Andy D.
Yelp
Indulge yourself with authentic PUNJABI/NORTH-INDIAN cuisine at the 'URBAN TADKA' in Irving - Check it out!
PUNJAB is a state in Northern India that derives its name from the five rivers that flowed thru the region making it the 'the bread basket of India', with the largest production of wheat, sugarcane, lentils, pulses, fruits and vegetables. In 1947 when India attained independence, Punjab like Bengal, was split into two with 2 of the 5 rivers in India, and the other 3 in Pakistan.
PUNJABIs are industrious yet fun-loving folks who truly "work hard and party hard"! They are also incorrigible, insufferable foodies, whose passion for all things gastronomical would rival that of their compatriots from Bengal, Odisha, Lucknow and Hyderabad! While 'Daal-Roti' (lentils and wheat flat bread) is the staple diet for the hoi-polloi, Punjabi Cuisine has delivered an extravagant array of kababs and flat breads from its TANDOOR ("Clay Oven") including the NAAN, KULCHAS, BHATURAS, PARATHAS, especially the LACCHA PARATHA, the TANDOORI, ROOMALI, & MISSI ROTI which have no peers in any other cuisine across the Planet, period! Did you know that every Michelin starred Chef of Indian origin is a Punjabi, which is hardly a surprise?!
HAPPY SINGH, a prodigal son of Punjab ("Punjab-da-Puttar") came to Dallas to work for Ericsson as a Telecom Hardware Engineer and was adversely impacted by the great recession of 2008. Struggling to find another job, he decided to fulfill his long cherished dream with support from his wife, (a gifted Chef herself), and 'URBAN TADKA' was born! URBAN TADKA offers a repertoire comprising the cuisine from the undivided PUNJAB - from Amritsar, Patiala, Gurdaspur (in India) as well as Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Rawalpindi in today's Pakistan.
I have personally witnessed the persistence of this man in the face of incredible competition in Irving, and despite my initial skepticism, he has not only established his brand in Irving, but has also extended it to a second location in Flower Mound, and has also brought his brothers and their wives from the Punjab to help him run the establishments, ensuring a high quality of the cuisine complemented with their personalized service and hospitality.
We have been to URBAN TADKA many a time and love their DAALs (lentils), the BHINDI MASALEDAR (spicy okra), the KADHI served with PAKORAS (a yogurt based dish with fritters and a Punjabi specialty that is exceptional), the METHI and ACHAARI MURG (Chicken Curries) as well as the MUTTON ROGAN JOSH, complemented by their MISSI ROTI (flat bread made from chick pea flour embellished with herbs & spices) that is the best in this town! Their PATIALA LASSI (yogurt drink) is a house specialty that we would highly recommend, as well as the RABDI, RAS MALAI and GAJAR (Carrots) HALWA for dessert, for a truly gratifying experience of what the legendary cuisine of the PUNJAB (that is often synonymous with INDIAN cuisine in the West) is all about!