The legal dispute in India regarding the origins of the well-known butter chicken is about to heat up due to fresh photographic and video evidence.
Since January, two Indian restaurant chains have been engaged in a legal battle in the Delhi High Court about who invented the dish. The litigation has garnered international attention from food critics, social media users, editorials, and TV networks.
The well-known Moti Mahal restaurant chain claimed to be the only company entitled to credit for creating the curry and ordered its competitor, the Daryaganj business, to give up any claims to the credit and pay $240,000 in damages. According to Moti Mahal, founder Kundan Lal Gujral invented the dish, which is heavy on cream, at a restaurant in Peshawar, Pakistan, in the 1930s before moving to Delhi.
In a new, 642-page counter-filing seen by Reuters, Daryaganj claimed that the “story of invention of butter chicken does not ring true” and is intended to deceive the court.
According to Daryaganj, the contentious dish was invented by Kundan Lal Jaggi, a late member of the establishment’s family, who oversaw the cooking at the restaurant’s new location in Delhi. Gujral, his friend and former partner from Peshawar, was responsible for marketing.
Gujral passed away in 1997, while Jaggi died in 2018.
Evidence in the confidential document includes a 1930s black-and-white photo of the two buddies in Peshawar; a 1949 partnership agreement; Jaggi’s business card following his move to Delhi; and his 2017 film discussing the history of the dish.
“Both parties can claim that their respective ancestors created the dishes,” Daryaganj claims in the document, referring to the disagreement as a “business rivalry” because of the friends’ collaboration.
Moti Mahal opted not to respond. On May 29, the judge will hear the case again.
The location, time, and authorship of the dish’s creation—Gujral in Peshawar, Jaggi in New Delhi, or both—will be a major point of contention that the court must decide.
TasteAtlas ranked butter chicken 43rd on their list of the “best dishes” in the world, and marketing experts claimed it can matter who originated it.
“Inventors have a significant edge both in terms of attraction to consumers worldwide and globally. Additionally, you have the right to charge more,” asserted image consultant and Perfect Relations co-founder Dilip Cherian of India.
With more than 100 locations worldwide, Moti Mahal uses a franchisee business model. In New Delhi, its butter chicken plates start at $8, but in New York, they cost $23.
Famous customers who have visited its main location in Delhi include Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and the late U.S. President Richard Nixon.
The butter chicken at Daryaganj, which opened in 2019, costs $7.50. Ten of its locations are in New Delhi, with ambitions to open more in Bangkok and other Indian cities.
Moti Mahal had also charged Daryaganj with stealing “the look and feel” of its stores’ interior design in its 2,752-page Indian lawsuit.
With images of restaurant interiors submitted for the judge to peruse, Daryaganj has responded, alleging that Moti Mahal has plagiarized its “design of floor tiles”.
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