How Chicken Tikka Masala became Britain’s national dish

Chicken Tikka Masala, the roasted marinated chicken pieces in a spiced tomato sauce has Indian roots but is said to be the UK's most popular dish. Is it? Controversial, probably you know a toss-up between fish and chips and Chicken Tikka Masala. The dish is a poster child for a modern multicultural Britain, one enriched by skills and spices from abroad. Oh so much delicious, everyone love it. So who actually invented it? Everyone knows it's not really from India, it's from here actually. The origins of Chicken Tikka Masala are believed to be here in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It's really good, I think it's a really entry-friendly dish for a lot of people who haven't gotten into South Asian cuisine yet. Not too spicy, not too strong but tasty. I think it shows the wide expanse of cultures that we have in Scotland and the kind of growing acceptance towards that. The restaurant Shish Mahal has been around since 1964 and helped popularize Indian food in Glasgow. What's more the owners claim that Chicken Tikka Masala was actually invented here in the early 1970s. A brainchild of Ali Ahmed Aslam, known as Mr. Ali, who came to Glasgow from Pakistan. One day the story goes he served a customer the traditional tandoor roasted Chicken Tikka. Nobody knows for sure whether Chicken Tikka Masala was actually invented here. Some say the dish was already known. But in any case it's the star of the show at Shish Mahal with a restaurant serving around 50 portions every day. So delicious, so popular, delicious. Everyone is eating after so much love it. First, Chef Mohammed Binyamin marinates the chicken with plenty of spices. First of all, put on a salt. After is a red chili. Then is a garam masala. Then is a black pepper. That is a homemade ginger garlic paste, special. Next comes mint, yogurt, homemade food coloring and oil. After a good mix, the chicken is marinated for at least two hours before being skewered and roasted in a tandoor, a traditional clay oven. Inside tandoor is a stone fire. That is a barbecue taste. At this point, you'd have the traditional Chicken Tikka, which the guests found a little too dry at the time. Hence the curry sauce, which needs plenty of spices too. The chicken is returned to the pan along with Shish Mahal's special sauce. That is a very, very special sauce. That is a special ingredients Mr. Ali make that. Now all that's missing is a dash of cream. And there you have it. Britain's national dish. A fusion of culinary traditions, all on a single plate. Half Indian, half British. Chicken Tikka Masala really is something else. Ready to try it?