Ali Ahmed Aslam, a chef who is thought to have created Britain’s favorite curry the ‘chicken tikka masala’, passed away at the age of 77.
Aslam’s death was announced by his Glasgow restaurant, Shish Mahal, which closed for 48 hours as a sign of respect. His funeral was held at Glasgow Central Mosque, where the public was invited to attend.
Aslam was born in Pakistan and moved to Glasgow as a child, establishing Shish Mahal in 1964.
Aslam told the AFP news agency that he came up with the chicken tikka masala in the 1970s after a customer asked if there was a way to make his chicken tikka less dry. He then added a creamy tomato sauce.
In 2009, Aslam advocated for the city to be recognized as the chicken tikka masala’s birthplace.
He pushed for Glasgow to get EU Protected Designation of Origin status for its curry and introduced an early-day motion. However, several other places in the UK have claimed to have originated the dish.
