Curry in a hurry

This month’s review is a little different. I asked you, our dear readers, whether I should review fish and chips or an Indian curry and my word, I was so happy when the feedback was overwhelmingly in favour of curry as it is so much more of a comfort food than our iconic national takeaway and that’s exactly the pick me up I needed, given the horrific summer we’ve had.

You should be able to smell a good curry long before you see it and the aroma should linger long after the meal has been devoured. It should be rich, aromatic, punchy and wholesome, and whether animal-based or vegetarian, the ingredients should be plentiful with enough sauce to mop up with a cheeky naan or mini mountain of rice.

Now I don’t want to debate the origins of tikka masala and whether you believe the British folklore of the dish being invented by a creative chef using Wattie’s tomato soup to appease his customers or whether you believe the origins to be deep in the north-western Indian state of Punjab. One thing is for sure, it’s New Zealand’s most bought takeaway curry, so I feel compelled to base this taste test on a chicken tikka masala.

I tried three curry houses. Unfortunately one of them wasn’t up to scratch, so I’ve chosen to provide my opinion on the two that were very good – Cheeky Chapati in Orewa and iCurry in Millwater. In addition to the curry I ordered a garlic naan and both were served with complimentary rice.

The tikka masala from Cheeky Chapati has all the hallmarks of a great takeaway curry. The minute you lift off the container lid the rich and fragrant aroma punches you in the face and your salivary glands are pushed into overdrive. The naan is generous and baked beautifully in the tandoor and the rice is fluffy and fresh. At first bite you can tell this team know what they’re doing. The chicken thigh cubes are deliciously juicy and the rich tomato and onion gravy packs a decent depth of flavour. The spice profile of garam masala, turmeric, ginger, chili powder, cumin and coriander is prominent and authentic. Whilst I’d usually opt for an Indian hot curry I need to preserve my taste buds and the medium spice is somewhat soft for my liking. I suspect it would be just right for most. The only real criticism here is that it is an expensive takeaway meal at $28.40, but it is enough to share. I give it 7.5/10.

iCurry – 6/175 Millwater Parkway, Millwater

The overwhelming requests for review were for iCurry. The restaurant has changed hands a couple of times and the curry has been inconsistent (I don’t know whether this is a chef or an ownership matter) and one of my most important criteria for a restaurant is consistency. I’m a little apprehensive to see what iCurry dishes up, to be honest.

I pop the container lid and the aroma overwhelms my senses. Strong wafts of spice take me straight back to Brick Lane in London where I had my first tikka masala two decades ago. I’m now dancing in the kitchen while I dish up the takeaway meal. Strings of soft onion in the bright orange gravy make me happy before I’ve even taken a bite. The chicken looks to have been cooked in the tandoor as there is slight charring. Nice touch. The naan is a little small, but it’s balanced with garlic and has a nice consistency. The flavour of the curry matches the aroma and it really is rather delicious. It may be a little salty for some but in my opinion it elevates the deep, rich spice of the tikka masala blend and the balance is near perfect. Again, I should have opted for more heat. My anxiety around giving iCurry a go diminishes with every knuckle-deep, naan scooping swathe of curry I devour until the bowl is barren. Great takeaway curry, 8/10, and at $24.50 it’s good value for money.

I settle into my comfy chair, Gaviscon at the ready. I relish that we’re so blessed with some genuinely good takeaway eateries, but it breaks my heart to see the number of closures due to the pandemic, lack of staff and cost increases of running a hospitality business. I encourage you to get out and support these businesses and experience the richness that is Indian food on the Coast.

If you have any feedback or would like me to review anything food related, drop me an email at rudi@ dadcooks.co.nz or visit Instagram @dadcooks

Rudi Hefer Rudi is a Masterchef New Zealand Top 8 contestant and you can follow him on instagram@dadcooks