Chicken tikka masala: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Indo-British dish consisting of boneless chicken pieces in curry sauce}}

{{Infobox food

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'''Chicken tikka masala''' is a dish consisting of roasted marinated chicken pieces ([[chicken tikka]]) in a spiced sauce ([[masala (spice)|masala]]). The sauce is usually creamy and orange-coloured. The origins of the dish are debated, with many believing it was created by South Asian cooks in Britain. It is offered at restaurants around the world and is similar to [[butter chicken]].

==Composition==

[[File:Chicken Tikka Masala KellySue.JPG |thumb |Chicken tikka masala served with rice]]

Chicken tikka masala is composed of [[chicken tikka]], boneless chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yoghurt that are roasted in an oven, served in a creamy sauce. 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. Chicken tikka masala is similar to [[butter chicken]], both in the method of creation and appearance.

==Origins==

The origin of the dish is not certain, but many sources attribute it to the [[British Asian|South Asian community]] in Great Britain.

Chicken tikka masala may derive from [[butter chicken]], a popular dish in the northern [[Indian subcontinent]]. The ''Multicultural Handbook of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics'' credits its creation to [[British Bangladeshi|Bangladeshi migrant]] chefs in Britain in the 1960s. They developed and served a number of new inauthentic "Indian" dishes, including chicken tikka masala.

Historians of ethnic food Peter and Colleen Grove discuss multiple claims regarding the origin of chicken tikka masala, concluding that the dish "was most certainly invented in Britain, probably by a Bangladeshi chef." 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."

Another claim is that it originated in a restaurant in [[Glasgow]], Scotland. This version recounts how a [[British Pakistanis|British Pakistani]] chef, [[Ali Ahmed Aslam]], proprietor of a restaurant in Glasgow, invented chicken tikka masala by improvising a sauce made from a tin of condensed tomato soup, and spices. Peter Grove challenged any claim that Aslam was the creator of the dish on grounds that the dish was known to exist several years before his restaurant opened.

Chef Anita Jaisinghani wrote in the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' that "the most likely story is that the modern version was created during the early '70s by an enterprising Indian chef near London" who used [[Campbell's]] tomato soup. However, restaurant owner [[Iqbal Wahhab]] claims that he and Peter Grove fabricated the story of a chef using tomato soup to create chicken tikka masala in order "to entertain journalists".

Rahul Verma, a food critic who writes for ''[[The Hindu]]'', claimed that the dish has its origins in the [[Punjab]] region.

Chicken tikka masala is served in restaurants around the world.

According to a 2012 survey of 2,000 people in Britain, it was the country's second-most popular foreign dish to cook, after [[Stir frying|Chinese stir fry]].

In 2001, the British [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]] [[Robin Cook]] mentioned the dish in a speech acclaiming the benefits of Britain's [[multiculturalism]], declaring:

{{Quote|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.}}

* [[Butter chicken]], a mild curry dish of Indian origin

* [[Balti (food)|Balti]], a South Asian dish

* [[Mughlai cuisine]]

{{English cuisine}}

{{Scottish cuisine}}

{{Chicken dishes|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicken Tikka Masala}}

[[Category:Bangladeshi cuisine in the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:British chicken dishes]]

{{二次利用|date=7 July 2025, at 18:03}}