By Flavor & The Menu
May 6, 2021

Archana and Mohit Nagrath

At Desi Contemporary, a modern Indian restaurant, a childhood favorite inspired a best-selling menu item. “Our parents would often put leftover butter chicken on kulcha, which is similar to a taco, for a fun snack,” says Archana Nagrath, Co-Owner with husband Mohit. “Moving to the U.S., we noticed that thick chalupa tacos weren’t all that different from this nostalgic bite.”

Kulcha is similar to naan, made with white flour, and it’s often stuffed with onions. “It’s fluffy like a chalupa, and it is cooked in a tandoor oven,” she says. “We heat it up for a slightly crisp outside with a tender interior.” The build features a layer of guacamole on the crisp-yet-fluffy flatbread. Creamy butter chicken is then spooned into the folded taco, followed by a topping of vinegared onions and shredded red cabbage. “We think the combination of butter chicken and vinegared onions is just unbeatable, especially if you dip it in our fresh cilantro chutney,” says Nagrath.

“Playing off the popularity of tacos in California, customers are curious to try something different, something adventurous,” she adds. “It incorporates some of the most well-known Indian flavors—curry, pickles, flatbread—into several elegant bites.”