How did a Scottish chef of Pakistani origin invent the chicken taka masala dish?

Ahmed Aslam Ali, the Pakistani-born Scottish chef who invented chicken taka masala, has died at the age of 77.

According to the AFP news agency, Chef Ahmed Aslam Ali, hailing from Glasgow, claims to have introduced the chicken tikka masala dish by preparing a tomato sauce for the first time at his restaurant ‘Sheesh Mahal’ in the 1970s. .

Ahmed Aslam Ali died on Monday morning, his nephew Andalib Ahmed said.

Andalib said: ‘He used to have lunch at his restaurant every day. The restaurant was his life. The cook used to cook for them, but I cannot say for sure that they often ate chicken tikka masala.’

Andalib said that his uncle was used to perfection in everything and a very motivated person.

“Last year he was unwell and I visited him at the hospital on Christmas Day,” he said.

According to him: ‘Uncle’s head was bent down. I stood there for 10 minutes. Before I left he raised his head and said I should be at work.’

In a 2009 interview with AFP, Ahmed Aslam Ali said that he came up with the chicken takka masala recipe after a customer complained that his chicken takka was too dry.

Ahmed Aslam added: ‘Chicken takka masala was invented in this restaurant. We used to make chicken tikka and one day a customer asked me to add some curry with it as it was a bit dry.’

According to the chef: ‘We thought it was best to cook the chicken with a sauce. So from here we cooked the chicken tikka with this sauce which included tomatoes, curd, cream and some spices.’

After that, this dish became a popular dish in British restaurants.

The dish is also a favorite in Pakistan and India, although it is difficult to prove with certainty where the dish originated, but in the West it is generally considered a dish adapted to Western tastes.

Ahmad Aslam had said that chicken tikka masala is prepared according to the taste of the customers.

He said that usually customers here don’t take hot spicy curry, so we cook it with curd and cream.

The importance of this dish in Britain can be gauged from the fact that former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook once described it as an important part of British culture.

In a 2001 speech, Robin Cook said: ‘Chicken tikka masala is now a truly British national dish, not just because it is the most popular but because it has adapted and adapted to cultures outside the UK. is an excellent example of the method.’

Ahmed Aslam moved to Scotland from Pakistan’s Punjab province in 1964 and opened the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ restaurant in the west end of Glasgow.

He said he wanted the dish to become a Glasgow landmark to give something back to the city that welcomed him.

In 2009, he unsuccessfully campaigned for the dish to be given ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ status by the European Union.

British lawmaker Muhammad Sarwar introduced a motion in the House of Commons in 2009 asking the European Union to protect the dish.

After the death of Ahmed Aslam Ali, social media users including many famous personalities paid tribute to him.

In the same regard, Canadian columnist Doug Saunders wrote on Twitter: “May the soul of Ahmed rest in peace, who invented the chicken taka masala, which is not only Glasgow’s biggest landmark in global cuisine, but also Crispy Beef (Calgary), General Tso Chicken ( New York City) with The Burrito (San Diego) etc. being the best example of an exotic dish in quality.’

Indian video journalist Nishan Sampreet Chalkuri wrote: ‘Ahmed Aslam Ali, who was accepted as the inventor of chicken takka masala, died at the age of 77. Ali was born in Pakistan and moved to Glasgow as a young lad and in 1964 opened the Sheesh Mahal restaurant where Britain’s favorite dish was made.’

Ahmed Aslam Ali is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters.