Little India on The Strand is part of a group of 17 Little India restaurants across the country, from Auckland to Invercargill.
The group's brand manger, Arjun Gill, says it all started more than 25 years ago when his grandmother, Premjit Kaur Gill, and mother started selling takeaways from the family dairy and fish and chip shop in Dunedin. They used to cook the food in the kitchen above the diary, and then progressed to the first Little India in Dunedan in 1991.
The Strand's Little India has been open 14 years.
Going back 25 years ago even butter chicken was avant garde, and while it remains the most popular dish today in all Little India restaurants, Arjun said more and more restaurant-goers are being adventurous and trying an increasing variety of Indian food.
The menu today is based on traditional Indian food dishes of North India, The Punjab.
Little India prides itself on that home cooked feel - all head chefs are selected in India, trained by Premjit in her own kitchen in Chandigarh, Punjab, and brought to New Zealand.
The food is cooked using traditional tandoors which have a clay pot and are fired by charcoal which give naans and meat their authentic flavour.
To start The mixed platter is meant for two people, and comes specially recommended by the restaurant.
It consists of Vegetable Samosa, Onion Bhaji, Boti Kebab (diced lean lamb marinated overnight), Barra Kebab (lamb chops dipped in a spicy marinade and cooked in the tandoor oven) and Tandoori Chicken. A filling appetiser which could also be enjoyed as snacks over drinks after work.
We also had a platter of tandoori prawns -which if you are used to chicken makes an interesting alternative, succulent and fleshy with the sauce offering a delicate fusion of herbs and spices.
For main We went for a selection of dishes with rice and naans.
Firstly Lamb Dhansak, a Parsi delicacy, tender melt in the mouth lamb with lentils and vegetables and a pumpkin based sauce flavoured with fragrant coriander, ginger and garlic. Buna Chicken, a boneless spring chicken cooked with ginger, garlic, fresh coriander, capsicum, onions and spices. We included a couple of vegetarian dishes which can be chosen as sides or main meals. There are a wide variety of both meat and vegetarian dishes on the menu which means that vegetarians and meat eaters will both enjoy eating out. Amritsari Chole was a standout - chickpeas cooked with ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes, finished with freshly ground spices and amchur. Eggplant is one of my favourite foods and the eggplant dish was divine.
Inside Little India. Photo/John Borren
Plain basmati rice is the perfect accompaniment to our dishes, and we also tried jeera rice which has cumin seeds added and which is the traditional accompaniment for Dhansak dishes.
Also popular are the pulao rice dishes, the most popular being the kashmiri pulao, which is cooked with nuts, sultanas and coconut.
There is a wide selection of tasty naans from plain to stuffed, sweet or spicy. We opted for garlic and plain naanswhich came with a selection of yoghurt dips (yoghurt flavoured with mint and spices) to cool the palette after any hot dishes, and pickles and chutneys for a bit of sweet fruitiness.
The whole meal was a delight for the taste buds of interesting combinations of flavours and spices and the abundant selection means you can stick with your favourites or like us expand your horizons to try something new. You can select the degree of hotness for your dish from mild, medium to hot. We like hot food - nothing better on a cold night. Importantly for me there is no added sugar in any of the dishes and most of the mains and starters are gluten free unless otherwise marked.
Little India Restaurant. Photo/John Borren
The verdict Fresh ingredients with delicious flavours, beautifully cooked like a home cooked meal. Every dish was a real treat for the tastebuds, and we will definitely be back to try more.
the details Little India 113 The Strand, Tauranga Ph (07) 579 0909 Dine in, takeaway and delivery. Also caters for all those special occasions that include birthdays, anniversaries and private functions, and offers a home service where food is served at home. www.littleindia.co.nz
