Is butter chicken spicy?

Butter chicken is mild to medium spicy, much less hot than many Indian curries. The cream and butter create a rich, slightly sweet sauce that balances the spices. The dish was designed to be approachable and not overwhelmingly hot, making it perfect for those new to Indian cuisine.

Is butter chicken the same as tikka masala?

No, butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are different dishes. Butter chicken uses tandoori chicken in a smooth, creamy sauce with more butter and a sweeter taste. Tikka masala features grilled chicken in a spiced tomato cream sauce with bolder seasonings and more complex flavors.

What do you eat with butter chicken?

Butter chicken is traditionally served with naan bread for dipping or basmati rice to absorb the sauce. Popular sides include raita, a cooling yogurt sauce, and pickled onions. The bread or rice helps balance the rich, creamy curry and makes it a complete meal.

Is butter chicken healthy?

Butter chicken is rich and indulgent due to butter and cream in the sauce. A typical serving contains significant calories and fat. However, it provides protein from chicken and nutrients from tomatoes and spices. Enjoy it occasionally as a treat rather than a regular meal for balanced nutrition.

Can you make butter chicken at home?

Yes, you can make butter chicken at home without a tandoor oven. Grill or pan cook marinated chicken instead of using a tandoor. Prepare the tomato cream sauce separately, then add the cooked chicken. Many simplified recipes take 30 to 40 minutes and taste delicious with proper spices.

Why is it called butter chicken?

The dish is called butter chicken because butter is a key ingredient that gives the curry its rich, smooth texture and distinctive flavor. The sauce contains generous amounts of butter along with cream and tomatoes. This butter heavy preparation distinguishes it from other Indian chicken curries.

Butter Chicken Facts: Origins & Indian Recipe

Q: What is butter chicken made of?

Butter chicken contains tandoori chicken in a sauce made from tomatoes, butter, cream, ginger, garlic, and spices like garam masala. Kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves, adds a signature flavor. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices before cooking in a tandoor oven at high heat.

Discover the creamy history of butter chicken

Butter chicken was invented in 1950s Delhi by accident using leftover tandoori chicken. Learn about this creamy Indian curry's surprising origins and global popularity.

Key Facts

Origin

Delhi, India

Year Invented

1950s

Original Restaurant

Moti Mahal

Creator

Kundan Lal Gujral

Main Protein

Chicken

Key Ingredients

Tomatoes, butter, cream, spices

Cooking Method

Tandoori chicken in curry sauce

Typical Serving

With naan or rice

Spice Level

Mild to medium

Global Popularity

Top Indian dish worldwide

About Butter Chicken Facts: Origins & Indian Recipe

Butter chicken is one of the most beloved Indian dishes worldwide, known for its rich, creamy tomato sauce and tender chicken pieces. This iconic curry was created by accident in 1950s Delhi and became a global phenomenon.

How Butter Chicken Was Invented By Accident

Butter chicken was created in the 1950s at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi by chef Kundan Lal Gujral. The dish was born from necessity when leftover tandoori chicken became too dry to serve. Gujral added the chicken to a rich tomato gravy with butter and cream to revive it. This improvisation created one of India's most famous exports and revolutionized Indian cuisine worldwide.

Why Butter Chicken Conquered the World

Butter chicken became globally popular because of its mild, approachable flavor profile. Unlike fiery vindaloo or complex korma, butter chicken offers gentle spices balanced by cream and butter. The slightly sweet tomato base appeals to Western palates unfamiliar with Indian food. This accessibility made butter chicken the gateway dish that introduced millions to Indian cuisine.

The Difference Between Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala

Many people confuse butter chicken with chicken tikka masala. Butter chicken uses tandoori chicken in a smooth, creamy tomato sauce with more butter. Tikka masala features grilled chicken chunks in a spiced tomato cream sauce with more complex seasonings. Butter chicken tastes sweeter and milder, while tikka masala has bolder, more pronounced spices.

Traditional Cooking Method and Ingredients

Authentic butter chicken starts with chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and spices. The chicken cooks in a tandoor oven at high heat until charred and smoky. The sauce combines tomatoes, butter, cream, ginger, garlic, and warming spices like garam masala. Kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves, adds the signature slightly bitter note that balances the richness.

How to Serve Butter Chicken Properly

Butter chicken is traditionally served with naan bread for scooping up the rich sauce. Basmati rice also pairs perfectly to absorb the creamy gravy. Garnish includes fresh cilantro and a drizzle of cream. Many Indians enjoy it with a side of pickled onions or raita, a cooling yogurt sauce that cuts through the richness.

Butter Chicken's Rise to International Fame

Moti Mahal restaurant popularized butter chicken throughout India in the 1960s and 1970s. Indian restaurants worldwide adopted it as a menu staple because customers loved the mild, creamy curry. Today, butter chicken appears on nearly every Indian restaurant menu globally and inspires countless variations from butter chicken pizza to butter chicken poutine.

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Historical Analysis

⚡Historical Significance

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Butter chicken was invented at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s by Kundan Lal Gujral, who had fled Peshawar during the Partition of India.
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The dish emerged from necessity when leftover tandoori chicken was combined with a rich tomato and butter gravy to avoid wasting food.
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Moti Mahal became famous for serving India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other political figures, spreading butter chicken's reputation.
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The recipe traveled with Indian immigrants to Britain, where it became foundational to the British Indian restaurant cuisine that emerged in the 1970s.
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Butter chicken represents the creativity born from Partition displacement, as refugees built new culinary traditions from fragments of their heritage.

📝Critical Reception

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Indian food critics debate whether butter chicken represents authentic Indian cuisine or a restaurant invention that simplifies complex regional traditions.
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British food writers credit butter chicken with making Indian food accessible to Western palates unaccustomed to intense spices.
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Culinary historians recognize Moti Mahal's influence in standardizing tandoor cooking and creamy gravies across Indian restaurants worldwide.
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Critics note that butter chicken's sweetness and richness differ significantly from most traditional Indian home cooking.
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Food scholars acknowledge butter chicken as a legitimate cuisine evolution, similar to how Italian American food diverged from Italian traditions.

🌍Cultural Impact

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Butter chicken has become the most ordered dish at Indian restaurants in multiple countries including the UK, Canada, and Australia.
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The dish helped establish the creamy, mild curry profile that defines Indian restaurant food for millions of non Indian diners.
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Butter chicken's popularity created a template for similar dishes like chicken tikka masala, which may have derived from it.
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Indian restaurants worldwide built their menus around butter chicken as a reliable crowd pleaser that introduces customers to Indian flavors.
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The dish represents successful immigrant entrepreneurship, with Partition refugees building a global cuisine from displacement and adaptation.

Before & After

📅Before

Before butter chicken, Indian restaurant cuisine did not exist as a distinct category. Tandoori cooking was regional, creamy gravies were not standard, and Indian food in restaurants closely mirrored home cooking traditions from specific regions.

🚀After

After butter chicken's success, a new cuisine category emerged: Indian restaurant food characterized by tandoor cooking, creamy tomato based gravies, and dishes designed to appeal broadly. This style spread globally through immigrant entrepreneurs and became how most non Indians experience Indian food.

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Did You Know?

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Butter chicken was invented by accident using leftover tandoori chicken at Moti Mahal in Delhi

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The same restaurant that created butter chicken also invented dal makhani, another Indian classic

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Butter chicken is the most ordered Indian dish in restaurants worldwide

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Traditional butter chicken includes kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves, for its signature flavor

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Chicken tikka masala and butter chicken are different dishes despite popular confusion

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Why It Still Matters Today

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Butter chicken generates millions in annual revenue as the top selling dish at Indian restaurants across the Western world

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A legal battle between descendants of Moti Mahal's founders over recipe ownership made international headlines in 2022

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Ready made butter chicken sauces have become supermarket staples, allowing home cooks to replicate restaurant flavors

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The dish continues evolving with vegan versions using plant based proteins gaining popularity

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Butter chicken represents how immigrant cuisines adapt and thrive, becoming beloved in their new homes

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Test Your Knowledge

How much do you know? Take this quick quiz to find out!

1. How was butter chicken accidentally invented?

2. When and where was butter chicken invented?

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Original Insights

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The original Moti Mahal butter chicken used desi ghee, not butter, making 'butter chicken' technically a misnomer

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Kundan Lal Gujral also pioneered tandoori chicken and dal makhani at Moti Mahal, creating multiple iconic dishes

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True butter chicken should have a subtle char flavor from the tandoori chicken, not just creamy sauce

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The tomato base was originally made from fresh tomatoes slow cooked for hours, not the canned tomatoes most restaurants use today

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Fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) are the secret ingredient that gives authentic butter chicken its distinctive aroma

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Moti Mahal served three Indian Prime Ministers and countless diplomats, making it informally known as the government canteen

Frequently Asked Questions

Butter chicken was invented in Delhi, India during the 1950s at Moti Mahal restaurant. Chef Kundan Lal Gujral created it by adding leftover tandoori chicken to a rich tomato gravy with butter and cream. This accidental creation became one of the most popular Indian dishes worldwide.

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Sources & References

The Origin of Butter Chicken at Moti Mahal

Kundan Lal Gujral: The Man Who Invented Butter Chicken

Indian Restaurant Cuisine in Britain

The Tandoor Revolution in Indian Cooking

Butter Chicken Legal Battle: Who Owns the Recipe?

This article is reviewed by the Pagefacts team.

Editorial Approach:

This article reveals how Partition refugees accidentally invented butter chicken from leftover tandoori chicken, creating a dish that would define Indian restaurant cuisine worldwide and spark a modern legal battle over its ownership.