Sydney's butter chicken, plated the way Moti Mahal built it.
Boneless thigh charred in the coal tandoor. Tomato and cashew pounded by hand. Cardamom bloomed in butter. Kasoori methi crushed at the end. The murgh makhani Delhi invented — served in Bella Vista since 2014.
Butter chicken was invented in 1948 at Moti Mahal in Delhi as a way to use leftover tandoori — cooks tossed charred chicken into a tomato-cream gravy so it wouldn't dry out overnight. Our version follows that same logic: the chicken hits the coal tandoor before it hits the gravy, and the smoke it picks up is the whole point.
The gravy is built from scratch. Ripe tomato reduced with cashew paste, single-origin cardamom, ginger, garlic and Kashmiri chilli — no premix, no pre-made base, no bottled sauce. We finish it with a cube of butter and hand-crushed kasoori methi off the shelf.
It's mild by default because that's the classic Delhi profile — sweet-savoury with a whisper of chilli. Ask for it hotter and the kitchen dials it up on the plate.
"Butter chicken should arrive on the table before the naan cools. If you're ordering it, order two naans per person — the gravy is the whole point."
— Head Chef · Kebabiya Bella Vista
Build the plate around it.
Garlic naan
View →Non-negotiable. Slapped into the tandoor to order — the sponge butter chicken was invented to be eaten with.
Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
View →For the second act. The saffron-and-mint layered rice is a clean counter-note to the tomato-cashew richness.
Tandoori chicken (whole)
View →The char before the gravy. Order it as a starter — the smoke sets up the palate.
Regional Indian curries
View →Round out the table with a Kashmiri rogan josh or Rajasthani laal maas alongside.
When to order it.
- ·First-time visitors — the safest ordering decision on the menu
- ·Family dinners with kids — mild, sweet-savoury, always finished
- ·Corporate lunch drops across Norwest and Bella Vista
- ·Delivery to Castle Hill, Kellyville and Cherrybrook — reheats cleanly
- ·The one dish nobody at the table will argue about
What our regulars build the table with.
Butter chicken + garlic naan + basmati rice + Kingfisher
The four-item table that outsells every combo on our order pad. Order it once and you'll understand why.
Butter chicken + Hyderabadi biryani + dal makhani
The share-plate for four. Two proteins, one vegetarian slow-cook, breads on the side.
Butter chicken + tandoori chicken + malai tikka + Kashmiri naan
The 'we came for the tandoor' table — three tandoor dishes and one gravy to mop up.
"Best butter chicken we've had in Sydney, and we've done the rounds. Not sweet, not oily, actually tastes of the tandoor. Booked again for next Friday."
Ready to eat? Choose your channel.
Direct orders are cheapest — no platform fees. Call (02) 8824 7944 for large groups or catering.
Butter chicken questions.
- Where can I find the best butter chicken in Sydney?
- Kebabiya Bella Vista has served butter chicken (murgh makhani) since 2014 using tandoor-charred chicken thigh and a from-scratch tomato-and-cashew gravy — the way it was first plated at Moti Mahal, Delhi in 1948.
- Is your butter chicken authentic?
- Yes. We char boneless thigh in the coal tandoor first, then finish it in a gravy of hand-pounded tomato, cashew, cardamom, kasoori methi and butter — no pre-made base and no shortcut sauce.
- Is your butter chicken halal?
- Every piece of chicken we cook is halal-sourced from certified suppliers, end-to-end since 2014. The venue is fully licensed, so not formally Halal-certified — but no non-halal meat crosses our pass.
- How spicy is your butter chicken?
- Mild by default — the classic Delhi profile is sweet-savoury with a whisper of chilli. Ask your server for extra heat and the kitchen dials it up on the plate.
- Can I get butter chicken delivered across Sydney?
- Order direct from kebabiya.com.au (no platform fees) or via Uber Eats and DoorDash. Butter chicken travels well and reheats cleanly on a low pan.