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Tikka is a Punjabi word for a dish consisting of pieces of meat, cheese or vegetables marinated in yoghurt and spices, then baked in a tandori oven. Masala in Hindi, on the other hand, means a mixture of Indian herbs or spices, the most famous of which are curry with dominant turmeric and ginger, or garam masala, in which cumin and coriander play the leading role.

By combining chicken tikka-style with an Indian spice blend, onions, tomatoes, cream and butter, the most famous Indian dish in the world was created – chicken tikka masala.

The place of its origin is considered to be Great Britain. According to the British, in the early seventies, a bus driver in Glasgow, after a hard day's work, stopped at an Indian restaurant for a meal. He ordered chicken tikka, which turned out to be dry and unappetizing. When the dish was returned, the chef decided to improvise. He added a can of Campbell's tomato soup, cream and a handful of Indian spices to the chicken.

The dish turned out to be a hit and quickly won over the palates of the British, and then became the most frequently ordered item in Indian restaurants around the world.

In 2001, British Home Secretary Robin Cook declared chicken tikka masala the British national dish, thus dethroning the time-honoured Sunday roast beef with gravy.

There are as many recipes for chicken tikka masala as there are cooks who prepare them. And in every version, this dish will taste delicious. The basis of the good taste of this dish is a marinade based on yogurt, tomatoes, onion, a set of Indian spices and cream. The dish is perfect for experimenting. It works well at parties. It can be prepared in advance. It tastes best with basmati rice and naan flatbreads.

I start making my tikka masala with a marinade, which consists of a few tablespoons of yogurt, a chopped thumb of ginger, a few grated garlic cloves, half a ground red onion, a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of cumin, a teaspoon of chili, a teaspoon of garam masala, three cardamom seeds, three cloves, ground pepper, salt, and three tablespoons of sesame oil.

I mix the chopped meat from skinless chicken legs or chicken breasts thoroughly with the marinade and leave for a few hours, preferably overnight.

I grill or fry the meat in small portions in a very hot pan with a small amount of oil and set aside.

In the same pan I put three cardamom seeds, three cloves, a broken cinnamon stick, a few peppercorns, a teaspoon of cumin, turmeric, garam masala, chili. After a minute I add two red onions and fry for a few minutes. Then I add a tablespoon of grated ginger and a tablespoon of grated garlic and fry for another few minutes.

Then I add two cans of whole tomatoes and cook for twenty minutes, then blend everything.

I add chicken, a piece of butter and at least half a glass of 30% cream. I cook for five minutes. Before serving, I season with fresh cilantro.

I serve it with basmati rice and naan flatbreads, made with a mixer or by hand from wheat flour, yogurt and salt. I bake the flatbreads on the grill or in the oven and season them with garlic butter and fresh coriander or parsley before serving.

In Rome they have rigatoni with amartriciana sauce, in Prague roast with dumplings, in Paris beef bourguignon, in Berlin potato soup, in Brussels mussels with fries, and in Budapest langos. In Chyliczki we gorge ourselves on chicken tikka masala.