Chicken masala

Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Uncertain; Indian Subcontinent or Scotland
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Chicken, yogurt, cream, tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper
Variations	Lamb, Fish or Paneer Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala is an Indian dish of roasted chunks of chicken tikka in a curry. The curry is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured. Most Indian restaurants serve this dish, as it is one of the favourite dishes in the country and all over the world among the Indian cusine lovers. It has been claimed to have originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Some claim that it originated in Glasgow. It is among the UK's most popular dishes, leading a government minister, Robin Cook, to claim in 2001 that it was a British national dish.

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

The origin of the dish is disputed. One of the explanations is that it originated in Punjab in the Indian Subcontinent.

Rahul Verma, Delhi's most authoritative expert on street food, said he first tasted the dish in 1971 and that its origins were in Punjab. He said "Its basically a Punjabi dish not more than 40-50 years old and must be an accidental discovery which has had periodical improvisations"