It needs courage to name a dish Not A Butter Chicken and serve it in the very heartland of Butter Chicken. It needs courage to do away with tomatoes in the gravy and present it to people who have grown up eating almost everything drenched in buttery tomato gravy.This is precisely why it warrants attention. Just to see how it looks, tastes and, lo and behold, if the words of Executive Chef Rajiv Vatsyayan are anything to go by, thrives in Chandigarh!So, on a rainy day, as I head to Kaanan, the Indian restaurant of The Oberoi Sukhvilas, amidst the lush green Siswan forest range in New Chandigarh, expectation and anticipation soar in equal measure. There I meet Chef Rajiv, excited to talk about Kaanan’s most popular dish — Not A Butter Chicken.“One of the questions we’re asked often is, ‘Why is it called Not a Butter Chicken?’” he begins. “The answer lies in its inspiration. While it pays homage to one of India’s most celebrated dishes, this is not intended to be traditional butter chicken. We begin with chicken roasted in the tandoor, allowing the fire to impart a delicate smokiness and beautiful caramelisation. Rather than conventional gravy, we finish it with a carefully balanced emulsion of cultured butter and fresh cream, creating a texture that is both light and luxurious.“Guests may recognise echoes of the iconic butter-laden chicken preparations from the historic lanes of Old Delhi. We acknowledge that heritage with great respect, while choosing to express it through a more refined balance of smoke, spice, richness and acidity. The result is a dish that feels both familiar and unexpected; comforting in its flavours, yet contemporary in its expression. It honours tradition without seeking to replicate it. That is why we call it Not a Butter Chicken.” That is one long answer I get without even asking the question.What I deduce is that he is about to cook a dish that involves succulent tandoori chicken, charred over tandoor, enveloped in a refined emulsion of cultured butter and fresh cream rather than the traditional gravy.The chicken was marinated beforehand. It was the conventional butter marinade that had chilli, mustard oil, coriander, and all those usual spices.As the chicken pieces roast in the tandoor, Chef Rajiv talks about Kaanan, his home for the past one year. “At Kaanan, we do Punjabi cuisine in the progressive way. We follow all the classical recipes. The authenticity in terms of taste is there. However, you might find the dishes served in a different manner,” he says.Isn’t there a term for it, which by now we all are familiar with — fusion?“We do not like to call it fusion, it’s more of a progressive way of serving it. The dishes which you see on our menu are authentic Punjabi cuisine with a modern twist. We do Sarson Ka Saag and serve it with creamy Burrata cheese. So, in that sense, it’s a little bit of fusion,” he says.Can’t say I find the Sarson Ka Saag and Burrata combo interesting enough, but the aroma of the tandoori chicken combined with emulsifying butter and cream in a pan is mouth-watering. The white creamy sauce, with a hint of colour that comes from the red marinade as he put the pieces into the pan, looks rich and creamy.The plating is done in a jiffy. For Chef Rajiv, the idea is to make the dish look attractive, not very complex. He drizzles a bit of smoked chilli oil and fresh coriander leaves, and it is good to go.The tasting phase, however, throws quite a surprise. The missing tomato! It pops up in a sun-dried tomato kulcha, which comes as an accompaniment! Cherry tomatoes, but tomatoes, nevertheless. So, no Punjabi food is complete without the tomato?“I think the sun-dried tomato blends very well with the soft texture of bread. And then the whole combination of it gives a proper balance of spice and smokiness, richness and acidity.”Chef Rajiv has a point. That little hint of citrus flavour goes well with the chicken. It’s interesting the way he deconstructs the conventional curry and reconstructs it with a twist. It takes me by surprise. And, despite my initial reservations about the name, I am not complaining. What’s in a name after all!