NEW DELHI—Butter chicken is among India’s most famous culinary exports. The fragrant, creamy curry has been adapted into pizzas in the U.S., a poutine topping in Canada and a pie filling in Australia.

Over the years, butter chicken has become a culinary shorthand for Indian cuisine across continents. It appears in luxury hotel menus, takeout joints, and global supermarket aisles, often bearing ...

It’s one of the world’s most popular dishes: butter chicken. While people are feasting on the delicious Indian delicacy, they’re probably not thinking about who came up with this recipe. Even the ...