Ghee Indian Kitchen

Miami always marches to the beat of its own tiki tiki music, so it’s only natural that Miami’s best Indian restaurant does the same. And while the dishes here have an undeniably Indian soul, Ghee is serving food that could only exist in Miami. 

Take, for instance, the bhel puri chaat, a typical Indian street snack of crunchy bhel wafers, murmura, and crispy threads of sev with a variety of chutneys. At Ghee, this is reimagined to incorporate two Miami favorites: avocado and ceviche. Avocado makes another appearance in a moss-colored bhatura that arrives at the table like a big balloon ready to be popped and devoured. And their vindaloo gives us all the vinegariness and spicy intensity of the Goan original, but includes calabaza pumpkin along with heat from habanero chiles—two quintessential Miami ingredients that very well might have been sourced from Ghee's own farm in Homestead. 

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

The restaurant’s interior reflects a similar mindset. It’s modern while still paying homage to Indian culture. The dining room is industrial chic—polished concrete floors, vaulted ceilings, and exposed hardware—but with some desi touches, like diyas on the tables, shelves full of spice tins, murtis, and a huge abstract painting incorporating classical Indian motifs. It’s a distinctly Miami vibe—laidback and colorful but still just a little sexy.

Even the dishes at Ghee that don't feel directly informed by Miami—like a great tikka masala or a crisp, tangy dosa stuffed with beef short rib—have vibrant flavors that feel like they belong in Miami as much as royal poincianas. 

Ghee is an Indian restaurant in a town with troublingly few Indian restaurants, but it still feels as essential to the city as Joe's, Versailles, and Chef Creole—all places we’d recommend to out-of-towners as an example of Miami’s local flavors. Ghee doesn’t specialize in traditional desi home cooking. Neither do they serve creamy curries you can personalize with your favorite protein and spice level. It’s Indian food done Miami style—and done in a way that makes a delicious argument that bhel puris and bhaturas are just as Miami as pastelitos, Cuban coffee, and arriving very late to a party.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

Yellowfin Tuna Bhel

If there’s one dish that encapsulates Ghee, it’s this seamless mashup of bhel puri, ceviche, and guacamole. There are so many textures going on: airy puffed rice, crispy sev, creamy avocado, and slippery yellowfin. The spicy, tangy, and herbaceous green chutney stands in for the leche de tigre. It’s a perfect dish.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

Avocado Bhatura

One of the best parts of this dish is popping it at the table and watching the steam escape in a fragrant puff. The addition of avocado to the dough gives the finished bread balloon a subtle richness. It’s a must if you order dal, but it goes great with anything.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc

Short Rib Dosa

Although dosai traditionally have vegetarian fillings, the combination of braised short rib with the fermented rice crepe really works well. Like any proper dosa, Ghee serves this version with a side of very good tangy sambar and coconut chutney.

Turmeric Marinated Local Fish

Regardless of what fresh catch they’re working with that day, this is one of the best dishes at Ghee. The flavors are delicate but you taste each element so clearly—the coconut, the turmeric, and the curry leaves.

Sticky Date Cake

We debated putting this at the top of our food rundown so that you’ll know to save room. It’s like a bread pudding that got condensed into a thick, juicy cube. It’s satisfyingly gooey, aromatic with sweet spices, and the ginger ice cream is a refreshing palate cleanser after the masala of spices you’ll have tasted during a meal here.