Archive · 17 Nov 2025
Butter Chicken's Origin Disputed, Named Among World's Top 5 Dishes
Butter chicken is a yummy dish made with leftover tandoori chicken and a creamy, buttery sauce.
People love eating it with naan.
There's a big argument about who first made it, with some saying it started in a restaurant in Peshawar before India and Pakistan were split.
Now, it's one of the most popular dishes in the world!
Butter chicken (murgh makhani) is a popular dish made with tandoori chicken in a creamy, buttery gravy.
It was originally created to avoid wasting day-old tandoori chicken.
The exact origin of butter chicken is disputed, with different families claiming to have invented it.
A common story attributes its creation to Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Peshawar before the Partition of India.
TasteAtlas ranked butter chicken among the top 5 dishes in the world.
- Who
- Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi families, and possibly others
- What
- The creation and popularization of Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
- When
- Pre-Partition era (origin) and post-1947 (Moti Mahal in Delhi)
- Where
- Peshawar (origin) and Delhi (Moti Mahal restaurant)
- Why
- To utilize leftover tandoori chicken, evolving into a beloved dish.
Gujral Family
Jaggi Family
Claim to Invention
Gujral Family
Kundan Lal Gujral and his family claim to have invented butter chicken at Moti Mahal in Peshawar.
Jaggi Family
Kundan Lal Jaggi and his family also claim to have invented it, challenging the Gujral family's claim.
- Dish Name
- Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
- Origin Story
- Created to use leftover tandoori chicken
- Disputed Origin
- Claims made by multiple families
- Associated Restaurant (Peshawar)
- Moti Mahal
- Associated Restaurant (Delhi)
- Moti Mahal in Daryaganj
- World Ranking
- Top 5 by TasteAtlas