Creamy and moderately spicy, this curry recipe was born in the 1970s in the kitchens of the "Shish Mahal" restaurant, before becoming one of the most served dishes in restaurants in the United Kingdom.

"Chicken tikka masala was invented in our restaurant, we used to make chicken tikka (grilled marinated chicken), but one day a customer said 'I want sauce with this, it's a little dry' “, had declared in 2009 to AFP Ahmed Aslam, originating in Pakistani Punjab.

"So since that date we have cooked it with a sauce based on yoghurt, cream and spices."

Despite the difficulty of proving absolutely where this dish, generally considered an adaptation of curry with a Western taste, was born, a Scottish local MP, Mohammad Sarwar, had at that time taken steps to have chicken tikka masala recognized as a specialty. local.

In 2001, the former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook described this curry as "a true British national dish" and "a perfect illustration of the way in which Great Britain absorbs and adapts external influences".

© 2022 AFP