Ahmed Aslam Ali, the person who invented Chicken Tikka Masala passes away at 77

Ahmed Aslam Ali, the chef who is believed to have invested the exotic dish 'Chicken Tikka Masala,' has passed away at the age of 77. Aslam was a restaurateur and owner of the Shish Mahal restaurant. He opened the Glasgow-West restaurant in 1964.

Aslam was born in Pakistan, but he moved to the UK with his family when he a young boy. He was married and has five children, as per The Guardian report.

As a mark of respect, Shish Mahal was closed for 48 hours. Aslam's funeral was held at the Glasgow Central Mosque. In an interview with a news agency, Aslam revealed that once a customer asked if there was a way of making chicken tikka less dry. Aslam's solution to it was to add a creamy tomato sauce.

He disclosed the recipe of the sauce when a customer back in 1970s asked if there was a way of making chicken tikka less dry. He said that he cooked the chicken tikka with a sauce containing yoghurt, cream and spices. "It’s a dish prepared according to our customer’s taste. Usually, they don’t take hot curry – that’s why we cook it with yoghurt and cream," he had said.

In the interview he said, "Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in this restaurant. We used to make chicken tikka, and one day a customer said, 'I'd take some sauce with that, this is a bit dry," he told.

A number of establishments around the UK, however, also claimed to have invented the highly popular dish. Known as a staple in most UK homes, the Chicken Tikka Masala is said to be Britain's national dish.
 

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