by Sandra Ximen (’26) | March 1, 2024

Butter chicken. I know, I know. My mouth is watering just as much as yours. The delectable buttery and fragrant tomato curry fuses beautifully with the aromatic chicken. Matched with a side of steaming basmati rice or freshly made naan, butter chicken makes the perfect pairing. Besides being a delicious favorite, the global sensation is also controversial and a subject of fierce debate. In fact, at this very moment, butter chicken has found itself in the midst of an intense legal battle over the dish’s origins. Let’s delve deeper into the history of this case, what the lawsuit covers, and why critics deem the brawl unnecessary.

First, why is this butter chicken broil even happening? It all started with two men, who are coincidentally both named Kundan Lal. After fleeing to Delhi in 1947 during the India-Pakistan partition, the two became partners in the restaurant industry, opening a restaurant together named Moti Mahal. After parting on friendly terms, Kundan Lal Jaggi opened the high-end restaurant Daryaganj with two other partners. 

Fast forward to today, when the two men’s legacies are being contested by their grandsons. Kundan Lal Gujral’s grandson filed a detailed lawsuit to the Delhi High Court, claiming that Gujral accidentally stumbled across butter chicken in an attempt to prevent the waste of the restaurant’s leftover tandoori chicken. He first made butter chicken when he decided to whip up a curry flavored with the subtle tang of tomato using the leftover tandoori chicken. However, the descendants of Kundan Lal Jaggi present an entirely different story. When Jaggi’s restaurant was about to close, a large number of customers arrived. There was not enough tandoori chicken to go around, so the group suggested that Jaggi make a hearty curry using the chicken, creating the new dish named butter chicken. These contrasting stories prompted Gujral’s grandson to sue for a whopping twenty million rupees, or around $240,000 in damages. 

Many critics of this conflict claim that only taste matters; not who created what first. However, both men’s restaurants have proudly asserted their status as the progenitor of butter chicken. Daryaganj’s motto proclaims, “By the inventors of butter chicken & dal makhani;” at the same time, the first sight at Moti Mahal depicts a proud poster of the late Kundan Lal Gujral, labeling him as the inventor of tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and dal makhani. The CEO of Daryaganj criticizes the ambitious Gujral grandson, asserting that the butter chicken legacy is shared and should remain so. The CEO argues that Indian food is meant for sharing, and this court case goes against that familial spirit.

The next hearing of the case will take place this May, so stay tuned for the court’s verdict. However, no matter how this court case pans out, butter chicken will continue to remain a global staple. After all, if you’re hungry after a long workday, whoever created the food won’t matter—so long as it is delicious!