(News Trust of India) : Amidst a legal fight, the subject of who genuinely developed the culinary delights of Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani may find resolution within the hallowed halls of the Delhi High Court. The epicurean feud emerges between the culinary enterprises Moti Mahal and Daryaganj, each vigorously asserting its right to the claim of origin.
A legal saga has been set into motion as Moti Mahal, laying claim to the gastronomic legacy, launched a lawsuit against Daryaganj. The bone of disagreement comes in Daryaganj’s brazen usage of the phrase “Inventors of Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani,” a claim that Moti Mahal passionately finds deceptive.
Moti Mahal believes that Daryaganj is erroneously pushing the public to think a relationship between the two, exploiting Moti Mahal’s legacy established in the Delhi area of Daryaganj. The crux of the dispute was brought before Judge Sanjeev Narula on January 16, where the proprietors of Daryaganj were served a summons, necessitating a written response within 30 days.
Justice Narula, appreciating Moti Mahal’s urgency, further noted a plea for an interim injunction, scheduling a hearing for May 29, as per Bar and Bench reports.
The historical backdrop of the culinary rivalry spans years, with both businesses staking claim to the development of Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani. Daryaganj traces the genesis to Late Kundan Lal Jaggi, whereas Moti Mahal ardently supports its predecessor, Late Kundal Lal Gujral, as the genuine culinary genius behind these classic dishes, now synonymous with Indian food worldwide.
Moti Mahal’s legal dossier claims Gujral not only as the mastermind behind the first Tandoori Chicken but also the culinary architect of Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani. Their narrative crafts a tale of Gujral’s culinary genius coming from the practical worry of keeping cooked chicken amongst refrigeration limits.
“The invention of Dal Makhani is intimately associated with the invention of Butter Chicken. He [Gujral] applied the same recipe with Black lentils and gave birth to Dal Makhani at the same period,” argues the lawsuit as quoted by Bar and Bench.
In a courtroom confrontation on January 16, Daryaganj’s legal representatives dismissed Moti Mahal’s accusations as “baseless and lacking a cause of action.” They alluded to the origins of the original Moti Mahal in Peshawar, created by the progenitors of both sides, notably Jaggi of the Daryaganj eateries and Gujral of the Moti Mahal enterprises. The judicial battlefield becomes the culinary battleground, where the flavors of history are disputed with legal eloquence and gastronomic pride.
