India’s 4 in 50 Best Chicken Dishes; Chicken Tikka Masala stirs debate

Four Indian specialities feature on the TasteAtlas list of 50 Best Chicken Dishes in the World, of which three have made it to the top 10. While Butter Chicken occupies the fourth spot, Tikka is in position number six. Chicken 65 is 10th and Tandoori Chicken is at number 18.

The dish that has startled many, however, is Chicken Tikka Masala because TasteAtlas has credited the United Kingdom as the delicacy’s country of origin. The speciality dish — marinated chicken roast in spicy and creamy sauce — is popular all over India and especially in the North. It occupies 21st spot on the list.

TasteAtlas introduces Chicken Tikka Masala as a “British dish influenced by Indian cuisine”.

Several Indian foodies, however, have insisted that Chicken Tikka Masala should be mentioned as an Indian dish, soon after TasteAtlas released its list.

“How come chicken tikka masala became British.. look at the name itself!! Does it sound British to you??” wrote user pritamdas.88 on Instagram.

“Chicken Tikka Masala is an Indian dish not British @tasteatlas,” said user ayushsingh_235. 

Traditionally, views over the origins of the dish have been divided. A common notion is a Pakistani-Scottish chef named Ali Ahmed Aslam invented it in Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1970s, by adding tomato-cream soup to Chicken Tikka. Others say the dish evolved over time as a variation of Indian dishes such as Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka.

KOREAN CHIKIN IS NO. 1

Meanwhile, topping the list is Chikin, a Korean fried chicken dish with 4.7 rating. The Mexican delicacy Pollo Al Acuyo is second (4.7 rating) while the Palestinian chicken dish Musakhan finishes third (4.6). Also in the top 10 are Karaage from Japan in the fifth spot (4.5 rating), Pollo A La Brasa from Peru at seventh (4.5), the Indonesian dish Ayam Goreng at number eight (4.5) and Kai Yang from Thailand in the ninth spot (4.5).

Among the Indian toppers, the fourth-placed Butter Chicken, Tikka at the 6th spot and the 10-placed Chicken 65 garnered a 4.5 rating each, while Tandoori Chicken at position number 18 has a rating of 4.4.

Ther controversial Chicken Tikka Masala, at position number 21, had a 4.4 rating.

TasteAtlas is a travel online guide for traditional food that collates authentic recipes, food critic reviews and research articles about dishes and ingredients.