Restaurants clash over Indian Butter Chicken

An intense legal conflict is taking place in India between two rival restaurant chains, each arguing that they are the true creators of the beloved butter chicken dish, a beloved Indian cuisine dish.

Moti Mahal, an esteemed restaurant chain with a rich history in New Delhi, has filed a lawsuit against its competitor, Daryaganj, at the High Court in the capital city.

The lawsuit spans a massive 2000 pages, and it accuses Daryaganj of falsely taking credit for creating the recipe for both butter chicken and dal makhani, a rich black lentil dish featuring cream and tomato sauce.

Moti Mahal’s owner, Munish Gujral, assures that their family is the true inventor of these dishes, with roots tracing back to his grandfather’s restaurant in Peshawar.

Gujral defends his family’s culinary legacy, insisting that while others are free to serve butter chicken, they should not falsely claim to have created the recipe.

He is determined to preserve his family’s history and vows to protect it from being stolen. The dispute escalated after a partner from the founder’s side was appointed to the restaurant, leading to claims from Daryaganj that their ancestor was the true creator of butter chicken.

As the legal battle continues, Moti Mahal has demanded 20 million rupees in compensation and the removal of any claims by Daryaganj that they are the true creators of these dishes.

Daryaganj officials are yet to respond to the allegations, reserving their comments until further review of the lawsuit. A hearing for the case is scheduled for May.

This conflict is not unique, as disputes over the origins of popular Indian dishes have happened in the past. With both parties holding onto their claims, this legal battle over butter chicken likely isn’t going to be an easy one on either of the two parties involved.