Who created chicken tikka masala? The death of a curry king is reviving a debate

Ahmed Aslam Ali, the owner of the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland, is pictured with a plate of chicken tikka masala in his restaurant, on July 29, 2009. (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

The death of a Pakistani-Scottish chef who claimed he cooked up the world's first chicken tikka masala is prompting a flood of tributes to what's been described as 'Britain's national dish' — and reviving a debate into its true origin.

Ali Ahmed Aslam, known widely as Mr. Ali, died of health complications on Monday at age 77, his nephew Andleeb Ahmed confirmed to NPR.