Is Chicken Tikka Masala Indian or British?

Chicken tikka masala is a dish of marinated chicken cooked in a tomato-cream sauce. It is one of the most popular Indian dishes in the world, but its origins are a bit murky.

The British may have departed from the Indian subcontinent in 1947, but many elements keep our subcontinental nations connected to our former rulers. One of these is chicken tikka masala, which, one could argue, is more popular in the UK than it is in the subcontinent. 

Chicken Tikka Masala is a by-product of Tandoori chicken. The story goes Tandoori chicken originated in the 1940s, amidst the bustling streets of Peshawar in British India. A visionary chef named Kundan Lal Gujral created a chicken dish that can be cooked in the tandoor oven, which was widely available in his area at the time. 

Speaking to the Washington Post about Butter chicken and Tandoori chicken back in 2018, Kundan's grandson Monish Gujral said millions of Indians have grown up with the story of how tandoori chicken was invented in one sudden flash of inspiration when Kundan was asked to create a chicken dish by the restaurant he worked at. 

Now moving on to chicken tikka masala. It is widely believed that chicken tikka masala was invented in the United Kingdom in the 1970s by Indian chefs trying to adapt their traditional dishes to Western tastes. Others believe it originated in India, but it became popular in the UK after it was introduced by immigrants moving to Britain.

Photo: Collected

The most accepted story is that chicken tikka masala was invented in Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1970s by chef Ali Ahmed Aslam. Aslam was the owner of Glasgow's popular Shish Mahal restaurant, which he opened in 1964 after immigrating from Pakistan as a boy. In a 2009 video interview, Ali claimed that he came up with the idea of chicken tikka masala. According to him, this dish came out in 1972 when a customer felt that his chicken tikka was dry. He wanted some sauce on the side, but Ali went one step ahead and instead of just serving the sauce on the side, he tossed the chicken in a quick gravy or masala. 

It is said that the dish was initially called "Tikka Makhani," which means "marinated chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce." However, when it was introduced to the United States in the 1980s, it was renamed "Chicken Tikka Masala" to make it more appealing to American diners.

In 2001, the UK's foreign secretary, Robin Cook, said in a speech that chicken tikka masala is  "a true British national dish," epitomising "multiculturalism as a positive force for our economy and society." 

Today, Chicken Tikka Masala thrives with various regional adaptations. From the creative minds of Kundan Lal Gujral and Ali Ahmed Aslam to the bustling kitchens of Indian restaurants in the UK, this dish remains a testament to the power of culinary ingenuity and cultural exchange, reflecting the fascinating interplay between cultures and the enduring appeal of flavours that goes beyond borders