In the early 20th century, the founders of Moti Mahal Delux, who are now recognized as pioneers in Indian cuisine, first made the fare available to the public in the city of Peshawar, and also introduced tandoor (clay oven) cookery. The tandoori-chicken recipe has been poorly duplicated in this country, but the dish that Anand serves customers is the Moti Mahal Delux original—tender chicken, colored only by fragrant and lively spices and cooked in clay ovens. It has no resemblance to the dark-red (from red dye), overcooked meat that many Americans have experienced.

Moti Mahal Delux is Anand’s third restaurant. He opened the business with his brother, Saurabh Anand, who is a graduate of the School of Hotel Management in India and has more than 10 years of experience in the Delhi hospitality industry. “My father was a lawyer,” says Gaurav Anand. “I started down that path, too, but soon realized that I was more interested in my brother’s restaurant career.” Acknowledging that realization, Anand had the opportunity to train with top chefs in India, including master chef Jiggs Kalra.

Coming to America
After Anand arrived in New York City, he says that he noticed “few professional Indian chefs offering authentic Indian food.” So Anand returned to India for a second phase of training to prepare to open a restaurant. “I wanted to learn from top to bottom,” he says. “I had studied Indian and continental cuisines. I now knew that I wanted to concentrate on just one—North Indian. Indian food is one of the toughest cuisines to make. It takes time, patience to prepare and skill to use many different spices, which you cannot find in the United States.”

Upon his return to Manhattan, Anand opened Bhatti Indian Grill (pronounced bhut-TEA and means ancient open-fire grill), where kebabs are made to order. This was followed by Desi Galli, which serves Indian street food. Both restaurants are located in “Curry Hill” (a neighborhood near Lexington and 28^th Streets boasting many Indian eateries and shops). Anand’s ventures were a success and received the recognition that he hoped for. “People loved it,” he says. “I was very happy.”

With the experience of opening two restaurants, joining Moti Mahal Delux seemed like a natural progression. “I wanted to bring this style of Indian food to New York City,” says Anand. “They already had a proven system for over 30 years.” In fact, Moti Mahal Delux opened their first fine-dining restaurant in South Delhi in 1975 and its immense popularity has contributed to the recognition of Indian cuisine internationally. “It was a pleasure to go ahead with them,” says Anand. For the stateside debut, the brothers did not choose the familiar Curry Hill, but instead selected the Upper East Side, a neighborhood known for high-end establishments.

Food in Translation
Bringing the authentic, labor-intensive preparation and specialized ingredients of this royal cuisine to America was no small endeavor. Anand and several of his culinary team received extensive training with the company, both in New Delhi and the United States, learning the legendary recipes and procedures so that they could duplicate quality and taste. And for that same reason, many of the recipe’s ingredients are imported from India, including the spices and butter.

Among the dishes Anand brings to us is Murgh Makhani (butter chicken), a signature dish created by the founders of Moti Mahal Delux, which is renowned for its tender chunks of chicken in a velvety sauce of fresh tomato purée and freshly ground spices. The dish is said to be the inspiration behind Chicken Tikka Masala, but the imitation falls short, as canned ingredients are often used. Another original favorite is Kaali Daal—the black lentils and house-churned butter cook for 18 hours in six-layered copper pots brought from India.

Anand did not choose to replicate everything from the Delhi menu. “I know the New York City market, and not all of the menu items would work here,” he says. “So, with permission of the company, we gave this menu a twist, serving the original signature dishes, biryanis and traditional Indian breads, but we also added my own creations like pan-seared scallops with mango chutney.” The décor is also designed to appeal to chic, urbanite diners—a contemporary, minimalist space with light wood paneling and red banquettes.

Success! Now What?
Since 2009, Anand, 30, has already opened three well-received ventures. He says that his good fortune is due to dedication and long hours. “In the beginning, I worked seven days per week. Nonstop.” Despite his current busy schedule and a culinary team of 10, Anand makes it a point to be in the kitchen for at least three hours per day. He also emphasizes the importance of being involved in every facet of one’s business. “You can’t just wear a chef coat and hire a manager,” he says. “You can’t just delegate. You have to know about every challenge. You have to meet your customers, see how they like the food. After all, if you have good customers, then you are in business. If you don’t, then you are not.”

Anand believes that the road to achieving success also includes marketing professionals to help get the word out. “First, you have to have a great product,” he says. “Then you have to hire a great public-relations company to take this product to the skies.”

Looking to the future, Anand expects to expand the Moti Mahal Delux franchise in the United States. They are now the global franchisers of Moti Mahal Delux, with the Upper East Side serving as the flagship location. And there is more—Anand hopes to open a Mexican restaurant. “I’m a fan of Mexican cuisine,” he says. “It’s not dissimilar to Indian food. It’s not too heavy. It’s fresh, and being Indian, I love the spices. There are so many flavors to play with. It’s good for dinner, lunch or brunch. It can be casual or fine dining. You enjoy it. And like any good cuisine, what else do you want?”

Lynn Schwartz, a former New York City restaurateur, is a writer and writing instructor/coach (fiction and nonfiction) based in Maryland. Visit www.writerswordhouse.com.