London: The delectable Asian curry `chicken tikka masala`, a favourite in UK, entered the House of Commons after a lawmaker made a strong bid to get Glasgow officially recognised as the home of the dish.
Mohammad Sarwar, of Pakistani origin and Labour MP for
Glasgow Central, tabled an early day motion in the House
seeking EU protected `Designation of Origin status` for the
curry.
Sarwar claimed that the dish was invented in the Scottish
town of Glasgow by Ali Ahmed Aslam, proprietor of the Shish
Mahal restaurant in the seventies, in the town`s west end.
The place is also three times winner of the `curry
capital of Britain` award.
It is also believed that mild curry was created decades
ago in a Glaswegian kitchen by Asian immigrants catering to
Western palates.
Sarwar told the BBC "Glasgow`s contribution to popular
cuisine deserves to be more widely recognised. Tikka Masala is
perhaps one of the earliest examples of `fusion` cuisine."
"Glaswegians loved the flavour of Asian spices but still
wanted a bit of gravy on their meat. The Shish Mahal pioneered
great Asian food with a Glasgow twist."
Sarwar said he is hopeful that the "EU will give Chicken
Tikka Masala the official stamp of Glasgow origin."
Glasgow City Council is backing his campaign.
Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council is seeking a similar
status for ‘Balti’ range of dishes on the ground that they
were invented by immigrants from the Indian sub-continent in
the city.
Bureau Report
