Indian judge to rule on who invented butter chicken: ‘you cannot take away somebody’s legacy’
- The founder of the Moti Mahal restaurant has sued rival chain Daryaganj, accusing it of falsely claiming to have invented the dish
- The lawsuit claims restaurant founder, Kundan Lal Gujral, created the curry in the 1930s when the restaurant first opened in Peshawar before it moved to Delhi
It claims restaurant founder, Kundan Lal Gujral, created the curry in the 1930s when the restaurant first opened in Peshawar before it moved to Delhi. In a 2,752-page court filing, it has sued rival chain Daryaganj, accusing it of falsely claiming to have invented the dish as well as dal makhani, a popular lentil dish that is also laden with butter and cream.
The Gujral family is seeking US$240,000 in damages, also alleging that Daryaganj has copied the layout of Moti Mahal’s website and “the look and feel” of its restaurants.
Daryaganj – which was established relatively recently in 2019 – counters that its late family member, Kundan Lal Jaggi, had partnered with Gujral to open the Delhi restaurant in 1947, and the dish was invented there. That gives it the right to also lay claim to the creation of the dish, it argues.
