Moti Mahal Cookbook: On the Butter Chicken Trail

Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of Moti Mahal, not only created the tandoori chicken, he invented the makhani gravy – the mother of North Indian gravies – to transform the succulent tandoori chicken into the delectable butter chicken, a star staple of the Moti Mahal repertoire. Chicken tikka masala followed and Indian cuisine was on the world map. These recipes along with a plethora of popular new dishes recently introduced in the restaurant as well as a wide range of vegetarian dishes have been selected by Monish Gujral, Kundan Lal’s grandson.

With a special focus on kabab recipes, be they of chicken, mutton, seafood, cottage cheese or vegetables, this book is a must-buy for those who cannot resist recreating the Moti Mahal magic at home.

When the Shah of Iran was on an official visit to India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is reputed to have told him “Visiting Delhi and not going to Moti Mahal is like going to Agra and not visiting the Taj Mahal.”

Recipes include: Murgh makhani (Butter chicken for the strong hearted) Kesari dum murg (Slow-cooked saffron chicken) Pasanda kabab (Lamb escalope) Chatpatté pudina chaamp (Tangy lamb chops) Malai paneer tikka masala (Cottage cheese kabab in a rich tomato gravy) Khatta meetha paneer shahi tikka (Sweet and sour cottage cheese kabab) Pindi chana (Rawalpindi chickpeas) Dhania pomfret tandoori (Coriander-flavoured tandoori pomfret) Garlic prawns Tandoori trout Tandoori bharwan khumb (Stuffed tandoori mushrooms) Khatta meetha baingan (Sweet and sour aubergine) Palak makai malai (Spinach and corn in a creamy gravy) Kathal Punjabi pulao (Jackfruit pulao) Badaam halwa (Sweet almond dessert)