The Origin And Other Exciting Facts About Butter Chicken

One of the most popular Indian dishes, Murg Makhani or Butter Chicken, leaves a lasting taste on everybody’s mind but they know less of its origin. The dish involves a few spices, cream and tomatoes, and you need to marinate the chicken perfectly to prepare this world-renowned dish. Through knowing about its origin, food enthusiasts can bring something more to the table to discuss. 

Butter Chicken Recipe | Image Resource: hi.wikipedia.org

How did it all start?

Back in the early 1900s, Mokha Singh Lamba used to run a restaurant in Gora Bazaar in Peshwar, in undivided India. The restaurant had a young chef named Kundan Lal Gujral. He, first experimented by marinating chicken with yoghurt and sticking it in a ‘tandoor.’ That is how Tandoori Chicken came into being. Post Partition, Kundan Lal was forced to move to Delhi.  

To one’s surprise, the origin of Butter Chicken is closely linked to that of Tandoori Chicken. Amongst all the upheavals, celebrations, and protests, Kundan Lal Gujral opened a restaurant by the name Moti Mahal in Daryaganj. As he progressed with his business, to avoid wastage of food, he would stew leftover tandoori chicken tikkas in gravy made of tomato, butter, and cream. Eventually, the newly developed method to avoid wastage of food became a recipe that attracted everyone from the city and whoever tasted it once, would come back for more. By this way, Kundan Lal Gujral invented a new dish called butter chicken. 

What are some of the exciting facts about the butter chicken recipe?
Butter Chicken has come a long way and different experiments with the ingredients have perfected the dish over time. It involves marinating the chicken with yoghurt and aromatic spices and then stewing it in gravy. Some of the facts about butter chicken recipe are:
  • While Tandoori Chicken originated in Undivided India in Peshwar, Butter Chicken finds its origin in Delhi, India.
  • Kundan Lal Gujral invented both the dishes, Tandoori and Butter Chicken. He is also credited for inventing Dal Makhni.
  • The dish has been savored by Indian PMs including Jawaharlal Nehru and American Presidents including Nixon and Kennedy. According to a report, Kennedy tasted the tandoori chicken in a flight. 
  • The oldest Moti Mahal restaurant has been visited by the World Famous Chef Gordon Ramsay. Today, you can find butter chicken or tandoori chicken in every corner of India. 

Butter Chicken was the beginning that led to a revolution in Chicken Dishes. Indian Butter Chicken is now available at every corner of the world and it becomes a famous dinner menu in the western countries.  Many dishes have come and gone, but something about this appetizing dish has kept it alive with minimal changes in the original recipe.

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