The Verdict
Moti Mahal in Daryaganj is, by most accounts, where butter chicken and dal makhani were invented. It was opened in 1947 by refugees from Peshawar — Kundan Lal Gujral, Kundan Lal Jaggi and Thakur Dass Mago — and is widely credited as Delhi's first tandoori restaurant. The original outlet, run by the Jaggi family lineage, still trades on Netaji Subhash Marg, near Golcha Cinema in Old Delhi.
You go for the canon: murgh makhani (butter chicken), dal makhani simmered overnight, and tandoori chicken, the dish Gujral built to revive dried-out birds. It is a working Old Delhi institution rather than a luxury dining room — expect a busy, no-frills setting and a bill around ₹1,300 for two. A 2024 court case over the butter-chicken claim only underlined how much history sits on these tables.
The Kitchen
Moti Mahal's kitchen is a living piece of Delhi's food history: founder Kundan Lal Gujral created murgh makhani here by folding leftover tandoori chicken into a tomato, butter and cream gravy, and is credited with inventing dal makhani at the same restaurant. The tandoor itself was a Moti Mahal signature in 1947, making this Delhi's original tandoori house. The Jaggi family lineage still runs the Daryaganj original, cooking the same North Indian and Mughlai canon.
The Room
The Daryaganj original is a working Old Delhi restaurant, not a designed dining room: busy, functional and built around the food and its history rather than a view or a scene. It sits on Netaji Subhash Marg near Golcha Cinema, open from midday to midnight, and is best approached as a pilgrimage to the source of butter chicken.
Best for a Piece of Delhi History
Moti Mahal Daryaganj is for anyone who wants to eat butter chicken where it was invented: a food-history dinner, a first trip to Old Delhi, or a casual group meal over tandoori chicken and dal makhani. The value is strong, which makes it an easy, characterful choice rather than a special-occasion splurge.
Not For
Not for a fine-dining evening, a quiet date or a luxury setting — the original Daryaganj room is a busy, no-frills Old Delhi institution, not a polished restaurant, and the area is congested. Diners wanting contemporary Indian tasting menus or a refined hotel dining room should look to New Delhi's modern rooms instead.
Reservations
The original Moti Mahal in Daryaganj is a walk-in-friendly institution open roughly midday to midnight, though it can be busy, so larger groups should call ahead. It sits on Netaji Subhash Marg near Golcha Cinema in congested Old Delhi, so allow time for parking or arrive by taxi or metro. Note that many Moti Mahal outlets elsewhere are franchises; this is the 1947 original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Moti Mahal in Daryaganj invent butter chicken?
Moti Mahal in Daryaganj is widely credited as the birthplace of butter chicken (murgh makhani) and dal makhani. Founder Kundan Lal Gujral is said to have created butter chicken by reviving leftover tandoori chicken in a tomato, butter and cream gravy after the restaurant opened in 1947. The claim was the subject of a 2024 court dispute with a rival restaurant.
Is the original Moti Mahal still open?
Yes. The original Moti Mahal, opened in 1947, still operates in Daryaganj on Netaji Subhash Marg near Golcha Cinema, run by the Jaggi family lineage as a single-location restaurant. Many other Moti Mahal outlets across India are franchises of the brand, but the Daryaganj room is the historic original where the restaurant began.
What should I order at Moti Mahal Daryaganj?
Order the dishes the restaurant is credited with creating: butter chicken (murgh makhani), dal makhani simmered slowly with butter and cream, and tandoori chicken from the tandoor that made Moti Mahal famous in 1947. The menu is North Indian and Mughlai, and a meal for two runs around ₹1,300, making it characterful value rather than a luxury spend.
Who founded Moti Mahal?
Moti Mahal was founded in 1947 by three friends from Peshawar who came to Delhi as refugees after Partition: Kundan Lal Gujral, Kundan Lal Jaggi and Thakur Dass Mago. They opened what is widely regarded as Delhi's first tandoori restaurant in Daryaganj, and Gujral is credited with inventing butter chicken and dal makhani there.
Also in New Delhi
Delhi's North Indian canon runs from frontier grills to refined Mughlai. Compare Bukhara and Dum Pukht at ITC Maurya, or Karim's near Jama Masjid for Old Delhi Mughlai.