Indian courts will decide who invented butter chicken

Two families in India are battling it out in the Delhi High Court over who came up with the globally famous “butter chicken” dish. The two families claim that their respective ancestors, both named Kundan, created the recipe.

The case will be heard in May.

The legal battle highlights the dish’s cultural significance and the complexities of attributing culinary inventions.

Origins
The contention revolves around Moti Mahal, a renowned New Delhi eatery founded in 1947, where butter chicken allegedly debuted. Monish Gujral, grandson of one of Moti Mahal’s partners, asserts his grandfather created the dish.

He filed a 2,752-page lawsuit against Daryaganj, a competing chain, disputing their claim that its founder, Raghav Jaggi’s grandfather, invented butter chicken.

Gujral wants $240,000 and a claim to the dish.

Food historians emphasize the difficulty in determining butter chicken’s true origin due to its longstanding presence in public cuisine. 

Diners, however, primarily focus on the taste of the dish rather than its origins.