Chicken tikka masala is widely credited to have been invented by Ali Ahmed Aslam, a Pakistani-Scottish chef. In the 1970s at his restaurant Shish Mahal in Glasgow, Scotland, a customer complained that traditional chicken tikka was too dry. To address this, Aslam improvised a creamy tomato-based sauce with yogurt, cream, and spices to accompany the chicken tikka, thus creating the now globally famous dish chicken tikka masala.
Though the exact origin is debated and some suggest it may have derived from butter chicken or other South Asian dishes, Ali Ahmed Aslam's story is among the most recognized accounts. The dish is considered a British adaptation of South Asian cuisine, designed to suit Western tastes.
In summary, Ali Ahmed Aslam is credited as the inventor of chicken tikka masala, having created it in Glasgow in the 1970s by adding a creamy spiced sauce to chicken tikka to satisfy his customers' preferences.
