Ali Ahmed Aslam, often credited as inventor of chicken tikka masala, dies at 77
Ali Ahmed Aslam, a chef often credited with inventing the popular chicken tikka masala dish, has died, according to a post by his restaurant and multiple reports. He was 77.
Ali Ahmed Aslam, a chef often credited with inventing the popular chicken tikka masala dish, has died, according to a post by his restaurant and multiple reports. He was 77.
Aslam’s death was announced on Monday by his Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland, which closed for 48 hours in a sign of respect and to allow staff to mourn.
Aslam first came up with the chicken tikka masala dish in the 1970s at Shish Mahal when a customer asked if there was a way of making his chicken tikka less dry
"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'
"We thought we'd better cook the chicken with some sauce," he continued. "So from here, we cooked chicken tikka with the sauce that contains yogurt, cream, spices."
He leaves behind a wife, three sons, and two daughters, according to the news outlet.