The canonical version and where to order it.
Chicken marinated in yoghurt and spices and roasted in a clay tandoor until charred and smoky, served with onion rings, lemon and green chutney.
Tandoori chicken came from pre-Partition Punjab, but its modern form was popularised at Moti Mahal in Daryaganj in the late 1940s by Kundan Lal Jaggi, Kundan Lal Gujral and Thakur Das Magu, Punjabi Hindu migrants from Peshawar. The restaurant served it to Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, and it became a standard dish at official banquets.
1 editor pick for Tandoori chicken in Delhi, ranked by editorial score. All Delhi signature dishes · Tandoori chicken across every city.
Moti Mahal in Daryaganj, Old Delhi, is where Punjabi refugees from Peshawar made butter chicken famous after Partition; the room still serves it daily.
OrderButter chicken with a butter garlic naan, plus a plate of tandoori chicken.
TipAsk for a courtyard table, where live music plays on some evenings, and order breads to share across the table.
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