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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   3047 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 1, 2023

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Interestingly, the guy who apparently invented chicken tikka masala in Scotland in the 1970s died just the other day; its Western origin makes me wonder whether it is widely eaten in India.

Knowing the Indian culinary tradition, I would not be surprised if Tikka Masala was simultaneously invented in many different places. That seems to be the current opinion of historic sources too. [1] [2]

However, there is no question that Mr. Ali Ahmed Aslam improvised the dish & popularized his version of it around the world. Tikka Masala is not as insanely popular in India, and the preparation is generally spicier, smokier & less tomato-forward. You will still find it on menus around the country though. Part of it's struggle is that once you have ordered Butter Chicken, you don't want to order another incredibly similar dish.

There is no 'right' way to make an Indian dish. It is all about techniques, feel and adapting it to your region. Tikka Masala shares every ingredient & technique with India's biggest culinary invention of the 20th century : butter chicken. It is likely that some places made it sufficiently spicier and tomato-ier to become Tikka Masala. But, I don't want to split hairs over how much culinary innovation is needed for naming rights.

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