Chicken Tikka Masala
Wait, that looks Indian, it sounds Indian, Ive only ever seen it in an Indian restaurant menu. So how is it British?
There is no such thing as a chicken tikka masala in Indian cuisine.
It's just not there, it doesn't fall under any particular sub group’s cuisine in India ( Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil etc ). No Indian person has ever left work expecting to have a chicken tikka masala for dinner ( in the past altleast).
It is quintessentialy a British invention. I don't know the exact story but apparently:
As you know the British and Indians go way back and have often indulged in each others cultures to such an extent as to adopt and incorporate some things as part of their own culture. British will say tea is extremely British, but Indians may contest that title as their own, same for cricket and cotton/suiting fabrics. The British spent the early half of the century invading India and likewise Indians-Britain in the second half. I could easily have answered that “Theres nothing more British than an Indian”. One thing is for sure, they CAN both be pompous pain in the arses.
So anyway, one day in the distant past, some British person of authority ( aren't they all), let's call him Dave. Dave was having dinner, an Indian dinner, and was served chicken tikka. Which is a delicious traditionaly spiced yet rich and tender marinated roast chicken. Dave enjoyed the chicken but found it too dry and requested the cook ( let's call him Raj) to make a gravy for the chicken.
Raj, quickly scratched up a typical Indian gravy with lots of burnt garlic, ginger, onions, tomatoes and coriander, dunked the already roasted chicken tikka into this gravy and the chicken tikka masala was born!
Chicken tikka masala has since grown in popularity and made its way back to India ( to cater to travelling Brit's working in India after having tasted it in England ) and all over the world. It's now THEE GO TO INDIAN DISH when you don't know what to order in an Indian restaurant ( along with butter chicken) . It's the most popular item in almost all non veg Indian restaurants. But it's British!
Not only that, now chicken tikka masalas can be found in almost all British pubs, it's a favourite combo : beer and a curry.
You'll find the most British, everyday common people from tiny towns in the country side, tucked away in a warm, cosy, carpet stained pub discussing their sports betting and lottery strategies in the thickest British accents, over a beer/ale and a chicken tikka masala ( or vindaloo) .
It doesn't end there. Almost all grocery chains / supermarket chains offer a range of microwaveable meals. The way salt and vinegar is the most basic flavour of crisps, chicken tikka masala is the flavour ( variant) that no microwaveable meal brand in Britain misses.
When I went to study in England, my mother was very worried about what I'll do for food there, she made me like 50 chapatis to freeze and keep me going while I figure out what to do for food. She gave me a rice cooker and a pressure cooker, she said she’ll talk me through the process on the phone. I didn't know that this is what I'd find there :
Indians…. Wait….I'm about to show you one of the funniest things ever.
Can you believe it ?!?!! Chicken tikka masala in a can !?!?!! ( OK that's more American, but microwaveable chicken tikka masala is extremely British ) Tesco ki jai!
Even the pub on campus served chicken tikka masala with rice and a naan. You could get a beer, chicken tikka masala, rice and a naan for £10 on a Wednesday :-)
Chicken Tikka Masala is British.
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