The chef said he devised the recipe for ‘Britain’s favourite curry’ after a customer complained that his meal was too dry
A chef who is believed to have invented the chicken tikka masala, regarded as Britain’s favourite curry, has died aged 77.
Ali Ahmed Aslam’s death on Monday was announced by his Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, which closed for 48 hours as a mark of respect. The eatery announced: “Hey, Shish Snobs … Mr Ali passed away this morning … We are all absolutely devastated and heartbroken.”
His funeral was held at Glasgow Central Mosque on Tuesday. Members of the public were invited to attend.
Aslam was born in Pakistan and moved with his family to Glasgow as a young boy before opening Shish Mahal in Glasgow’s west end in 1964. He was married and has five children, according to a social media post.
In an interview, Aslam explained that he created the chicken tikka masala in the 1970s when a customer asked if there was a way of making his chicken tikka less dry. His solution was to add a creamy tomato sauce.