Birds of a feather: Best places to enjoy 'Butter Chicken' in Delhi

While the story of Butter Chicken is as old as the modern republic of India itself, the dish having been created in Daryaganj post-Partition, its provenance is undoubtedly Capital. And even if the NCR continues to remain shut down (as it should) in the face of the COVID crisis, we can still get a taste of Dilli at home. These are our picks for the best butter chicken deliveries in town:

Yours Truly Butter Chicken

Even though no one could ever call Butter Chicken boring, it’s safe to say it has a pretty standardised taste. Then along came Yours Truly Butter Chicken to challenge that assumption. The eatery delivers nine versions of the Capital's dish, allowing you to customise everything from spice levels to on-the-bone, boneless tikka to shredded off-the-bone to serving size. They also have a decent range of kebabs and an exhaustive paneer range. Our favourite is the super spicy Break Up Wala Butter Chicken; find yours.

(Call: +91 9910806288 for delivery)
 

Moti Mahal Delux

Any list of butter chicken would be incomplete without this place. The butter chicken was first created, perfected, and celebrated in the original Moti Mahal, on the streets of Daryaganj. And while the brand may have splintered into a couple of different concerns, the Butter Chicken (and the Tandoori Chicken and Dal Makhani, also created here) remains the same, whether you are in Noida, Gurugram or old Delhi itself.

(Order via Swiggy and Zomato)

Rajinder da Dhaba

As old school as it gets, Rajinder da Dhaba in Safdarjung has been delighting and bamboozling generations of Dilliwallahs with its lavish spread of North India’s greatest (and heaviest) dishes. While it may have earlier contented itself with just taking over surrounding shops to cater to its ever-increasing clientele, now Rajinder’s food is available online. And while Rajinder da Dhaba may not have invented Butter Chicken, they definitely deliver an all-rounder version of it.

(Order via Zomato and Swiggy)

Daryaganj

When Daryaganj promises you a home delivery concept they do just that. The 5 Senses Delivery box by the fine-dine restaurant is their attempt to bring the entire restaurant experience to your home and titillate all your senses, including a curated playlist (accessible via QR code), the restaurant’s signature scent, and of course the food. And given that Daryaganj, as evidenced by its name, is owned by the grandson of one of original creators of Butter Chicken, you can bet that the dish tops their list of must-haves. 

(Order via Swiggy and Zomato)

Butter Delivery

Zorawar Kalra's unapologetic ode to the decadence of butter and Massive Restaurants' first delivery-only service, Butter Delivery has a menu that  is laser-focussed, the mere 10 items (the smallest they have ever done) making up for its few numbers by the comfort of its colossal calorific content.

And naturally, Butter Chicken is the star of this limited series, be it in the biryani, in a luxuriant boneless version, or stuffed into hot crisp kulchas.

(Order via Swiggy or on +91 9870587772. Timings: 12:30 to 4 pm, and 6:30 pm to 11 pm)