Which Indian city is famous for its 'butter chicken' dish? Delhi is the answer.
Butter chicken, also called murgh makhani, is strongly associated with Delhi, especially the Daryaganj neighborhood of Old Delhi. The dish consists of tandoori chicken served in a rich sauce made with tomatoes, butter, cream, and aromatic spices.
The dish became famous through the Moti Mahal restaurant, which was associated with chefs Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi. The commonly told story says that leftover tandoori chicken was combined with a buttery tomato gravy in the 1950s, producing a dish that kept the roasted chicken moist.
The exact origin is disputed. Some claims place its creation in Peshawar before the 1947 Partition, while Delhi is the city most closely linked with its popularization and modern identity. Butter chicken is often confused with chicken tikka masala, but the two dishes have different histories and recipes. Delhi’s version helped make butter chicken an international emblem of Indian restaurant cuisine.