A judge on Masterchef Australia has caused a huge stir in India it seems - after revealing that Chicken Tikka Masala was actually invented in Glasgow.
Glasgow-born former chef and TV star Jock Zonfrillo, who is appearing on MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites, was speaking of his love for Indian cuisine in an interview with major news website India Today - which has over 12 million Facebook followers.
When asked about his favourite Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, he responded by saying that he thinks "it was invented in Glasgow in the early 70s".
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The 'revelation' - which everyone and their Granny here knows is the case - prompted the news website to publish the interview with the headline: 'MasterChef's Jock Zonfrillo reveals Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in Glasgow. Wait, what?'.
He said: "For me, I grew up eating (Chicken) Tikka Masala. I think it was invented in Glasgow in the early 70s. Obviously, its origins are derived from India, but it's definitely a favourite as I grew up eating it. Also, Bengali food is really really big in Glasgow.
"I don't fully understand the cultural settlement of Indian people in Glasgow, but in terms of cuisines, there was a lot of Kashmiri, Punjabi and Bengali food predominance in Glasgow. So, those are the ones I was drawn to more."
The 'news' travelled fast, with Vancouver restaurant Vaades taking to Twitter to advise their followers that, yip, Chicken Tikka Masala was indeed invented in Scotland's biggest city.
They tweeted: "Did You Know? One of our most favoured dishes, Chicken Tikka Masala, although Indian at heart, is not actually an Indian dish! It originated in a restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland by a British Pakistani chef who improvised a sauce from yoghurt, cream, and various spices."
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And website Delecious Food joined suit, tweeting: "MasterChef’s Jock Zonfrillo reveals that Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in Glasgow. Wait a minute?"
As most of us know, Chicken Tikka Masala is believed to have been invented by Shish Mahal, one of Glasgow’s longest-standing Indian restaurants - once one of many curry houses on Gibson Street and now found round the corner on Park Road.
The story goes that a customer in the 70s complained his meat was too dry, prompting then-owner, Ali Ahmed Aslam to throw together a concoction of spices and tinned tomato soup, which he had been eating while recovering from a stomach ulcer.
Whether it’s true or not is always up for debate but still, Lonely Planet named the Shish Mahal as the best place of earth to try the dish in its book 'The World’s Best Spicy Food'.
