Chicken tikka masala

"Chicken masala" redirects here. For the Italian dish, see Chicken marsala.

Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala
Origin
Place of origin	Disputed:- United Kingdom South Asia (India), (Pakistan)
Region or state	Disputed:- Punjab United Kingdom
Creator(s)	Disputed:- Modern (UK) Traditional (India), (Pakistan)
Dish details
Course served	Main course
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredient(s)	Chicken Yoghurt Cream Tomato Onion Chili pepper Coconut
Variations	Lamb, Fish or Paneer tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala (Hindi: चिकन टिक्का मसाला; Urdu: مرغ تکہ مصالحہ) is a curry dish of roasted chicken chunks (tikka) served in a rich-tasting orange-coloured sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and contains tomatoes. Tikka masala has been found to be the most popular dish in British restaurants and it has been called a "true British national dish."^[1]

Composition

An alternative presentation of the dish

Chicken tikka masala is chicken tikka, chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt, that is then baked in a tandoor oven, served in a masala ("mixture of spices") sauce.^[2] A tomato and coriander sauce is common, but there is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala; a survey found that of 48 different recipes, the only common ingredient was chicken tikka.^[3] The sauce usually includes tomatoes, frequently as puree; cream and/or coconut cream; and various spices. The sauce or chicken pieces (or both) are coloured orange with food dyes or with orange foodstuffs such as turmeric powder, paprika powder or tomato puree.^[4] Other tikka masala dishes replace chicken with lamb, fish or paneer.

Origins

One explanation of the origins of the dish is that it was conceived in an Indian restaurant.^[1][2] Rahul Verma, an Indian expert on street food from Delhi, has stated that the dish originated, probably by accident with subsequent improvisations, in Punjab during the last 50 years.^[5]

There are also claims that an Indian chef in Glasgow invented it by improvising a sauce made from yogurt, cream and spices.^[6][7] In July 2009 Pakistani-born British MP Mohammad Sarwar tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons asking that Parliament support a campaign for Glasgow to be given European Union Protected Designation of Origin status for chicken tikka masala.^[8] The motion was not chosen for debate nor has Sarwar spoken on this subject in Parliament.^[9][10] Some people have drawn comparisons between chicken tikka masala and butter chicken, another Indian dish including chicken and gravy which was probably invented in Northern India.

Popularity

Chicken tikka masala is served in restaurants around the world.^[11][12] A survey in the United Kingdom claimed that it is that country's most popular restaurant dish.^[2] One in seven curries sold in the UK is chicken tikka masala. The cross-cultural popularity of the dish in the UK led former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook to proclaim it as "a true British national dish".^[3] Restaurants now serve chicken tikka masala catering to the UK tourist trade in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.^[13]

See also

	India portal
	Pakistan portal
	United Kingdom portal
	Food portal

• Balti, a South Asian dish invented in the United Kingdom.
• General Tso's chicken, another dish seen as symbolic of a culture's cuisine.
• Curry chicken, a similar spiced chicken dish.
• Butter chicken, a similar mild curry dish.

Further reading

• Curry Club Tandoori and Tikka Dishes, Piatkus, London — ISBN 0-7499-1283-9 (1993)
• Curry Club 100 Favourite Tandoori Recipes, Piatkus, London — ISBN 07499149 & ISBN 0-7499-1741-5 (1995)
• India: Food & Cooking, New Holland, London — ISBN 978-1-84537-619-2 (2007)
• Collingham, Elizabeth M (2006). Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors. Oxford University Press. pp. 2–3. ISBN 0195172418. 

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Robin Cook's chicken tikka masala speech". London: The Guardian. 2002-02-25. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/apr/19/race.britishidentity. Retrieved 2001-04-19. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Lloyd, J and Mitchinson, J. The Book of General Ignorance. Faber & Faber, 2006.
3. ^ ^{a b} BBC E-Cyclopedia (2001-04-20). "Chicken tikka masala: Spice and easy does it". bbc.co.uk (London). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/1285804.stm. Retrieved 28 September 2007. 
4. ^ Chicken tikka masala with paprika, http://www.food-india.com/recipe/R051_R75/R071.htm, retrieved 2009-11-05 
5. ^ Nelson, Dean; Andrabi, Jalees (2009-08-04). "Telegraph Online: Chicken tikka masala debate grows as Indian chefs reprimand Scottish MPs over culinary origins". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/5972643/Chicken-tikka-masala-row-grows-as-Indian-chefs-reprimand-Scottish-MPs-over-culinary-origins.html. Retrieved 2010-04-28. 
6. ^ "BBC News Online: Glasgow 'invented' Tikka Masala". London. 2009-07-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8161812.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-31. 
7. ^ Agencies (6 August 2009). "Scots lay claim to chicken tikka masala, Indians fume". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/uk/Scots-lay-claim-to-chicken-tikka-masala-Indians-fume/articleshow/4861329.cms. Retrieved 9 September 2009. 
8. ^ "UK Parliament Early Day Motions 2008-2009". http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39136&SESSION=899. Retrieved 2010-08-11. 
9. ^ "UK Parliament Archives 2008-9". http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cmallfiles/mps/commons_hansard_564_os.html. Retrieved 2010-08-11. 
10. ^ "UK Parliament Archives 2009-10". http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cmallfiles/mps/commons_hansard_564_os.html. Retrieved 2010-08-11. 
11. ^ "The Hindu: Tastes that travel". Chennai, India. 2007-02-24. http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/02/24/stories/2007022401910300.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-01. 
12. ^ Aravind Adiga (20 March 2006). "The Spice of Life". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174750,00.html. Retrieved 2007-06-01. 
13. ^ "India gets a taste of UK tikka". BBC News (London). 3 November 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/503680.stm. Retrieved 9 September 2009. 

External links

• BBC Good Food's version

This article is part of the series Indian cuisine

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