The butter chicken battle gets spicier in Delhi High Court with new evidence

An Indian court case over the origins of the renowned butter chicken dish has intensified with new photographic and video evidence.

Two prominent restaurant chains, Moti Mahal and Daryaganj, are locked in a legal dispute at the Delhi High Court, each claiming to have invented the iconic curry.

The lawsuit has captivated social media users, food critics, and media outlets worldwide.

Moti Mahal’s assertions

Moti Mahal, a well-established restaurant chain, claims exclusive rights to be recognized as the creator of butter chicken.

The chain is demanding that its rival, Daryaganj, cease taking credit for the dish and pay $240,000 in damages.

Moti Mahal asserts that its founder, Kundan Lal Gujral, invented the creamy curry in the 1930s at a restaurant in Peshawar, which is now part of Pakistan, before relocating to Delhi.

Daryaganj’s counterclaims

In a substantial 642-page counter-filing, Daryaganj disputes Moti Mahal’s claims, arguing that their founding family member, Kundan Lal Jaggi, was the true creator of butter chicken.

According to Daryaganj, Jaggi helmed the kitchen at the relocated Delhi eatery, while Gujral, his partner from Peshawar, focused on marketing. The evidence presented includes a black-and-white photograph from the 1930s of the two friends in Peshawar, a 1949 partnership agreement, Jaggi’s business card from Delhi, and a 2017 video of Jaggi discussing the dish’s origins.

Shared origins and business rivalry

Daryaganj contends that due to the partnership between Jaggi and Gujral, both parties can claim their ancestors created the dish, framing the dispute as a business rivalry rather than a clear-cut case of invention.

Moti Mahal has declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.

The court is set to hear the case again on May 29, with the central issue being who first made the dish and where it was created: by Gujral in Peshawar, by Jaggi in New Delhi, or whether both should be credited.

Significance of the ruling

Butter chicken is ranked 43rd among the world’s best dishes by TasteAtlas, and securing the title of its inventor holds significant value.

“Being an inventor has a huge advantage globally and in terms of consumer appeal. You are also entitled to charge more,” said Dilip Cherian, co-founder of the Indian PR firm Perfect Relations.

Market implications

Moti Mahal, which operates over 100 outlets worldwide through a franchise model, prices its butter chicken at $8 in New Delhi and $23 in New York.

Its primary outlet in Delhi has served notable figures, including the late U.S. President Richard Nixon and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Daryaganj, which started in 2019, charges $7.50 for its butter chicken and operates 10 outlets mainly in New Delhi, with plans to expand to other Indian cities and Bangkok.

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