Miami Beach’s new vegetarian Indian restaurant will make you forget you ever liked meat

Diya Indian Kitchen is back in business — and that’s good news for lovers of Indian food in Miami Beach.

The new Indian restaurant in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood opened its doors right before the coronavirus pandemic led to a restaurant shutdown in Miami-Dade County. Now, Diya has reopened for dine-in and takeout options in what used to be the home of Burger & Beer Joint, El Grito and Bitter Truth. It’s one of several new restaurants in Miami-Dade that have opened in the wake of the shutdown.

The restaurant is a family affair, inspired by mother Diya Maharaj and brought to life by her executive chef daughter Vidya (who is also an epidemiologist), with recipes handed down through the family for generations. The family, which includes sons Manni and Dharam, has long studied the health benefits of South Indian vegetarian cuisines, so the menu boasts dishes rich in immune-boosting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

“We’ve been vegetarian our entire lives and have witnessed the evolution of vegetarian cuisine in Miami, as well as the limited selection of Indian cuisine,” said co-owner Dharam Maharaj in a press release. “We wanted to introduce a concept that authentically represented our heritage and offered extensive options for vegetarians and our community — a source for healthy and flavor-forward food.”

On the menu, diners will find appetizers like Tandoori Paneer, beet samosas and fried cauliflower marinated in spices. Entrees include the usual suspects: vegetable biryani rice, malai kofta (fried potato, paneer and veggie balls in a curry cashew sauce); mushroom matar masala and butter paneer (cheese in a tomato cream sauce.) There’s also an Eggplant Nirvana Burger, which you may have tried at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

If you choose, you can douse everything in house-made sauces and chutneys. If you’re really brave, try Scorpion Hot Sauce, which is made from the world’s second hottest chili pepper.

Diya’s pride and joy, however, is the Dosa, a rice pancake made with fermented batter, which takes 12 to 15 hours to make. There are six variations: plain, pizza, masala, tofu scramble, cheese and palak paneer. Don’t know about you, but we plan to try them all.

If you still have room for dessert, try Ras Malai Tres Leches (rice soaked in cardamom); Gulab Jamun (Indian fried donut) or Kashmiri Flan (rosewater custard).

Diya Indian Kitchen

Where: 1766 Bay Road, Miami Beach

Hours: 4-9 p.m., Tueday-Sunday