Pani Indian Kitchen is an Indian restaurant in Grand Cayman, on the Crescent in Camana Bay, serving curries, kebabs, biryanis and tandoor-baked naan for lunch and dinner. Book a table through its Bite Club listing, or order Indian food delivery through Let’s Eat. It’s also a Bite Club partner, so dining in earns points.
It’s where to go when someone says “I could murder a curry” and means it.
What Pani Indian Kitchen serves
The menu on Pani’s Bite Club listing has eight sections: starters, curries, kebabs, vegetarian, chips and curry, biryanis, naan and desserts. The curries and vegetarian dishes come with basmati rice.
Starters
The starters lean towards street food. Samosa chaat fills crisp puri with spiced potato, onion and chickpeas. Chicken 65 is chilli and curry leaf marinated chicken bites with mint chutney.
Onion bhaji, paneer pakoras, vegetable and beef samosas, fried calamari and black pepper prawns fill out the list.
Curries, built your way
The curry section works in steps: choose the curry, pick a protein, then decide how spicy. The sauces run from korma (cashew and coconut) up to vindaloo and the fiery Mirch Masala, with saag, tikka masala, coconut curry and rogan josh in between.
Proteins are vegetarian, paneer, chicken, lamb, shrimp or beef. Pani’s own listing files chicken tikka masala under the “modern” classics made famous in the UK, and Britannica on chicken tikka masala notes a British foreign secretary once called it a “true British national dish”.
Kebabs, biryanis and naan
The kebabs are chicken tikka, mint chicken tikka, lamb with garlic, ginger and roasted cumin, and tandoori prawn. Biryani is basmati stir-fried with ginger, garlic, onions and whole spices, served with raita.
Naan is baked fresh in a tandoor, in butter, garlic and Peshawari versions, with roti too. Britannica’s entry on naan explains the trick: the dough is pressed against the inside of the hot clay oven.
Vegetarian dishes, chips and curry, and dessert
Vegetarians get a full section of their own, with dal makhani, palak paneer, mushroom masala, aloo gobi, chana masala and matar paneer.
Then there’s chips and curry: crisp fries topped with tikka masala, vindaloo or Mirch Masala sauce, with protein as an extra. It may be the most British dish on the menu, and that’s with the tikka masala in the running.
Desserts are gulab jamun in rosewater syrup, cardamom rice pudding and mango cheesecake.
Dine in or delivery: how to order from Pani
Pani opens at 11:30am every day and stays open until 9pm from Sunday to Thursday, and until 10pm on Friday and Saturday. You can book a table through its Bite Club listing. Brunch also runs from 11:30am to 2:30pm on Saturdays.
For an Indian takeaway in the Cayman Islands without leaving the sofa, Pani delivers through Let’s Eat.
Thali lunch and Thali Dinner Night
The Thali lunch runs Monday to Friday from 11:30am to 3pm, with several small “Indian tapas” dishes, fresh naan and basmati rice. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm, Thali Dinner Night is an Indian feast for two.
What to order if you’re new to the menu
Start with samosa chaat and onion bhaji for the table. For a main, chicken tikka masala or korma at mild or medium is the gentle way in, and lamb rogan josh is a good next step. Vegetarians can start with palak paneer or chana masala. Then add a garlic naan, because nobody in history has regretted a garlic naan.
Spice levels and how to ask for them
The curries come in four strengths: mild, medium, spicy and extra spicy, and you choose one when you order. The vegetarian dishes offer the same four levels.
The menu flags the spicier dishes, including vindaloo, black pepper prawns and tandoori prawn, and the Mirch Masala isn’t available mild at all. If you’re unsure, order medium and keep the raita close.
The menu also marks vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and nut dishes. The korma, for one, is made with cashew.
Book a table at Pani
Next time curry wins the vote, book a table at Pani or order through Let’s Eat for a night in. For more ideas, our guide to the best Indian, Thai and Asian food in Grand Cayman has a wider view.
Pani Indian Kitchen: common questions
Where is Pani Indian Kitchen in Grand Cayman?
In Camana Bay, on the Crescent. Camana Bay’s directory gives the address, 50 Market Street.
Does Pani Indian Kitchen deliver?
Yes. Delivery runs through the Let’s Eat app.
Can you choose the spice level at Pani?
Yes. Curries and vegetarian dishes come mild, medium, spicy or extra spicy, though the Mirch Masala isn’t available mild.
Does Pani have vegetarian and vegan options?
Yes. There’s a dedicated vegetarian section, and the menu marks vegan dishes such as aloo gobi and chana masala.
