Prashad, an international journalist, wrote that to say the addition of chicken tikka masala has benefited Lots of menus, it’s “controversial” but the food is undeniably good.

“Naans down in [Aslam’s] honor,” he added.

Ironically, when it came to his own taste preferences, Aslam ranked chicken tikka masala quite low, his nephew said.

“The chefs would make him a very traditional curry. He would eat it for lunch every day,” Ahmed explained.

“I only ate chicken tikka masala when the guests arrived.”