Mughals were avid trekkers and used to spend months altogether in jungles and far off places. They liked roasted form of chickens with spices,' he said.

Rahul Verma, Delhi's most authoritative expert on street food, told the paper he first tasted the dish in 1971 and that its origins were in Punjab.

'It's basically a Punjabi dish not more than 40-50 years old and must be an accidental discovery which has had periodical improvisations,' he said.

Himanshu Kumar, the founder of the food group Eating Out, added: 'Patenting the name Chicken Tikka Masala is out of the question. It has been prepared in India for generations. You can't patent the name, it's preposterous,'

Glasgow's claim follows reports that Birmingham has applied to protect the 'Balti', so that only Balti dishes made in the city - home to many Pakistani restaurants - can carry the name.