Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Uncertain; Indian Subcontinent or Scotland[1][2]
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Chicken, yogurt, cream, tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper
Variations	Lamb, Fish or Paneer Tikka Masala
Cookbook: Chicken tikka masala  Media: Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala, served atop rice

Chicken tikka masala is a dish of chunks of roasted marinated chicken (chicken tikka) in a spiced curry sauce. The sauce is usually creamy and orange-coloured. There are multiple claims to its place of origin, including the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent or Glasgow in Scotland. It is among the United Kingdom's most popular dishes, leading a government minister, Robin Cook, to claim in 2001 that it was "a true British national dish".^[3]

Composition

Chicken tikka masala is chicken tikka, chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt, that is then baked in a tandoor oven, and served in a masala (spice mixture) sauce.^[4] A tomato and coriander sauce is common, but no recipe for chicken tikka masala is standard; a survey found that of 48 different recipes, the only common ingredient was chicken.^[5][6] The sauce usually includes tomatoes (frequently as purée), cream, coconut cream and spices. The sauce and/or chicken pieces may be coloured orange using foodstuffs such as turmeric, paprika, tomato purée or with food dye.

Variants

Other tikka masala dishes replace chicken with lamb, fish, or paneer.

Origins

The origin of the dish is disputed.

Rahul Verma, a food critic who writes for The Hindu,^[7] said he first tasted the dish in 1971 and that its origins were in the Punjab. He said "Its basically a Punjabi dish not more than 40-50 years old and must be an accidental discovery which has had periodical improvisations".^[1]

Another explanation is that it originated in an Indian restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland,^[2][4][8] but probably from the British Bangladeshi community which ran most Indian restaurants in the United Kingdom.^[8]

A specific version of the British explanation recounts how a Pakistani chef, Ali Ahmed Aslam, proprietor of the Shish Mahal restaurant in the west end of Glasgow, invented chicken tikka masala by improvising a sauce made from yogurt, cream, and spices.^[9][10] In 2013, his son Asif Ali told the story of its invention in 1971 to the BBC's Hairy Bikers TV cookery programme:

On a typical dark, wet Glasgow night, a bus driver coming off shift came in and ordered a chicken curry. He sent it back to the waiter saying it's dry. At the time, Dad had an ulcer and was enjoying a plate of tomato soup. So he said why not put some tomato soup into the curry with some spices. They sent it back to the table and the bus driver absolutely loved it. He and his friends came back again and again and we put it on the menu.^[11]

In July 2009, then British Member of Parliament Mohammad Sarwar tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons asking that Parliament support a campaign for Glasgow to be given European Union protected geographical status for chicken tikka masala.^[12] The motion was not chosen for debate, nor did Sarwar speak on this subject in Parliament.^[13][14]

Historians of ethnic food Peter and Colleen Grove discuss various origin-claims of chicken tikka masala, concluding that the dish "was most certainly invented in Britain, probably by a Bangladeshi chef".^[15] They suggest that "the shape of things to come may have been a recipe for Shahi Chicken Masala in Mrs Balbir Singh’s Indian Cookery published in 1961".^[15]

Popularity

In 2001, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook mentioned the dish in a speech acclaiming the benefits of Britain's multiculturalism, declaring:

Chicken tikka masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences. Chicken tikka is an Indian dish. The masala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy."^{[3][16][17][16][17][18]}

Chicken tikka masala is served in restaurants around the world,^[19][20] including Indian restaurants in Britain and North America. A 2012 survey of 2,000 people in Britain claimed that it is the country's second-most popular foreign dish to cook, after Chinese stir fry.^[21][22]

See also

• Balti, a South Asian dish
• Chicken curry, a spiced chicken dish
• Butter chicken, a mild curry dish of South Asian origin
• List of chicken dishes
• Mughlai cuisine

References

Further reading

• Curry Club Tandoori and Tikka Dishes, Piatkus, London — ISBN 0-7499-1283-9 (1993)
• Curry Club 100 Favourite Tandoori Recipes, Piatkus, London — ISBN 9780749914912 (1995)
• India: Food & Cooking, New Holland, London — ISBN 978-1-84537-619-2 (2007)
• Collingham, Elizabeth M (2006). Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors. Oxford University Press. pp. 2–3. ISBN 0-19-517241-8. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chicken tikka masala.

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Chicken Tikka Masala

• BBC Good Food's version

Indian dishes by region
North	Aloo gobi Baati Baingan bartha Barfi (Kaju barfi / Kaju katli) Bhatura Butter chicken Chana masala Chapati Chicken tikka Chole bhature Churma Dum Aloo Dal makhani Dopiaza Egg curry Haleem Jeera aloo Kachori Kadai Kadai chicken Kadhi Kahwah Keema Kulcha Korma Kulfi Laal maans Mattar paneer Makki di roti Mirchi Bada Mutton curry Murgh Musallam Naan Nihari Palak Paneer Pakora Paneer tikka Pasanda Raita Rajma Rogan josh Rumali roti Sai bhaji Sarson ka saag Shahi paneer Shami Kebab Tandoori chicken Paneer Tikka Masala Aloo Mutter Amritsari Papar Warian
South	Appam Aviyal Baghara baingan Benne Dose Bhajji Bisi bele bath Bonda Chicken 65 Chicken Chettinad Chakna Curd rice Dahi chutney Dopiaza Dosa Double ka meetha Fish molee Hyderabadi biryani Hyderabadi haleem Idiappam Idli Injipuli Kaalan Kanji Kerala porotta Koottu Kozhakkattai Kuzhambu Lukhmi Mirchi ka salan Murukku Mysore Pak Pachadi Paniyaram Parotta Payasam Pongal Poriyal Pulihora Puttu Rasam Rice and curry Sakinalu Sambar Sheer korma Sevai Upma Uttapam Thalassery biryani Vada
West	Akuri Basundi Bhakri Bhelpuri Bombil fry Chinese bhel Chivda Chouriço Dahi vada Dhansak Dhokla Doodhpak Handvo Kadboli Khatkhate Khandvi Khichdi Kombdi vade Kuswar Misal Misal Pav Pav bhaji Patoleo Patra ni machhi Pohe Sabudana Khichadi Sanna Sevpuri Shrikhand Solkadhi Sorpotel Thalipeeth Vada pav Veg Kolhapuri Vindaloo Xacuti
East	Alu Potala Rasa Beguni Bel Pana Bhuna Khicuhri Chakuli Pitha Cham cham Chandrakanti Charchari Chhena gaja Chhena jalebi Chhena kheeri Chhena poda Chingudi Jhola Dahi baigana Dahi Machha Jalfrezi Kati roll Luchi Machha Jhola Maachha Bihana Mathapuli Mishti Doi Ouu khatta Pakhala Pantua Pitha Prawn malai curry Rasabali Rasgulla Ras malai Sandesh Santula Sorshe Ilish
Miscellaneous	Biryani Chaat Chutney Dal Falooda Flattened rice Gulab Jamun Halwa Indian pickle Jalebi Kheer Kofta Laddu Mango pudding Panipuri Papadum Paratha Puri Qeema Roti Sindhi biryani Samosa Shankarpali Sabzi Zarda Puri Bhaji
Indian diaspora	Chicken tikka masala Fish head curry Indian Chinese cuisine Phall Nasi kandar Pasembur Roti canai
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