Delhi-Cious is an authentic Indian takeaway tucked away in Wadestown, a short ten-minute drive from central Wellington and within five kilometres of Ngaio, Crofton Downs, Northland, Kelburn, Broadmeadows and Khandallah. Open from 5pm until late, seven days a week, it specialises in traditional North Indian cuisine with a few South Indian dishes alongside — chicken, seafood, lamb, beef and plenty of vegetarian options, all prepared for takeaway.
The kitchen is led by star-trained Indian chefs who cook with traditional methods, coaxing flavour from a charcoal tandoor and slow-simmered gravies. Quality sits at the heart of everything: Delhi-Cious works with some of New Zealand's best and freshest food suppliers, uses seasonal produce wherever possible, and balances its dishes with minimal oils, butter and creams. At customers' request, the chefs — professionally trained in dietary cooking — prepare vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes and can cater for certain food allergies.
Beyond the nightly takeaway menu, Delhi-Cious caters for weddings, office leaving parties, birthday celebrations, hen and stag parties, sporting team outings, group bookings, student events and outdoor catering across Wellington, bringing what it calls the spirit of India straight to the dining table.
Tucked into the leafy streets of Wadestown, a ten-minute drive from central Wellington, Delhi-Cious is an authentic Indian takeaway that has made itself part of the neighbourhood's evening rhythm. From 5pm every day until late, its kitchen sends out the classics of North Indian cooking — with a few South Indian favourites alongside — to homes across Wadestown and the surrounding suburbs of Ngaio, Crofton Downs, Northland, Kelburn, Broadmeadows and Khandallah.
The name says it plainly: Delhi-cious. This is food in the spirit of the Indian capital — tandoor-charred tikka, slow-simmered curries, biryani steamed with basmati — prepared by star-trained Indian chefs who cook every dish with traditional methods. As the team puts it, every meal has a story, and the kitchen's job is to keep that story intact.
What underpins the menu is an insistence on quality. Delhi-Cious works with some of New Zealand's best and freshest food suppliers, uses seasonal produce wherever possible, and cooks with minimal oils, butter and creams. The result is Indian food that manages to feel both indulgent and wholesome — a balance the kitchen takes seriously enough to make it part of its stated philosophy.
The menu opens with shuruaat — entrees built around the charcoal tandoor. Chicken tikka is marinated overnight before hitting the oven; fish tikka takes a yoghurt, mustard oil and spice marinade; seekh kebabs are rolled from lamb mince with exotic spices. Vegetarian classics like vegetable samosa, pakora and onion bhaji are there too, and mixed platters gather the best of both worlds for the table.
The mains run deep across chicken, lamb, beef and seafood. Butter chicken is the benchmark: half-cooked the tandoori way, finished in a creamy tomato curry with a touch of pepper. Alongside it sit mango chicken scented with green cardamom, chicken madras tempered with curry leaves and mustard seed, garlic chilli chicken, and house recipes like kadahi chicken and chicken lababdar.
Lamb gets the full treatment, from roghanjosh garnished with green coriander to saagwala blended in the Mughlai tradition, while beef appears in vindaloo, korma and madras. Seafood lovers can turn to Goan fish curry, butter prawn or king prawn saagwala.
The vegetable garden section is one of the menu's strengths: paneer makhni — soft cottage cheese in a velvety tomato sauce — daal makhani slow-cooked and finished with clarified butter, malai kofta, channa masala, aloo gobi and more. Rice rounds things out, from coconut rice to biryanis studded with vegetables, chicken, lamb, beef or prawn.
The kitchen is notably accommodating. On request, the chefs — professionally trained in dietary cooking — will prepare vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes and can work around certain food allergies. Dishes are cooked to suit your palate, so it pays to say how you like your heat.
Delhi-Cious also runs a catering service across Wellington, producing food for weddings, office leaving parties, birthday celebrations, hen and stag parties, sporting team outings, group bookings, student events and outdoor catering. For hosts, the pitch is simple: food is the most essential element of any gathering, and it shouldn't be left to chance.
As a takeaway, Delhi-Cious is built around convenience without compromise. Orders can be phoned through to 04 472 1020 or emailed to [email protected], with an after-hours number available. Doors open at 5pm, seven days, until late — timed for the after-work dash and the too-tired-to-cook evenings.
For Wadestown and its neighbours, that combination — authentic North Indian flavour, fresh New Zealand ingredients, and a kitchen that takes health as seriously as taste — has made Delhi-Cious the local answer to the nightly question of what's for dinner.