Best Indian Party Recipes

Are you planning to throw a party for your friends, and have an Indian Menu on your mind? More often than not, one finds it hard to narrow down to what dishes you would serve - picking out your favorites that will work well with a diverse group is obviously a difficult choice. So here is a sample Indian Party Menu that I have created just for my readers. From Appetizers to Main Course, Sides and Desserts, this is a perfect gathering which will please all your guests, whether Indian or not. Check out what delicacies lie beyond!

Appetizers
Start your meal in a grand style by serving any one or a combination of these appetizers. Paneer Tikka with Mango Dressing is a classic, while for bite-sized appetizers, you can opt for these Paneer & Asparagus Lollipops or these fancy Moong Dal Basket Kachoris. If you want to keep it really simple, opt for something non-traditional, like these Baked Zucchini Fries or Vegetarian Spring Rolls.

Main Course
When it comes to main course, at least one of your dishes has to have Paneer in it - it's a must!! My personal favorites are the Paneer Butter Masala or the quick and easy Saag (Palak) Paneer. Other non-paneer options include Mix Vegetable Korma, or Hyderabadi Baghara Baingan, which will be a big hit with spice-lovers in your group. Choose to serve these with simple Rotis or Parathas, or something fancy like Tandoori Naan, if you like, and have the time to make these at home.

Rice & Dal
For some people, a meal is incomplete without eating Rice. If you have thse people in your group, then opt for something simple like Jeera Rice, served with old-fashioned home-style Toor Dal. However, my recent favorite recipe is Pomegranate Rice Pulao with Pecans - an instant hit, and very easy to make!

Desserts & Sweet Things
Everything must have a sweet end, and does your Menu. For traditional desserts, you can choose to make Rasogulla, Moong-Dal Halwa, or the universal favorite Gulab Jamuns. For summers, Pistachio Ice Cream or Mango Kulfi would be a good choice, or you can go for something really simple and stress-free, like these mini Almond-Mocha Frappes, or a flavored pudding like Coconut Panna Cotta with Berries

Whatever you choose to serve, be sure to cook your food with a happy mood. Because all your emotions will reflect in the final outcome, and result into a happy Meal that everyone will enjoy. Plan ahead of time, so you don't have to do everything on the d-day; most of the curries and desserts can be prepared a day in advance. Hope you like this list of Indian recipes, and may it help you throw an unforgettable party!

If you need more inspiration, check out tonnes of more Indian recipes over at Fun and Food Cafe.

Stuffed Eggplant & Potato - Bharela Ringan Bataka

Traditional recipes have a charm of their own, and though sometimes it can get hard to find some typical ingredients, there can also be some simple yet rustic and authentic recipes which leave an impression, even when using basic ingredients; one such Gujarati recipe is the Bharela Ringan Bateka nu Shaak, which means Stuffed Eggplant and Potato. It uses chinese eggplant and baby potatoes, both stuffed and smothered in tasty and spicy Masala, which renders the unique taste to this dish. Serve it with Rotis or Rotlas, and you are sure to enjoy this Stuffed eggplant recipe - the bst part, you can use the spicy filling for any other kind of vegetable too!

Ingredients
5-6 chinese eggplants (small) - slit into half till the base
5-6 baby potatoes - slit into half till the base
2-3 fresh garlic cloves - chopped
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp dhania-jeeru powder
1 tbsp garam masala

For the Filling
1/2 cup besan flour
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp ginger-green chilies paste
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp amchur powder or lemon juice
salt, sugar - to taste
1 tbsp oil

Method
Wash and cut the eggplants and potatoes into 2 halves. Make a Slit down the middle leaving some room at the end, so that you can stuff the filling inside the vegetables.

Mix all the ingredients listed in the filling together. Stuff each eggplant and potato with this mixture and set aside.

In a wide pan, heat some oil. Wait till it gets quite hot and add the mustard seeds, chilies, curry leaves and the garlic. Add the asafoetida after the garlic sizzles.

Place each eggplant in the pan and gently stir. Sprinkle around 2 tbsp of water on top and cover. Cook on medium heat until done, around 15-20 minutes. Do stir in between to make sure all the sides get cooked evenly. Garnish with chopped Cilantro leaves and serve hot.

Shahi Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum Aloo, also known as Aloo Dum Pukht, is a favored Indian Curry recipe that you often get to see on many restaurant menus, and this home-made Shahi variation is nothing less! Who doesn't like potatoes? especially when they are baby potatoes simmered in creamy & aromatic gravy made with almonds and cashews and flavored with traditional Indian spices! What makes this recipe different and special is the choice of onions, yogurt, tamarind, almonds and cashews as a base for the gravy. With aromatic spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, and addition of some milk and cream to add a richness to the recipe, the resulting Shahi Dum Aloo was a wonderful treat for our family. B actually liked it better than the Malai Koftas, which means I actually scored a victory with this make-as-you-go recipe venture!

Ingredients
8-10 baby potatoes
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 mid-size onion
4 tbsp yogurt (plain, not sour)
2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tbsps almond-cashewnut paste
** soak the nuts in water, then remove skin and blend to a paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhania powder (dry coriander powder)
1/2 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
2 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp fennel powder (saunf)
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp dry ginger powder
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
salt and lemon juice - to taste
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp fresh cream
fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Method
Skin the onions and blanch them in hot water for 3 mins, then puree them to form a paste. Make a paste from the blanched almonds and cashews and keep aside.

Take 2 tbsp yogurt, add the tamarind paste, fennel powder, red-chilli powder, ginger powder, cardamom powder and sugar to it, and beat it well to form a smooth blend. Keep aside.

Boil the potatoes in a microwave or a pressure-cooker, taking care not to over-cook them. Just microwave till tender, but not mashable. Take a toothpick, and poke some holes into the baby potatoes, then keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the bay leaf and the cloves, then add the onion paste and saute till light-brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 3 minutes. Add all the dry spices (masalas) and roast for anther 2 mins. Finally add the almond-cashew paste and roast for another 5 mins.

Add the tomato puree, the yogurt-tamaring blend, crushed kasuri methi, and salt. Stir and let it simmer for some time. Then cover with a lid, and let it cook on medium flame for another 10 mins, till the curry becomes think and everything blends well to form a smooth texture.

Add the baby potatoes, lower the flame, and and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp milk or whipping cream, and allow the potatoes to be cooked entirely. They will also suck up some of the flavor from the curry and spices, thanks to the holes you poked them with!

Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream if you like. Throw some more chopped nuts and raisins on the top. Serve the delicious Shahi Dum Aloo with any bread of your choice, pulao or simply jeera rice.

Related Recipes:
Paneer Butter Masala
Lauki Koftas in Almond Gravy
Bhindi Masala with Peanuts & Coconut

Related Tags
indian-gravies, potatoes, parathas, nuts

Khasta (Raj) Kachori - Indian Chaat Dish

One of my best foodie memories of my hometown is waiting in line for a 3 rupees Khasta Kachori in a small 4 ft x 4 ft roadside food stall so I could satiate my craving for a spicy & tangy indian chaat!! Khasta Kachori, also known as Raj Kachori or Daal Kachori is a popular street-food in India. "Khasta" actually means "flaky", so this is essentially a flat disc-shaped kachori which is filled with a delicious moong dal mixture, then deep fried, and later stufed with potatoes, sev, onions and chutneys. Next to sev-puri, this is my favorite chaat, and once you try it, I bet it will become your favorite too!

Sia asked for Street Food for this edition of Coffee's MBP, and I finally got a chance to try my hand at Richa's Khasta Kachori recipe, which I had bookmarked for quite some time now. I followed her recipe to a large extent, except that I added moong dal to the filling, and used all-purpose flour for the crust. I also modified a few spices according to my taste. It looks intimidating at first, but is not that tough. With a little help from my cousin, I was able to make my Khasta Kachori; they didn't puff up as much as Richa's, but it tasted great and we absolutely loved it!! Its totally worth the effort! Believe me, this is definitely something you'd NOT want to miss!!

Ingredients

For the Crust
2 cups plain flour (maida)
1/4 cup ghee - melted
1/4 tsp soda (fruit salt)
1/2 tspn salt
about 1 cup warm water (approx) - to knead the dough

For the Filling
1/2 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
1 tspn cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tspn asafoetida
1 tspn ginger-green chilli paste
1 tspn chilli powder
1 tspn garam masala
1 tbsp amchur powder(dry mango powder)
2 tbsp Bengal gram flour (besan)
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste

To Serve
green cilantro chutney
khajur-imli chutney
thin yogurt
boiled potatoes - chopped finely
onions - chopped finely
chopped coriander
thin sev

Method

Make the Dough for the Crust
Mix all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough by using a little water at a time. Knead properly for at least 5 to 7 minutes, but keep it hard and firm. Remember, it should be harder than regular chapati flour, as the kachoris need to be thick and flaky. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and leave for 30 mins.

Make the Filling
Soak the moong dal in water for at least 6 hours. Then drain the water and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the jeera and asafoetida. When the seeds crackle put the soaked and drained moong dal and fry for a few seconds.

Add the green chilli-ginger paste, chilli powder, garam masala, gram flour, amchur and salt. Stir for 5-7 minutes till all the masalas are cooked properly. Pulse this mixture in a food processor to form a coarse-to-fine powder. Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts and shape each part into a ball.

Make the Kachori
Divide the dough into 12 parts. Take each part, roll into a circle of 2" diameter. Add the mixture to the center, then roll the dough over it to cover the filling. Pinch the ends together, then roll it out again gingerly to make a 2 " disc. Make sure that the filling does not spill out.

Lightly press the centre of the kachori with a thumb. Now deep fry them in hot oil over a slow flame till they puff up and turn golden brown on both sides. Drain on a tissue paper and keep aside.

Assemble the Kachori
Keep one kachori on a plate and a crack a hole in the centre of it. Fill it with 3 to 4 tbsp of the beaten yogurt. Add the chopped potatoes and onions, then drizzle with the green chutney, tamarind chutney, and chopped coriander. Sprinkle the sev on top.

Serve this delicious Khasta Kachori as a perfect evening snack, serve two of these and you are pretty much done with dinner! Hope you enjoy this kachori chaat as much as we did!

Related Recipes:
Hot & Spicy Samosas
Mix Dal Vadas
Sev Usal Chaat

Paneer Butter Masala - Restaurant Style Recipe

I can eat Paneer Butter Masala almost every day, but this saturday, our cravings were at a peak-time high as there was light rain outside. Everyone knows I just love Paneer Recipes, and this weekend I decided to make the eternal favorite Paneer Butter Masala, that velvetty-smooth gravy that has all the goodness of indian spices combined with cubes of cottage cheese and garnished with cream and coriander! Now do I have your attention??! Paneer Butter Masala is similar to other paneer gravies, except that as the name implies, it is more rich due to butter and the gravy is thickened by using onions, tomatoes and cashew paste rather than just cream. You cannot go wrong with this, try it for yourself and see!

Believe me, paneer is such a versatile ingredient in Indian cooking, you could make an entire meal using just this, right from appetizers to main course to dessert! Hey maybe they should choose paneer as the next secret ingredient for Iron Chef!:) Till then, try this mouth-watering recipe (adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's cookbook) at home and enjoy its taste as it lingers on your tongue and your senses!

Ingredients
3 big tomatoes - pureed
250 gms paneer - cubed
2 big onions
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
3 tbsps cashewnut paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhania powder (dry coriander powder)
1/2 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp tandoori masala (optional for color)
2 tsp garam masala powder
salt and lemon juice - to taste
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp fresh cream
fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Method
Skin the onions and blanch them in hot water for 3 mins, then ouree them to form a paste. Do the same with tomaotes, unless you are using tomato puree directly.

Take 1 tbsp of ghee, heat in a pan for 2 mins, the saute the paneer cubes in it till golden brown; Now take 1 cup hot water, add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder to it and immerse the paneer cubes in it for 10-12 mins. Then remove the pieces, drain them on a tissue paper and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a pan, add the bay leaf and the cloves, then add the onion paste and saute till light-brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 3 minutes. Add chilli powder, followed by the cashew paste and fry for 5 mins.

Add tomato puree, crushed kasuri methi,coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Stir and let it simmer for some time.

Add the paneer cubes and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add a small cup of water and let it cook on medium heat till you get the desired curry consistency. Remove from fire, stir in remaining butter and fresh cream.

Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve the Paneer Butter Masala with any bread of your choice, pulao or simply jeera rice.

More Paneer Recipes:
Savoury Muffins with Paneer and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Achari Paneer Tikka Wraps
Paneer and Ajwain Paratha
Shahi Paneer
Spicy Chilli Paneer