He would begin his day at the crack of dawn lovingly feeding bajra (pearl millets) to birds. But one step outside of his little grassy yard, and Kundan Lal Jaggi become a man everybody knew.
After all, he had an entire nation lapping up his iconic creations of Dal Makhni and Butter Chicken, at the Moti Mahal restaurant he set up in Daryaganj in 1947.
He, along with co-founders, Thakur Dass and Kundan Lal Gujral, came to Delhi to stir up a culinary revolution. The trio were Punjabi refugees, who were driven out of Peshawar during the Partition.
Today, under a new name and new leadership, the ideology of the old restaurant is being revisited. It’s called Daryaganj, an ode to the place where it all started.
The erstwhile brand, Moti Mahal, still exists, but Daryaganj aims to build a new identity outside of the walled city in the heart of Delhi’s ultra-modern metropolitan sub-region, Aerocity.
Daryaganj serves the entire extent of North Indian, but its the Butter Chicken and the Dal Makhni that get conversations started. When the man himself was asked about his invention, Jaggi said it was ‘all God’s blessings’.
“Scarcity was the mother of all inventions in that era. They must have felt the need for dishes that had a mass-y appeal, incorporated local ingredients, and were hearty and delicious,” explains Raghav Jaggi, Kundan Lal Jaggi’s grandson, co-owner of Daryaganj. He and the well-known restauranteur Amit Bagga, have poured their souls into the venture.
The restaurant’s facade is reminiscent of the 50s era with old fashion wood motifs. On the inside, the laser cut metal latticework on mirrors and chairs with cane knotting is telling of erstwhile artistry. The high ceiling is a reference to olden ventilation and lighting solutions.
The menu revokes Post-Partition recipes that fit them into historical context. A favourite with many well known public figures, the bequest was especially appreciated by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
“He was left amazed by the tandoori food prepared at the original restaurant and even requested for a tandoor to be set up at his official residence, in addition to directing cooks to make piping hot naans and kababs for his official guests. Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani were savoured while Shakila
Bano’s Qawwalis were performed live,” says Raghav.
Additionally, Indira Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth, Dr Zakir Hussain, Sunil Dutt, Nargis, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Richard Nixon and several others were hosted by the founders, back in the day.
And many years later, Daryaganj makes an effort to use what’s become the cornerstone of North Indian cuisine to grow its presence today and in the times to come.
Shop R1, Lower Ground Floor, Worldmark 1, Aerocity