Moti Mahal credits the invention of the two dishes to its founder Kundan Lal Gujral. Credit: Juefraphoto/Shutterstock.com.

A legal dispute has arisen between Moti Mahal and Daryaganj, two prominent restaurants in India, over the origin of two iconic recipes, WION [World Is One News, a reporting organisation based in New Delhi] has reported.

The case, which has been filed in the Delhi High Court, revolves around the claim to the title of “Inventor of Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani”.

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Moti Mahal has accused Daryaganj of falsely advertising itself as the inventor of the popular dishes on its official website.

The claim by Moti Mahal rests on the legacy of its founder, the late chef Kundan Lal Gujral. Moti Mahal asserts that he has been recognised as the sole inventor of these dishes since the 1950s and credits his innovation with making the dishes staples of Indian cuisine worldwide.

Moti Mahal states that Gujral developed the sauce for Butter Chicken to prevent unsold tandoori chicken from drying out, inadvertently creating the dish that would go on to gain international fame.

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It alleges that Daryaganj is misappropriating the company’s business, goodwill and reputation by using the contentious tagline and misrepresenting historical facts.

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Daryaganj’s counsel Amit Sibal describes the lawsuit as baseless and lacking merit.

In defence, he asserts that the original Moti Mahal restaurant was a collaborative effort between Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi, the founder of Daryaganj, at Peshawar in present-day Pakistan, and that Daryaganj has therefore made no false claims regarding the origin of the recipes, NDTV reports.

The legal battle continues as both parties stand firm on their historical narratives. The court proceedings are set to determine the outcome of this culinary controversy.

The next court hearing on the matter will take place on 29 May 2024.