The Delhi High Court is all set to resolve a dispute between two restaurant chains namely Moti Mahal and Daryaganj. Both the restaurants claim the title of inventors of Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani.
Reportedly, Moti Mahal’s owners have filed a suit against the Daryaganj, alleging that the latter is misleading the public into believing that there is a connection between Daryaganj and Moti Mahal, which opened its first branch in the Daryaganj neighbourhood of the national capital.
On January 16, Justice Sanjeev Narula issued summons to Daryaganj restaurant owners and directed them to file a written response within a month. He also took note of Moti Mahal’s application for an interim injection and listed it for hearing on May 29, 2024.
In the dispute, Moti Mahal attributed the creations to its predecessor, late Kundal Lal Gujral and Daryaganj credited it to late Kundan Lal Jaggi. Moti Mahal asserted that Gujral, who is the creator of the first Tandoori chicken, later invented butter chicken and dal makhani, bringing these dishes to India after partition.
As per the aforesaid claims, Gujral’s concern about unsold chicken leftovers led to the invention of a sauce for rehydration known as the makhani or butter sauce, which is a flavorful combination of tomatoes, butter, cream and spices, defining the dish’s taste. Moti Mahal further contended that the invention of Dal Makhani is closely tied to the invention of Butter Chicken, applying the same recipe to black lentils, leading to the birth of Dal Makhani.
Meanwhile, Daryaganj is yet to file its response, its lawyers have challenged the allegations and argued that the suit is baseless and lacking a cause of action. They further argued that there had been no false representation on their part, stressing the joint establishment of the first Moti Mahal restaurant in Peshwar by the predecessors of both parties namely Gujral of Moti Mahal and Jaggi of Daryaganj.