Preserving traditional cuisine associated with the country's history in the famous butter chicken dish of

Butter Chicken – a dish associated with famous Indian cuisine

Mr. Vikas Chhabra first ate butter chicken as a young boy and was immediately captivated by the silky sauce and succulent chicken pieces.

Famous Indian butter chicken. Photo: SCMP

Since then, butter chicken has become a regular special occasion dish in his family. But not all butter chicken is to Chhabra's liking.

A textile business owner, Mr. Chhabra has tasted the dish at many different restaurants in New Delhi, but none compares to the delicious ice cream at the New Minar restaurant in the affluent Greater Kailash area of ​​south New Delhi.

Like many in the Indian capital, Mr Chhabra has his own views on the dish, which has been with him for a long time.

Butter chicken has become a global sensation, but it was in New Delhi that it first began. More recently, Indian food has become a popular international cuisine that originated in India.

Representatives of Moti Mahal, a restaurant chain founded in 1947, have always maintained that founder Kundan Lal Gujral invented butter chicken.

“Butter chicken was made famous in New Delhi by Moti Mahal. It is a culinary creation of the modern restaurant in the 20th century that has seen its popularity soar recently,” says food historian, author and columnist Anoothi ​​Vishal.

Anoothi ​​Vishal also explained that immigrants from Punjab were among the first consumers of the dish because many of them ate out often. And as Punjabi businesses grew and the newly wealthy spent money on restaurants, butter chicken’s popularity grew.

On a recent Saturday evening, In The Punjab, an upscale restaurant in a trendy market complex in south New Delhi, was packed with diners enjoying grilled kebabs, flaky naan bread and, of course, butter chicken.

Food without additives

The recipe, with its silky orange sauce, is lightly sweet and smoky, made from shredded tandoori chicken and topped with a swirl of cream. “We only use fresh tomatoes and let the sauce steep for 24 hours, without using cashew flour or other thickeners,” says Hardeep Singh, the restaurant’s corporate chef.

Publisher Samrata Salwan Diwan, 39, grew up in Delhi and butter chicken was also her favourite dish as a child.

“My cousins ​​and I love butter chicken and it is always ordered at our get-togethers. There are a few places that serve delicious butter chicken like Mughal Mahal in Rajendra Place and The Baithak in Patel Nagar, near our home on Pusa Road,” said Samrata Salwan Diwan, noting the popularity of the dish in some localities.

Nestled in a bustling market in Rajouri Garden in west New Delhi is Ikk Panjab, a restaurant that only opened in 2017. An awards wall displays Ikk Panjab as the winner of the 2023 “best butter chicken hunt.”

The version here is flavorful but not too sweet, and has a slightly gritty sauce. Bone-in chicken is more flavorful. Boneless or bone-in; tangy or sweet; smooth or gritty sauce: all these and more are hallmarks of the “perfect” butter chicken in New Delhi.

Chef Saransh Goila, founder of the Goila Butter Chicken delivery chain, said people in the capital New Delhi are big fans of butter chicken. The restaurant has been serving and eating the dish for the past 70-80 years.

New version but still keeping tradition

Growing up in the capital New Delhi in a vegetarian family, Mr. Goila first tasted butter chicken at culinary school and was inspired to create a version, with smoked butter and less cream.

He launched his brand in 2016 in Mumbai, where he is based, and has gained appreciation and expanded across India, adding the capital New Delhi to his portfolio in 2022.

It’s been difficult to break into New Delhi’s traditional, sensitive market for north Indian food. But sales have picked up in the past few months, with Mr Goila crediting the younger, millennial market with new foodies embracing his innovative take on the modern butter chicken.

Aside from restaurants, there are other butter chicken makers, such as Cloud Kitchen Spicy Triangle, founded by entrepreneur Ashwani Shroff.

Having worked with the Moti Mahal group for 30 years, Ashwani Shroff is well aware of Delhi’s love of north Indian cuisine. With 90% of his customers ordering, Ashwani Shroff’s butter chicken has a milder, more homemade flavour and is lightly flavoured with a smooth sauce.

Authentic butter chicken always has fresh tomatoes, never canned or pureed. It’s clear that New Delhiites have a lasting fondness for Ashwani Shroff’s butter chicken.

"People in New Delhi really understand the tradition of food and have developed this type of north Indian cuisine over the years. Butter chicken is still one of the best-selling and most popular dishes here. I think they are very proud of that," Mr. Ashwani Shroff emphasized.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/bao-ton-am-thuc-truyen-thong-gan-lien-voi-lich-su-dat-nuoc-trong-mon-ga-sot-bo-noi-tieng-cua-an-do-20240415095910672.htm