MPs Join Glasgow's Fight For Tikka Masala
July 21, 2009[/align]
MPs have joined the hot fight to have Glasgow named as the official birthplace of Britain's most popular curry. The city famous for, among other things, football, deep-fried food and Billy Connolly, is bidding to add chicken tikka masala to the list of traditional national dishes.
Mohammed Sarwar, Labour MP for Glasgow Central, has tabled a Commons motion calling for Parliament to recognise that it was invented by the proprietor of the Shish Mahal restaurant, Ali Ahmed Aslam, in the Seventies. It is claimed Mr Aslam invented the recipe after a diner complained his chicken was too dry. Mr Aslam told the Scotsman newspaper: "We could call it the 'Glasgow chicken tikka masala'. We consider ourselves to be Glaswegians first and Scottish second so we are proud to have invented it here."
Seven Labour MPs including Glasgow South West MP Ian Davidson have signed Mr Sarwar's motion, which also calls for the city to be given EU Protected Designation of Origin of the dish. And Glasgow is not the only city hurrying to claim a curry. Birmingham has applied to protect the balti: the council is seeking to make sure that only those dishes made in the balti triangle and Birmingham can carry the name.
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It's quite a cool claim-to-fame. It needs more spice!
