MOTIMAHAL DELUX TANDOORI TRAIL… the ultimate fine dining experience
India's most famous restaurant and fore runner of tandoori cuisine – Moti Mahal was established in 1920, now having pan India and international operations, has its first outlet in Guwahati, at Anil Plaza, G.S.Road. Serving its signature menu along with a fully operational Bar with a very modern and plush interiors and our traditional warm hospitality making the dining experience and celebrations unforgettable.
Moti Mahal’s greatest claim to fame, that it’s founder Kundan Lal Gujral, invented the two staples of Indian cuisine the tandoori chicken and the butter chicken, the fact is that these dishes, along with the dal makhani, make up the signature dish triumvirate at the Moti Mahal restaurant and its franchise operations now present globally. Most foodies are willing to concede, that the urban version of tandoori chicken, that has conquered taste buds worldwide emerged from Kundan Lal's restaurant kitchen. Granted, the tandoori style of baking breads and meat in clay ovens was a staple in Punjabi and Frontier cuisine. But it took Kundan Lal's genius to fine-tune it to the bustle and tumble of a restaurant kitchen, where orders flew thick and fast and cooks didn't have the luxury of time on their side. In 1947, the city was reeling under a Punjabi refugee crisis as the millions of dispossessed streamed into Delhi from Pakistan. But it was also a period that saw the fighting spirit of the Punjabi emerging the winner and teaching the babu log of the city how to snatch success from the deadly jaws of loss. Fired with the zeal of a passionate gourmet chef, Kundan Lal Gujral, sank all his money into opening Delhi's first Moti Mahal restaurant. With that, the tandoori trail which began in Gora Bazaar in Peshawar meandered into Delhi's lively Daryaganj area. Soon Kundan Lal with his trademark lambs wool cap, his thickly twirling moustache, his pathani suit and his genuine warmth and hospitality was a familiar figure to the elite of Delhi, who flocked to his restaurant for a rich taste of the homes they had left behind on the other side of the border. Among his clients were also members of a burgeoning bureaucracy of the newly independent country and legendary leaders. One of the most treasured Moti Mahal memorabilia, according to Kundan Lal's grandson Monish, who is also the present-day 'face' of the restaurant, are the photographs taken with India's first prime minister Jawaharalal Nehru and later with Indira Gandhi. So impressed was Nehru with Kundal Lal's dishes that Moti Mahal became a permanent fixture in all his state banquets. After Nehru, his daughter and then prime minister Indira Gandhi continued the relationship with Moti Mahal. So fascinated was she by the food that at the wedding of her younger son Sanjay Gandhi, Moti Mahal specialities dominated the dinner. No winged bird could have flown around the world as fast as the tandoori chicken and the popularity of the dish was no doubt accelerated by the Indians and Pakistanis settled in other countries - especially in the UK, where its popularity led the then British Foreign Minister Robin Cook to quip, that the chicken tikka masala, an offshoot of the tandoori chicken was Britain's national dish!
Forwarding this legacy in this part of the country are two young entrepreneurs Prakash Gupta and Nishant Agarwal, the franchisees of Moti Mahal at Guwahati. Their restaurant serves the Moti Mahal menu with it’s authentic taste and flavour and they have recently introduced Veg. and Non Veg. Thaalis for lunch time to cater to the growing demands of the corporates and office goers. Since the very beginning, Moti Mahal has been committed to quality and consistency with a promise of even greater customer experience.
Bon Apetit…
Recipe from Moti Mahal:
LAHSOONI MURG
Ingredients- Boneless chicken – 350 gm Salt to taste White pepper- 3 gm Cardamon powder- 2 g Cashew and cheese paste- 50 gm Cream – 25ml Ginger –garlic paste- 5 gm Egg- 1 Garlic, Green chilly and spinach paste-15gm Lemon juice- 30 ml
Method-
Wash the boneless chicken pieces thoroughly and pat dry. First Marination - Apply ginger, garlic paste, lemon juice and salt to chicken pieces. Rub well and keep aside for about 1 hour. Second marination- Garlic, Green chilly and spinach paste - boil spinach with a pinch of salt. Drain off excess water. Put in blender with 2-3 deseeded green chillies and one tsp garlic paste and blend together. Mix all the remaining ingredients with curd in a bowl.
Cooking-
1) Take a skewer and skew the marinated chicken pieces. 2) Roast in a moderately hot tandoor (clay oven) or over a charcoal grill for 6-7 minutes. Alternatively, a pre-heated convectional oven at 350 degree centigrade can be used. 3) Remove from the tandoor or oven, hang the skewer for two to three minutes to drain off excess moisture. 4) Baste with melted butter and roast for another 3-4 minutes. 5) Transfer to a plate and serve hot with mint chutney.