Where Butter Chicken and Dal Makhni originated – Moti Mahal
Daryaganj
Think of a Punjabi staple which is a byword in North Indian dish
roster and the answer usually is Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken and Dal
Makhni. It is a menu chart which no restaurant is complete. These staple were,
introduced to Delhi and the world through this restaurant - Moti Mahal
Restaurant at Daryaganj. The man
credited with the creation, Kundan Lal Gujral.
From what one can glean from written records, was that he ran a small
dhaba in Peshawar in 1920s. He came to Delhi post partition and started a food
business and the Moti Mahal restaurant happened in 1947. The cuisine history
reads thus, to produce a lighter version of the heavy korma, chicken was
grilled in the Tandoor. The tandoor was used for making bread but not for meat.
This resulted in tandoori chicken. It
was to find a solution for the leftover tandoor chicken that the butter chicken
happened. To soften the chicken, it was marinated in yogurt and cooked, to the
addition of makhni gravy - tomatoes, cream et all. Dal makhni was invented at
Moti Mahal to find a vegetarian equivalent. Whole urad was used in the same
makhni gravy, thus the unforgettable Dal Makhni was created. Thus, the repertoire
found a permanent place in the North Indian cuisine lexicon. Of course, the
spices used then were minimal and less elaborate.
The restaurant is not difficult to find, being located at the main
road in Daryaganj. It is calmer and away from the hustle bustle of the main
Daryaganj Road. However, there are signs of decrepit. Inside the décor is
typical of the 70s/ 80s restaurant, with huge floral decorations, pink ceilings
with decorations. The entrance though is nice with lots of green. The outdoor
dining area is there, where Qawalis used to be held. A battery of Award hangs
from the wall along with a photo of Gordon Ramsey who came here to learn how to
make Tandoori Chicken.
The current owner Vinod Chadha says, “What I bought was the rental
rights to this place from Kundal Lal Gujral in 1991 and what was there of the
establishment. It was a khandar - ruin. During its hey days from 1947 to 1980s
it was the toast of connoisseurs of food. It was the only establishment which
served Tandoori chicken, Dal Makhni and Butter Chicken and people flocked.
There was Ashoka Hotel, Gaylord and Moti Mahal. ” There are several reports of
every President, Prime Minister, Film Stars having eaten here. Chadha says, “the
food here was excellent, there are no two ways to it. I have myself eaten here
several times and the food was just great. I do not know much about the origins
as I was not there and it will not be right for me to speak about it.”
After Chadha took over, he bought the place from the owners,
re-built and revamped it – air conditioning was installed and the menu
revamped. So I query was the secret recipe of Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken
and Dal Makhni given to you by Kundan Lal? Chadha says, “it was not needed as
by then these items were being made everywhere. Restaurateurs had deciphered
the signature dishes and replication had begun. I am veteran of the hotel
industry, with degrees in Hotel Management and have travelled across the globe –
all on 100% scholarships. I had worked in the Middle East, then at the Taj and finally for
over 21 years at Gaylord Restaurant, Connaught Place. I knew how these dishes
were made. I actually made it better, we improvised, today we cater to
customers from across the globe. We have no branches anywhere.” The Dal Makhni
is tasty, though slightly tangy and spicy for my taste buds but wonder of
wonders it does not leave a heavy feeling in its aftermath.It is rich and
creamy but not in the heavy greasy category. The masala used is special and Chadha
does not reveal the secret of the Dal Makhni what he does say is “it is a
mixture of whole urad, chana dal and rajma and is cooked in milk.” It is
probably that which makes it so creamy and thick without the grease factor
which one observes in other places. He adds, “I can assure, my food will not
make anyone feel sick or having over eaten. It is light on the palette.” Curd
is used instead of ghee to make the dishes lighter.
The place has its connoisseurs – Dabbas or boxes were sent out to
Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, actor Akshay Kumar got his dose of Butter Chicken
and Chicken Tikka.
The menu is skewed towards non-vegetarian fare – 60% and the rest
vegetarian. Chinese cuisine has been introduced to pamper the taste buds of
children accompanying parents. The joint has 30 different ways to prepare
chicken and a similar number of meat. They make close to 2 – 3 kgs of dal;
50 – 60 kgs of chicken – on daily basis . Marinating for dishes takes
around 8 hours, 3 – 4 hours for some Chadha says, “we want to develop it further
and were waiting for the heritage line to be completed before starting.”
