Monish Gujral of the iconic Moti Mahal restaurant is poised to take his brand’s culinary delights to the world.
What does it take to sell over a lakh portions of butter chicken a year? If you have a culinary secret like Monish Gujral of the iconic Moti Mahal restaurant does, it’s not such a tall order. The recipe in question has been handed down from Gujral’s grandfather, Kundan Lal, who started this restaurant chain in Delhi’s Daryaganj after the 1947 Partition. Gujral, 43, now heads Moti Mahal.
He has a sterling reputation to maintain. The Moti Mahal journey started in the 1920s in Peshawar, in the then undivided India. Lal created a tandoori chicken by marinating chicken with yogurt and spices and grilling it in a hot clay oven and subsequently replicated the dish when he settled down in India.
Though Gujral joined the Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition, Pusa, in Delhi, his real training took place in the Moti Mahal kitchens. He recently authored The Moti Mahal Cookbook — on the Butter Chicken Trail that won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2010 and is also poised to open outlets in the Middle East and New York soon. “We are on a global trail,” he says.
He shares the secrets of two of Moti Mahal’s signature dishes.
Ingredients
350gm paneer Salt to taste 1tsp vinegar ½ white pepper powder 2tsp mint chutney ½tsp red chilli powder ½tsp cumin powder ½tsp garam masala 100ml hung curd ¼tsp asafoetida powder 1tsp lemon juice Oil, to grease
Method
Wash the paneer and cut into 1½-in x 1½-in cubes. Pat dry and set aside.
For the mint sauce: In a blender add mint leaves, lemon, water, cumin powder, salt, red chilli powder and garam masala. Blend to a fine paste.
First marinade: Apply salt, white pepper and vinegar to the paneer cubes and keep aside for 30 minutes.
For the second marinade: In a bowl, whisk the hung curd and add red chilli powder, the mint paste and asafoetida. Mix well. Remove the excess moisture from the paneer tikkas and apply the second marinade. Keep aside for an hour. Then, skewer the marinated paneer cubes and roast in a preheated tandoor for eight minutes. Remove immediately and hang for two minutes to drain out excess moisture. Grease with oil and turn the skewer upside down and roast again for about three to four minutes till cooked. Alternatively, it can be grilled in an oven at 300°C. Serve with mint chutney.
Moti Mahal Delux Restaurant 