Star of India Taradale

About Star of India Taradale

Star of India Taradale is a family-owned Indian restaurant on Gloucester Street in the heart of Taradale village, Napier — one of two Star of India dining rooms in Hawke's Bay, alongside its Hastings sibling. Every dish is made to order with the finest ingredients by highly experienced chefs, and the friendly team is always happy to explain each dish and the level of heat it carries, from gentle and mild all the way to Indian hot.

The kitchen is led by Dan Singh, a qualified Indian cuisine chef from Uttarakhand in northern India who trained through a three-year cookery apprenticeship at The Ambassador's Sky Chef, a five-star property in Mumbai, before making New Zealand home in 2004. Local suppliers keep the restaurant in fresh herbs, vegetables and seafood year-round, which Dan credits for the taste and consistency he insists on in every dish.

Dine in for lunch or dinner and choose from tandoor-cooked entrées, classic curries across chicken, lamb, beef and seafood, an extensive vegetarian and paneer selection, biryanis and fresh breads. Mains come with complimentary rice, the dining room is fully licensed (BYO wine welcome for a small corkage), and there are banquets for two or more, a kids' menu, desserts, a takeaway menu and online ordering.

Star of India Taradale: Authentic Indian Cuisine in Napier's Taradale Village

On Gloucester Street in Taradale village, Star of India has become a fixture for Napier diners who love proper Indian food. It is the Taradale sibling of a small family-owned group that also runs a restaurant in Hastings, and both are built on the same idea: authentic Indian dishes made to order from the finest ingredients, served by a team that takes the time to explain what's on the plate — including exactly how much heat to expect. The kitchen's motto says it all: tasty food can be made any time, but maintaining the taste and consistency, always, is what matters.

From the Himalayas to Hawke's Bay

The man behind the curries is Dan Singh, a qualified Indian cuisine chef who comes from Uttarakhand in northern India — a state famous, he notes, for the Himalayan ranges, the Ganges River, yoga, meditation and holy shrines. Cooking wasn't his first choice, but once he learned the culinary arts his passion only grew. He completed a three-year cookery apprenticeship at The Ambassador's Sky Chef, a five-star property in Mumbai, then worked in an A Grade restaurant before coming to New Zealand in 2004 as an Indian cook.

The first family-owned business followed in 2008, and in 2011 Dan moved to what he calls beautifully sunny Hawke's Bay to open his restaurant here. Local suppliers play a real part in that story: fresh herbs, vegetables and seafood are available at any time, giving the kitchen the consistency Dan considers essential to every dish.

A menu that spans the subcontinent

The dine-in menu is genuinely broad. Entrées run from street-food style favourites — onion bhaji, vegetable samosas and pakoras — to serious tandoor work: boneless chicken tikka marinated overnight in spiced yoghurt, mint and malai variations, minced lamb sheekh kebabs and tandoori chicken by the half or full bird. Sharing platters combine the best of both.

Mains cover chicken, lamb, beef, seafood and a deep vegetarian list, each cooked in its own style. Butter chicken is finished in a rich creamy tomato gravy, kormas in cashew nut gravy, Madras dishes are tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds, and the vindaloo — a speciality from Goa — awaits heat-seekers. Seafood stretches from Goan fish curry to butter prawns, while vegetarians can explore dals, aloo dishes, malai kofta and an entire paneer section. Every main comes with complimentary rice, and every dish can be made mild, medium, hot or Indian hot.

Biryani pots of chicken, lamb, prawn or vegetable basmati — garnished with dry nuts and fruits — sit alongside a full bread list from the tandoor: plain naan, stuffed kulchas, peshwari naan with dried fruits, nuts and coconut, and a gluten-free chickpea-flour missi roti.

Feasts, families and the BYO bottle

For tables of two or more, the non-vegetarian and vegetarian banquets roll from a mixed platter entrée through a parade of mains, naan, rice and papadum to a side dish or dessert. Kids get their own meals, and desserts run to gulab jamun, mango kulfi and ice cream sundaes.

The Taradale dining room is fully licensed, and BYO wine is welcome for a small per-bottle corkage. Lunch is served Tuesday to Saturday, dinner Tuesday to Sunday — with a later finish on Friday and Saturday nights — and the restaurant is closed on Mondays. A takeaway menu and online ordering cover the nights you'd rather eat at home.

Know before you go

Bookings are open for both lunch and dinner, so it's worth reserving ahead. If a favourite dish isn't listed, just ask — having the chef create off-menu favourites is one of the house's specialities. And if you have food allergies or intolerances, speak to the staff before ordering; they're happy to guide you through the menu and the heat levels before you decide.

Signature items

• Butter Chicken
• Chicken Tikka
• Lamb Curry (Rogan Josh)
• Garlic Naan
• Vegetarian Banquet
• Mango Kulfi

Menu

Banquets

• Non Vegetarian Banquet (min 2 persons) — Mixed platter entrée, then mutter chicken, lamb curry, beef vindaloo, seasonal vegetables, naan, rice, papadum and a side dish or dessert.
• Vegetarian Banquet (min 2 persons) — Mixed platter entrée, then paneer mutter, dal tadka, seasonal vegetables, aloo palak, naan, rice, papadum and a side dish or dessert.

Desserts

• Gulab Jamun (2 pieces)
• Mango Kulfi
• Ice Cream Sundae (Chocolate or Strawberry)

EntréEs

• Onion Bhaji — Julienne cut onions mixed with chickpea flour and deep fried.
• Vegetable Samosa — Triangular pastry filled with potatoes, peas and herbs, fried golden brown.
• Mixed Pakora — Chopped mixed vegetables, mildly spiced, dipped in chickpea flour and deep fried.
• Paneer Pakora — Cottage cheese pieces coated in chickpea flour and deep fried.
• Veg Manchurian — Vegetable balls in special batter, fried then stirred in garlic and chilli sauce.
• Paneer Chilli — Cottage cheese in spice butter, deep fried with onions, capsicum and spicy sauce.
• Chicken Tikka — Boneless chicken marinated overnight in spiced yoghurt, roasted in the tandoor.
• Mint Chicken Tikka — Chicken marinated overnight in mint and tandoori spices, tandoor-roasted.
• Malai Chicken Tikka — Chicken marinated in yoghurt, cheese and creamy sauce, roasted in the tandoor.
• Chicken Chilli — Battered chicken deep fried and finished with onions, capsicums and spicy sauce.
• Bombay Kebab — Chicken nibbles dipped in special batter, fried then stirred in garlic and chilli sauce.
• Lamb Sheekh Kebab — Minced lamb with spices and herbs, pressed on skewers and cooked in the tandoor.
• Fish Pakora — Boneless fish coated with chickpea flour, mildly spiced and deep fried.
• Prawn Fritters — Prawns coated with chickpea flour, mildly spiced and deep fried.
• Tandoori Prawns — Prawns marinated in yoghurt with tandoori spices and roasted in the tandoor.
• Mixed Platter — Onion bhaji, samosa, chicken tikka and sheekh kebab served with salad.
• Tandoori Platter — A combination of chicken and lamb entrées.
• Tandoori Chicken (Half or Full) — Chicken marinated overnight in spiced yoghurt with herbs, roasted in the tandoor.

Beef Mains

• Beef Curry — Diced beef in a fine onion tomato gravy with herbs and spices.
• Beef Korma — Diced beef in a rich creamy cashew nut gravy with mild aromatic spices.
• Beef Sagwala — Diced beef cooked with spinach in an onion tomato gravy and spices.
• Beef Vindaloo — Diced beef in an onion tomato gravy with vindaloo sauce.
• Beef Kadai — Special herbs and spices with tomatoes, capsicum, onion and coriander.

Kids Meals

• Kids Butter Chicken — A butter chicken serve sized for children.
• Chips
• Chicken Nuggets & Chips

Lamb Mains

• Lamb Curry (Rogan Josh) — Diced lamb cooked in a fine onion tomato gravy with herbs and spices.
• Lamb Korma — Diced lamb in a rich creamy cashew nut gravy with mildly aromatic spices.
• Butter Lamb — Diced lamb cooked in a rich creamy tomato gravy.
• Lamb Masala — Diced lamb in an onion tomato gravy with capsicum.
• Lamb Sagwala — Diced lamb cooked with spinach, onion tomato gravy and spices.
• Lamb Madras — Coconut and onion tomato gravy tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds.
• Lamb Vindaloo — Diced lamb in an onion tomato gravy with vindaloo sauce.
• Lamb Kadai — Diced lamb cooked in special herbs and spices with tomatoes.
• Bhuna Gosht — Diced lamb with onions and tomatoes resulting in a thick gravy.
• Lamb Nawabi — Diced lamb in a rich creamy gravy with special spices.

Rice Dishes

• Chicken Biryani — Basmati rice cooked with chicken, herbs and spices, garnished with dry nuts and fruits.
• Lamb Biryani — Basmati rice cooked with lamb and special herbs and spices.
• Prawn Biryani — Basmati rice cooked with prawns and special herbs and spices.
• Vegetable Biryani — Basmati rice cooked with mixed vegetables and special herbs and spices.
• Fried Rice — With chicken or vegetables.
• Coconut Rice — Basmati rice fried with mustard seeds, curry leaves, spices and herbs.
• Jeera Rice — Basmati rice fried with cumin and selected herbs.
• Lemon Rice
• Kashmiri Rice
• Pea Puloe
• Cauliflower Rice
• Plain Rice — Steamed basmati rice.

Side Dishes

• Poppadoms (2 pieces)
• Mango Chutney
• Pickle
• Raita — A cool yoghurt side.
• Mango Lassi — Mango yoghurt drink.

Chicken Mains

• Butter Chicken — Tandoor half-cooked chicken finished in a rich creamy tomato gravy.
• Chicken Korma — Boneless chicken in a rich, creamy cashew nut gravy with mild aromatic spices.
• Mango Chicken — Boneless chicken prepared with mango pulp and traditional spices.
• Chicken Tikka Masala — Boneless chicken in an onion tomato gravy with capsicum.
• Chicken Sagwala — Boneless chicken cooked in spinach, herbs and spices.
• Chicken Jalfrezi — A sweet and sour dish with diced onions, capsicums and tomatoes.
• Chicken Madras — Cooked with coconut and onion tomato gravy, tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds.
• Chicken Vindaloo — Boneless chicken in vindaloo sauce — a speciality from Goa.
• Chicken Kadai — Cooked with special herbs and spices, tomatoes, capsicum, onions and coriander.
• Chicken Bengali — Onion tomato gravy with capsicum, eggplant and potato.
• Chicken Lababdar — Onion tomato gravy with capsicum, finished with grated cheese.
• Chicken Bhuna — Chicken with herbs, spices, onions and tomatoes in a thick gravy.
• Chicken Dhanshak — Onion tomato gravy with lentils and mixed vegetables.
• Chicken Methi — Boneless chicken cooked with fenugreek, spices and herbs.

Indian Breads

• Naan — Bread made with refined flour.
• Butter Naan — Naan made with butter and white sesame seeds.
• Garlic Naan — Naan bread made with garlic and butter.
• Cheese Naan — Naan stuffed with cheese and baked in the tandoor oven.
• Aloo Kulcha — Naan stuffed with potatoes, herbs and mild spices.
• Onion Kulcha — Naan stuffed with chopped onion, light herbs and spices.
• Keem Naan — Naan stuffed with lamb mince.
• Paneer Kulcha — Naan stuffed with homemade cottage cheese.
• Chicken Naan — Naan stuffed with chopped chicken and light spices.
• Peshwari Naan — Naan stuffed with dried fruits, nuts and coconut.
• Cheese & Garlic Naan — Naan stuffed with cheese and garlic.
• Roti — Bread made with wholemeal flour.
• Paratha — Layered bread made with wholemeal flour.
• Missi Roti — Bread made with chickpea flour — gluten free.

Seafood Mains

• Goan Fish Curry — Fish in a fine onion tomato and coconut gravy, finished with lemon.
• Fish Masala — Fish in an onion tomato gravy with capsicum and spices.
• Butter Prawns — Prawns in a rich creamy tomato gravy.
• Prawn Masala — Prawns in an onion tomato gravy with capsicums and spices.
• Prawn Malwari — Coconut onion tomato gravy tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds.
• Prawn Vindaloo — Prawns in an onion tomato gravy with vindaloo sauce.
• Prawn Spinach — Prawns cooked with spinach in an onion tomato gravy and spices.
• Prawn Kadai — Prawns with special herbs, spices, tomatoes, capsicum, onions and coriander.

Vegetarian Mains

• Seasonal Vegetables — Fresh cut vegetables in an onion tomato gravy and aromatic spices.
• Butter Vegetables — Mixed vegetables in a rich creamy tomato gravy.
• Vegetable Korma — Mixed vegetables in a rich creamy cashew nut gravy with mild spices.
• Aloo Gobi — Potatoes and cauliflower cooked together in spices, garnished with fresh herbs.
• Bombay Aloo — Diced potatoes cooked with cumin and herbs.
• Chana Masala — Chickpeas cooked with onions in a spiced gravy.
• Dal Tadka — Yellow lentils with garlic, onions, tomatoes and spices, finished with fresh herbs.
• Dal Makhani — Black lentils and kidney beans cooked in tomatoes with spices, butter and cream.
• Mushroom Mutter — Kashmiri style button mushrooms and peas.
• Vegetable Kadai — Mixed vegetables with special herbs, tomatoes, capsicum, onions and coriander.
• Aloo Mutter — Kashmiri style vegetables and peas.
• Aloo Palak — Potatoes cooked with spinach, herbs and spices.
• Methi Mutter Malai — Green peas and fenugreek leaves in a rich creamy gravy.
• Paneer Kadai — Cottage cheese with herbs, spices, tomatoes, capsicum, onions and coriander.
• Malai Kofta — Potato and homemade cottage cheese balls, deep fried, in a rich creamy gravy.
• Butter Paneer — Cubes of cottage cheese in a rich creamy tomato gravy.
• Palak Paneer — Scrambled cottage cheese cooked with chopped spinach and spices.
• Paneer Mutter — Kashmiri style cottage cheese cubes and green peas.
• Paneer Tikka Masala — Cottage cheese in an onion tomato gravy with capsicums.
• Shahi Paneer — Cottage cheese cubes in a creamy sauce with special spices.
• Paneer Methi — Cottage cheese cubes cooked with fenugreek, spices and herbs.

Frequently asked questions

Do you take reservations?

Yes — bookings are open for both lunch and dinner. Contact the restaurant by phone or email to make a reservation.

Is the restaurant licensed? Can I bring my own wine?

Star of India Taradale is a fully licensed restaurant, and BYO wine only is welcome for a small per-bottle corkage fee.

How spicy are the dishes?

Curries and mains can be made mild, medium, hot or Indian hot. The friendly staff are happy to explain each dish and its level of heat.

Is rice included with the mains?

Yes — all main meals are served with complimentary rice.

Can you cater for food allergies and intolerances?

If you have any allergies or intolerances, please speak to the staff about your requirements before ordering.

Can I order a dish that isn't on the menu?

Yes — if there's a favourite dish you love that isn't listed, the chef will be happy to create it for you.

What are the opening hours?

Lunch runs 11.30am–2.00pm Tuesday to Saturday. Dinner is 4.30pm–9.00pm Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday, and 4.30pm–9.30pm Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. Takeaway and online ordering are also available.

Tips

• {"body":"Reservations are taken for both lunch and dinner — call or email to secure a table, especially for Friday and Saturday nights.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"Every main can be made mild, medium, hot or Indian hot — tell the staff how you like it when you order.","title":"Set your spice level"}
• {"body":"The restaurant is fully licensed and BYO wine is welcome for a small per-bottle corkage fee.","title":"Bring a bottle"}
• {"body":"All mains come with complimentary rice, so there's no need to order extra unless you want a specialty rice dish.","title":"Rice is on the house"}
• {"body":"If a beloved Indian dish isn't on the menu, the chef will happily create it for you.","title":"Ask for your favourite"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids' meals include kids butter chicken, chips and chicken nuggets & chips.","dietary":"Speak to staff about allergies before ordering; the Missi Roti bread is gluten free, and dishes run from mild to Indian hot."}