Ali Ahmed Aslam, self-proclaimed inventor of chicken tikka masala, is dead at 77 : NPR

Ahmed Aslam Ali, owner of Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, poses with a plate of Chicken Tikka Masala in his restaurant, July 29, 2009.

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Ahmed Aslam Ali, owner of Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, poses with a plate of Chicken Tikka Masala in his restaurant, July 29, 2009.

Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

The death of a Scottish-Pakistani chef who claims he cooked the world’s first chicken tikka masala is sparking a wave of praise for what has been described as ‘Britain’s national dish’ – and rekindled the debate about its true origins.

Ali Ahmed Aslam, widely known as ‘Mr. Ali,’ died of health complications on Monday at the age of 77, his grandson Andleeb Ahmed confirmed to NPR.

Aslam is the owner of the famous Shish Mahal in Glasgow, which he opened in 1964 after immigrating from Pakistan as a young boy.

in his narrationAslam came up with the globally beloved recipe one night in the 1970s, when a customer complained that the traditional chicken tikka was too dry. The chef returned to the kitchen and combined the spices, cream and a can of thick tomato soup. Voilà: the modern model for chicken tikka masala was born.

But so is also a debate about its origin.

Who created the chicken tikka masala?

In 2009, a politician in Glasgow campaigned for chicken tikka masala to be declared a protected heritage site and for the city to be named its official home. But the bid was rejected after many establishments from all over the UK requested this dish.

Others say that curry was definitely invented in South Asia. Monish Gurjal, head of the famous Indian restaurant chain Moti Mahal, said his grandfather had been serving chicken tikka masala to Indian heads of state as early as 1947.

“Something like: who invented chicken noodle soup?” Leena Trivedi-Grenier, a freelance food writer says who polled various origin claims in 2017. “It’s a dish that can be invented by any number of people at once.”

Chicken tikka (sans the masala) has been a popular street food in Pakistan and northern India for decades. At its core, it refers to chicken marinated in chili powder and yogurt, then blackened on a griddle or in a tandoor, a type of clay oven.

According to Trivedi-Grenier, the cooking method makes the tikka susceptible to drying out; ideas to add Sauces with key ingredients like cream, avocado and tomatoes aren’t too revolutionary.

A plate of Chicken Tikka Masala in the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 29, 2009.

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A plate of Chicken Tikka Masala in the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 29, 2009.

Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Another point of contention is the relatively mild flavor of the dish. In an interview originally shared by AFP newsAslam says the recipe is adapted from traditional cuisine “to the taste of our customers.”

“Usually they don’t eat hot curry,” he said of UK diners. “That’s why we cook it with yogurt and cream.”

In 2001, the UK Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, said in a speech that chicken tikka masala is “a true British national dish”, the epitome of “multiculturalism as a positive force for our economy and society.”

But for Trivedi-Grenier, the idea that chicken tikka masala was created solely to suit British palates is “colorful” when one considers symbolism.

“How do you invade and enslave an entire country for a century and then claim that one of their dishes is from your country?”

Customers remember Aslam as a humble man and talented chef

His grandson, Andleeb Ahmed, says Aslam, a man who always shies away from the spotlight, has found purpose in introducing his customers to new flavors.

“He was really serving customers for the rest of his life,” says Ahmed. “It’s his passion. It’s what he loves to do.”

Around the world, those who have dined at Shish Mahal remember Aslam as a kind and talented person who helped expand their culinary possibilities.

“I tasted my first curries at the Shish Mahal in 1967 and continue to enjoy them during my student days and beyond,” a former Scottish parliament member wrote on Twitter.

Vijay Prashad, an international journalist, wrote that, to say that the addition of chicken tikka masala has benefited many menu items, are “controversial”, but the food is undeniably delicious.

“Naans down in [Aslam’s] honor,” he added.

Ironically, when it comes to his own taste preferences, Aslam ranks chicken tikka masala fairly low, his grandson said.

“The chef will make a very traditional curry for him. He eats it for lunch every day,” explains Ahmed.

“He only eats chicken tikka masala when the guests have passed.”