Exploring the origins of Butter Chicken, a lawsuit regarding its invention, and the intertwined histories of India and Pakistan. The podcast also delves into the journey of Multimahal's fame, hosting notable guests, and features sponsor ads and movie promotion at the end.
Butter chicken's origin is a contested history rooted in India's past and reflects a fusion of cultural influences.
An ongoing legal battle surrounds the invention of butter chicken, with descendants of the original chefs claiming credit.
Deep dives
Origin of Butter Chicken in India
Butter chicken, a culinary staple in Indian cuisine, has a complex and contested origin rooted in the history of India. The dish, created in the aftermath of South Asia's partition in 1947, emerged from the Multimahal restaurant in New Delhi, founded by cooks Kundalaljaghi and Kundalal Ghudral from Peshawar, Pakistan. With a creamy and flavorful sauce, butter chicken symbolizes a fusion of flavors and cultural influences, attracting renowned figures like Jawaharlal Nehru and Richard Nixon to savor its delicacy.
Controversy and Lawsuit Over Butter Chicken's Invention
The invention of butter chicken is embroiled in a legal battle, with descendants of the original chefs, Ghudrala and Junkie, asserting their family's role in creating the iconic dish. A lawsuit, spanning over thousands of pages, pits the Gudrala and Junkie families against each other, each claiming their grandfather as the true creator of butter chicken. The contentious history reveals conflicting accounts, with one grandson attributing the dish's origins to a restaurant in pre-partition Peshawar, adding layers of complexity to the debate.
Butter Chicken is a much-loved Indian dish, both within the country and around the world. But who can claim they invented it? That question is the subject of a lawsuit. Our reporter tries to get to the bottom of butter chicken's origin and finds out that it is a journey through India's history.