Chanakya South Indian Cuisine is a compact New Brighton restaurant tucked into Surfside Mall, with bookings available for its small dining room. The kitchen centres South Indian flavours while still ranging across familiar curry styles, and its chef brings more than fifteen years of experience to the menu. Split lunch and dinner sessions make it suitable for either a midday dosa or a fuller evening meal.
The meal can begin with sambar soup, onion bhaji or dahi papadi layered with potato, chickpeas, yoghurt and tamarind. Samosa chaat and vegetable pakora continue the street-food thread, while curry-leaf chicken, spiced lamb and prawns offer meat and seafood alternatives. Rice-and-lentil cooking appears in dosa and uthappam dishes, including semolina masala dosa and a chicken-and-cheese uthappam.
Curries reveal the restaurant's strongest regional accents. French beans with coconut, lentils with spinach, chickpeas, paneer and eggplant salaan give vegetarians a wide field, while chicken, lamb, fish and prawns are paired with curry leaves, black pepper, mustard, tamarind, coconut and roasted spices. Diners can choose mild, medium or hot seasoning, and numerous dishes are marked vegan or gluten-free.
Biryani comes with vegetables, chicken, lamb or prawns and arrives with raita and salaan, making it a complete centrepiece. Hand-rolled roti and layered paratha cover the breads, alongside a gluten-free rice-and-lentil pancake. Mango kulfi, warm gulab jamun with ice cream, mango lassi, masala tea and South Indian coffee give the final course several traditional directions.
Address: Shop 5, Surfside Mall, 68 Hawke Street, New Brighton, Christchurch 8061, New Zealand
Moved or closed? Tell us: Moved·Temporarily closed·Permanently closed
Chanakya South Indian Cuisine Menu
Lunch Menu – Starters
Lunch Menu. Choose One VEGETARIAN Curry to get rice, Paratha and Papadam for $12.95. Choose One CHICKEN/LAMB Curry to get rice, Paratha and Papadam for $14.95. Choose your own spice level for the curries (Mild, Medium or Hot).
Samber (soup)
Idli (2 pcs)
Lentil and rice steamed cakes, to dip into sambar and coconut chutney
Butter Plain Dosa.
Masala Uthapamm
Ulli dosa
Cheese Dosa
Masala Dosa
Samosa Chat
Dahi Papadi
Onion Bhaji (4 pcs)
Mixed veg pakora
Chicken Entree
Vada
Lunch Menu – Vegetarian and Vegan Curries
Served with Basmati rice
Vegetable Jalfrezi curry
Channa Masala
Vegetable Koorma
Eggplant salan
Spinach Panner Curry
Mutter Panner
Sagg Allo
Ginger Tofu
Aloo Gobi
Dal Thalimpu
Tofu Vegetable
Aloo Mutter
Lunch Menu – Chicken Curries
Served with Basmati rice.
Chicken Vindaloo
Ginger Chicken
Chilly chicken
Chicken Jalfrezi
Butter Chicken
Mango Chicken
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Koorma
Lunch Menu – Lamb Curries
Served with Basmati rice.
Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Lamb Saag
Lamb Koorma
Lunch Menu – Desserts
Mango Lassi
Mango Kulfi .
Hot gulabjamoon with ice cream
Starters
Choose your own spice level for the curries (Mild, Medium or Hot)
Sambar Soup
Veges and lentils cooked with curry leaves and South Indian spices. Vegan. Gluten free.
Onion Baji (4PCS)
Sliced onion with spices & chickpea flour deep fried, served with tamarind chutney. Gluten free.
Dahi Papadi (6 PCS)
Originated in south India, a wheat cracker topped with potatoes and chickpeas covered with yogurt, tamarind chutney, coriander and fresh ground Chanakya spices
Mixed Veg Pakora
Fresh veges dipped into chickpea flour with spices and deep fried. Gluten free.
Papadam & dips
6 papadam & raitha, sweet mango chutney, hot pickle & tamarind chutney
Veg Samosa Chat (1PCS)
Demolished samosa with a Yummy yogurt topped with tamarind and date chutney, freshly chopped onion and dusted spices
Chanakya Chicken starter
Dice chicken sauteed with curry leaves and chanakya spices. Gluten free.
Charminar Lamb Starter
Spiced lamb minced cubes sauteed with garlic, curry leave and chankya spices. Gluten free.
South Indian Prawn starter
6 delicious prawns sauteed with garlic, curry leaves & roasted spices. Gluten free.
Honey Chilly Cauliflower
Tempura cauliflower tossed with honey & Chilly spices
Chilly Gobi
Fried cauliflower tossed with chilly, onion and capsicum with chanakya spices. Vegan.
Idli (2 pcs)
Lentil and rice steamed cakes, to dip into sambar and coconut chutney
Vada (2PCS)
A South Indian bagel made from ground white lentils and id deep-fried. Vegan.
Plain Dosa
Dosa is a south Indian pancake made with rice and lentil batter served with sambar and coconut chutney. Gluten free.
Masala Dosa
Dosa served with potato onion masala. Gluten free.
Mysore Masala Dosa
Coconut chutney chilly on a dosa, served with potato onion masala. Gluten free.
Cheese Dosa or Paneer Dosa
Cheddar Cheese or Paneer cooked on dosa served with potato onion masala. Gluten free.
Ulli Dosa
Chopped onion, ginger & green chilly cooked on dosa. Gluten free.
Masala Uthapamm
Rice and lentil, spongey & thick pancake with onion, tomato & spices. Gluten free.
Chicken Dosa
Dosa filled with sauteed chicken, finished in south Indian herbs & spices served with sambar & coconut chutney. Gluten free.
Chanakya Special Uthapamm
Onion, tomato &cheddar cheese with uthapamm served with potato onion masala. Gluten free.
Chicken Uthapamm
Marinated chicken with chanakya spices, cheese on uthapamm. Gluten free.
Rava Masala Dosa
Semolina dosa with carrot & mild spices, served with potato onion masala ( +cashews extra $1 )
Vegetarian & Vegan Curries
ALL ARE GLUTEN FREE
Yellow lentil curry (vegan)
Lentil curry South Indian style very simple
Jeera Allo (vegan)
Potato pan fried with lots of cumin, turmeric, fresh herbs & spices
Vegetable jalfrezi curry
Fresh vegetables cooked in tomato & onion gravy
Tofu Veg (vegan)
Fresh tofu and vegetable cooked in tomato & onion gravy
French bean Coconut (vegan)
French bean with spices, fried lentils & coconut
Sagg Aloo curry
Potato cooked with mild spices & a creamy spinach gravy
Vegetarian Koorma (vegan)
Vegetables in nuts & coconut gravy
Dal Spinach
South Indian style lentil and spinach curry.
Dal Makhini
Black lentils cooked in yummy & creamy gravy & ginger topping
Channa masala
Chickpea cooked with tomato, onion, coriander and black pepper (vegan)
Spinach paneer curry
Spinach & cottage cheese popular curry
Mutter Paneer
Green peas & cottage cheese with mild spices gravy
Butter Paneer
In a tasty & Yummy gravy
Eggplant Salaan (vegan)
Eggplant cooked in Coconut, peanut, tomato, tamarind & spices
Navaratan Koorma (vegan)
Veges & nuts cooked in coconut gravy topped with fresh fruit
Chicken Curries
ALL ARE GLUTEN FREE
Butter Chicken
I am the most popular on this menu
Mango Chicken curry
A richest quality of Indian mango flavour
Ginger chicken
Chicken cubes cooked in tomato, onion and ginger
Chicken Saag
Aromatic chicken spinach curry
Chicken Tikka Masala
The flavour of tomato and capsicum creamy gravy
Chicken koorma
Chicken cooked in coconut, cashews and nutmeg and spices
Chicken Jalfrezi (DF)
Tossed chicken and vegetable cooked in roasted spices in tomato & onion gravy
Kadai Chicken (DF)
Chicken cooked in onion , capsicum , roasted cumin and coriander
Chilly Chicken (DF)
Chicken cubes cooked in tomato & onion & capsicum
Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken breast in a miscellaneous vindaloo spice blend
Murg Kaju (Large)
chicken yogurt, garlic,curry leaf finished with cashews
Asian Style Chicken Curry (Large)
Sauteed chicken, glazed soya sauce, vinegar, green chillies and Chanakya Spices
Curry leaf Chicken
Chef Special curry served with bones
Lamb curries
ALL ARE GLUTEN FREE
Lamb Koorma
Cashew & Coconut curry, blended with roasted spices
Lamb Saag
Aromatic lamb and spinach curry
Lamb Vindaloo
Tender Lamb dice cooked in cumin & light sour tasted vindaloo spice blend
Lamb Madras
Lamb cooked in South Indian style
Rogan Josh
Lamb cooked with onion,tomato sauce,cashew, ginger and fennel
Pepper Lamb (Dry) SMALL
Dice lamb cooked in curry leaves , black pepper roasted medium spices (SMALL Portion)
Pepper Lamb (Dry) LARGE
Dice lamb cooked in curry leaves , black pepper roasted medium spices (LARGE portion)
Seafood Curries
ALL ARE GLUTEN FREE
Fish curry chanakya style
Chanakya spices, curry leaves, turmeric &tomato& onion gravy
Hariyali Fish or Prawn Curry
Cooked with turmeric, spinach & aromatic garam masala with ginger topping
Prawn or Fish malabari
Coconut, cashews, capsicum, onion, tomato & spices
Madras Fish
Mustard, cumin, coconut, curry leaves & garam masala with coriander topping
Butter Prawn
Prawn in a rich, creamy, rich tomato gravy
Apollo Prawn or Fish (Dry)
Fish or 10 Prawns cooked with capsicum ginger slices, curry leaves, yogurt & spices
Kadai Prawn
Prawn tossed in Onion, capsicum, roasted in crushed cumin and coriander
Breads
Roti
Wheat Indian bread (hand rolled)
Paratha
Soft layered flatbread for dipping in curries
Garlic Paratha
Paratha layered with garlic butter
Cheese Paratha
Paratha with molten cheese
Cheese & Garlic Paratha
Paratha with molten cheese and garlic butter
Chilly Cheese Paratha
Paratha with chopped green chilly & molten cheese
Gluten Free Pancake
Made with rice and lentils. Gluten free. Vegetarian.
Biriyanis
Flavoured of Navabi spiced rice cooked with: ( Served with 2 accompainments; raitha and salaan ) ALL ARE GLUTEN FREE
Vege Biriyani
Chicken Biriyani
Lamb Briyani
Prawn Biriyani
Sides & Dips
South indian style sides & dips
Raitha
Hot pickle
Sweet mango pickle
Tamarind chutney
Desserts and Drinks
Something Sweet after a Delicious meal
Hot gulabjamoon with ice cream
Mango Kulfi
Mango lassi
Masala Tea or South Indian Coffee
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+ Log your visitHow prices compare
Against typical prices in Christchurch
- Butter chicken Typical in Christchurch: $23.00 $11.95
- Chicken tikka masala Typical in Christchurch: $23.00 $11.95
- Lamb rogan josh Typical in Christchurch: $23.50 $11.95
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