Butter chicken was invented in Delhi – so it’s no surprise that the city offers some of the world’s finest versions. Photo / 123RF
Butter chicken was invented in Delhi – so it’s no surprise that the city offers some of the world’s finest versions. Photo / 123RF
The origins of butter chicken are subject to court dispute, but nobody doubts that Delhi serves some of the best in the world. Your food tour is incomplete without butter chicken from these standout restaurants, writes Arundhati Hazra.
Delhi has seen the rise and fall of many kingdoms, from the 11th century Tomar dynasty who founded the city, to the Mughals who ruled for more than 300 years, to the British who anointed it the capital of the British Raj. Its culinary repertoire is influenced by its history, from Mughal-era biryanis and kababs, to spicy, tangy chaats that are street food favourites. However, butter chicken is top of mind for many when talking about the city’s food, and is among the best-known Indian dishes globally. Invented by Punjabi refugees who settled in Delhi after India’s Partition (the actual inventor’s identity is the subject of a lawsuit), it was created to use leftover tandoori chicken, by dunking it in a creamy tomato gravy.
“It is a simple and elemental dish, and requires very few ingredients,” says food writer Marryam Reshii, author of The Flavour of Spice, when I ask her the possible reason for the global appeal of butter chicken. “Sour tomatoes, which give it an umami taste,” she elaborates, “with cream, a handful of spices like deggi mirch (a blend of chillies), garam masala and garlic,” all ingredients that are pantry staples in any Indian kitchen. Delhi is a mecca for butter chicken, with restaurants in every corner and alley serving the dish, but some stand out.
This is the restaurant where it all started. Butter chicken was invented at Moti Mahal in the 1950s, and while the families warring over the inventor’s title have moved on to create their own restaurant franchises, the original outlet in Old Delhi’s Daryaganj area serves up a butter chicken that stays true to its roots. The restaurant, patronised by famous names from Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to US President Richard Nixon, has an old-school ambience, and serves an understated butter chicken that doesn’t leave you feeling too heavy; also try their dal makhani (another dish that was invented here) and burrah kabab (lamb chops grilled over coals).
Address: 3704, Netaji Subhash Marg, Daryaganj, New Delhi, 110002
Moti Mahal, often credited with the invention of butter chicken, has served everyone from Nehru to Nixon. Photo / A.S. Hazra
Gulati
Founded in 1959 as a dhaba (roadside eatery) with wooden benches and tables, Gulati has grown to become a household favourite, and among the top places in Delhi for a delectable butter chicken. The restaurant’s manager MK Bhati credits the popularity to the restaurant’s chefs, many of whom have been at the restaurant for more than 30 years. Gulati’s butter chicken is rich and robustly flavoured, and comes with a side of shallots pickled in vinegar, a common accompaniment to many Indian dishes. The restaurant’s Mughlai dishes are of note, such as the kakori and galouti kebabs (both made of minced meat, skewered and pan-roasted respectively) and the biriyani; the dahi kabab (fried patties of drained yogurt) is a vegetarian’s delight.
Gulati’s chefs have been preparing their famous butter chicken for over 30 years. Photo / A.S. Hazra
Havemore
The age-old conflict among Delhi’s butter chicken lovers is – who has the better butter chicken, Gulati or Havemore? The two restaurants are neighbours, with similar menus and founding years. Havemore started as a stall selling samosas and tea, founded by Karan Singh Bajaj, a Partition refugee. As part of the refugee resettlement, the family was allotted land on Pandara Rd, where Bajaj’s son opened a dhaba in 1959; the restaurant is currently run by the family’s third generation. The butter chicken is a smooth balance of creamy, sour and spicy; a mouthful reveals different flavours like a flag gently unfurling in the wind.
Address: 11-12 Pandara Rd Market, New Delhi 110003
Havemore and Gulati, two of Delhi’s top butter chicken spots, are located right next to each other. Photo / A.S. Hazra
Minar
Founded in 1970 and named after Qutb Minar, a famous Unesco Heritage-listed victory minaret in Delhi, Minar is tucked away in Delhi’s Connaught Place shopping arcade. The decor is kitschy, the interiors dimly lit, but the food draws fans new and old. Their butter chicken blends tomatoes, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) and cream into a dish where the spice notes hit first, with a light tangy aftertaste. It is best eaten with their potato or onion kulchas; also try the mutton rara, a slow-cooked meat dish, and kadhai chicken, named after the wok that it’s cooked in.
Address: L-11, Connaught Circle Connaught Place, New Delhi, 110001
Minar’s butter chicken is best paired with their fluffy kulchas, a type of Indian bread. Photo / A.S. Hazra
Mughal Mahal
Tucked away in a leafy alley on the edge of Delhi’s busy commercial district of Karol Bagh is Mughal Mahal. Founded in 1976, the restaurant’s decor is inspired by medieval Mughal palaces, though the menu has a mix of Punjabi and Mughlai dishes, including their famed butter chicken. The tomatoes are the star of Mughal Mahal’s butter chicken, dialled up to accentuate the tangy flavour of the mildly spiced dish. “To me, they are the gold standard of butter chicken, and they live up to it,” says writer Marryam Reshii. “It is rich and creamy and sour.”
