I need to plan a desi menu for a party of 9 people for Saturday night.
I need suggestions for menu, recipes and quantities!
I suck at quantities, ya to bohot zyada ya bohot kam! In pounds though.
I was thinking of
Saag Keema
Roti
Zeera rice or bagharay chaval
What else???
hey PS is it ur frst time throwin a prty after marriage.. if yes, welcomeeeee to post marriage hospitality :D i know it can b nerve racking! anyway if its a proper dawat pls do change ur menu and put items that majority will like + formal. deffo have biryani on list then maybe korma/kadhai, one fried dish and one veggie dish. lil bit of everythin will ensure ppl can have either of the dishes... so sorry cant help u wid quantities.. thot ill just help u with the menu. :) do make custard fruit trifle as its the easiest desert u can make.
Re: HELP!
Thank you mall!!!!!!!!!
Im not very good at biryani or maybe I dont want to experiment at a davat?
I usually have time to plan and can come up with a decent menu but I dont have much time now. :( Im coming across a roadblock!
oh boy thaz a toughie! cus the items u mentioned are ordinary.. as in cooked for the ghar ke loog.. u know wot i mean. but it its a proper dawat then u gotta have atleast one major dish somethin like biryani or kadhai but since u dunno how to make biryani for a dawat.. which is understable cus it takes time to know the proper measurements and all.
may i ask wots the occassion and whos comin? i mean is it just get together or somethin special? can someone help you in cookin? or cud u ask the guests what they wud like to eat etc? uhhhh.. maybe the last qs will put u in trouble, considerin they can give u a list of all dawat type items which wil b a bit diffcult for u.. ummm..... cud u order food from outside??? wot do u cook best? maybe u cud choose somethin from those items??
Re: HELP!
Okay, how about
Karhai chicken
I found this recipe posted by RV a few months ago:
I’ve cooked it several times and it’s a success at home. It’s very convenient to make on those days when you have many things to get done and don’t have the time for peeling and chopping. I got this recipe from a Shahzad Husain cook book. And I’ve pasted it below. I tend to use more tomato paste because I like more curry/gravy with my chicken. I’ve also made this recipe using regular yogurt and it turns out great. BUT…not too long ago, I tried making it with **Greek-style yogurt **(easily found from local grocery store) and it gave a richer texture to the gravy. Greek-style yogurt is more creamier, tangier, thicker, and healthier than the reg yogurt. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, blend the tomato paste, yougurt, garam masala, chilli powder, garlic, mango chutney, salt and sugar. Heat the oil in a kahari. Lower the heat slightly and pour the spice mixture. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken pieces and stir until they are well coated. Add the water to thin the sauce slightly. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Finally, add the fresh chillies, cilantro and cream, and cook for a further 2 min until the chicken is cooked through.
(The end result looks a bit like butter chicken/chicken tikka masala with a reddish-orange creamy gravy).
oh boy thaz a toughie! cus the items u mentioned are ordinary.. as in cooked for the ghar ke loog.. u know wot i mean. but it its a proper dawat then u gotta have atleast one major dish somethin like biryani or kadhai but since u dunno how to make biryani for a dawat.. which is understable cus it takes time to know the proper measurements and all. may i ask wots the occassion and whos comin? i mean is it just get together or somethin special? can someone help you in cookin? or cud u ask the guests what they wud like to eat etc? uhhhh.. maybe the last qs will put u in trouble, considerin they can give u a list of all dawat type items which wil b a bit diffcult for u.. ummm..... cud u order food from outside??? wot do u cook best? maybe u cud choose somethin from those items??
Its not my first davat BUT I have to cook well. :( Its family friends and basically meant to be a dinner party.
Karhai chicken
Saag Keema
Veggie dish: bhindi or what else is formal?
One more thing
Rice
Raita
Naan
Dessert: Hawaiian salad
Yes? No?
Whenever I cook for 9 people I end up cooking alot more than I need but personally I like it that way...
Chicken Karahi (1 chicken- about 3lbs)
Chaney (2 small cans)
Carrots, peas and Aalo (love this)
Kofte or Seekh Kababs (13 or 14 kofte)
Vegetable Rice (3 cups)
Naan (get Tandoori Naans from Trader Joe's) best naans ever
Raita
Chutneys
Dessert: If you wanna make something different try pecan bars..they are soo good
Its not my first davat BUT I have to cook well. :( Its family friends and basically meant to be a dinner party.
Karhai chicken
Saag Keema
Veggie dish: bhindi or what else is formal?
One more thing
Rice
Raita
Naan
Dessert: Hawaiian salad
Yes? No?
karhai chicken is gud!! do make that... i was wonderin if u cud just make bhunawa keema rather than saag keema.. sorry neva heard of it. but yeah bhunwa keema sounds gud enuff and formal too... if u cant make that then saag k sath hi sahi. for veggie i think its safer to go with mixed (mili sabzi) rather than just one. if not then bhindi is fine too. how do u make bhindi? fried rite? or with tomatoes? i think fried wud b more appropriate for dawat. for rice can u make meat pulao?? thats gud for dawat too in place of biryani. when i have guests i definitely make 4-5 dishes. its so nice to see the table all set up with variety and its gud for me too cus lil bit is always left for us to eat for 2 days atleast!!
another suggestion y dun u make pasta also? its easy and its ALWAYS a hit!!! as it is the menu is desi so add a nice pasta dish to give a twist. raita, salad can b the usual. for desert i dnno wot it hawain salad? isnt it supposed to b a salad?? :S
Re: HELP!
Do whatever but dont have Nihari, Haleem or Paa'ye in the menu. Those are stand alone items and in good old Karachi, people used to invite friends just for Nihari dawat, Haleem Dawat or Paa'ye Dawat ... now I see people serve Biryani, qorma and nihari on the same table. I want to say it honestly, it hurts my feelings. Its against the traditional desi culinary mannerism, seriously :(
agree with TLK bhai.. but bhai, nihari hai toh badi dish but thori si ordinary mein bhi asakti hia isliye i think its alrite to have nihari if u make other dishes but haleem and paye ke sath, i agree these 2 are stand alone items :)
Whenever I cook for 9 people I end up cooking alot more than I need but personally I like it that way...
Chicken Karahi (1 chicken- about 3lbs) Chaney (2 small cans) Carrots, peas and Aalo (love this) Kofte or Seekh Kababs (13 or 14 kofte)
Vegetable Rice (3 cups) Naan (get Tandoori Naans from Trader Joe's) best naans ever Raita Chutneys
Dessert: If you wanna make something different try pecan bars..they are soo good
THis is actually pretty decent.
How would you suggest making chaney? Like chaney ka salan?
Can you tell me how to make Veggie Rice?
I will check out Trader Joe's Tandoori Naans for sure.
karhai chicken is gud!! do make that... i was wonderin if u cud just make bhunawa keema rather than saag keema.. sorry neva heard of it. but yeah bhunwa keema sounds gud enuff and formal too... if u cant make that then saag k sath hi sahi. for veggie i think its safer to go with mixed (mili sabzi) rather than just one. if not then bhindi is fine too. how do u make bhindi? fried rite? or with tomatoes? i think fried wud b more appropriate for dawat. for rice can u make meat pulao?? thats gud for dawat too in place of biryani. when i have guests i definitely make 4-5 dishes. its so nice to see the table all set up with variety and its gud for me too cus lil bit is always left for us to eat for 2 days atleast!! another suggestion y dun u make pasta also? its easy and its ALWAYS a hit!!! as it is the menu is desi so add a nice pasta dish to give a twist. raita, salad can b the usual. for desert i dnno wot it hawain salad? isnt it supposed to b a salad?? :S
Fried bhindi with tomatoes, yup! Bhuna huwa qeema sounds really good, like dam ka qeema? Tell me how to make this?
So,
Bhuna huwa qeema
Karhai chicken
Bhindi
Rice
Raita
Salad
Naan
Hawaiian Salad: whip cream and crushed pineapple
Mall, in Karachi .. we have restaurants that are dedicated only to Nihari .. plus Nihari, Paa'ye and Haleem are not eaten with Rice .. only with naan/roti .. while every other salan can be mixed with rice dish. I have attended many Nihari only Dawats in Karachi.
Re: HELP!
jee jee TLK i know karachi mein aise hi hota hia. i was just sayin in defence of ladies who make nihari for dawats in addition to other dishes. :)
Fried bhindi with tomatoes, yup! Bhuna huwa qeema sounds really good, like dam ka qeema? Tell me how to make this?
So,
Bhuna huwa qeema
Karhai chicken
Bhindi
Rice
Raita
Salad
Naan
Hawaiian Salad: whip cream and crushed pineapple
gud so we r on the rite track :) u cn make either bhunawa aur dam (koalay ka) keema. bhunawa has nothin special.. same way make keema with tomatoes and spices etc and just bhunafy it but with dam ka keema just add a Hot coal (on silver foil) and put it on keema. make sure to add ghee or oil on the hot coal and then put the lid on the pateeli and let the aroma of coal absorb in keema.
for rice u can make veg biryani aur veg pulao if u like. if ure comfy with pulao make that instead of biryani. thaz 4 dishes in total.. r u any gud in pasta???? thatll make it 5 then!
Re: HELP!
Mall, thank you girly so much! You are a gem! I was flipping out but I THINK I have it now:
Karhai chicken
Dam ka qeema - I will use the coal technique you described.
Bhindi fry
Matar pulao
I do have pasta at home and might just throw that in the mix too...Ive got spaghetti...suggestions?
OH and I was asked to make my chicken salad sandwiches so those will be on the table too.
Dessert will be a big Hawaiian salad with pineapple, mixed fruits in whip cream with walnuts.
Raita
Naan
Salad
Does that look okay?
Btw, the quantities for 9 people ended up being around 4 -5 pounds of meat or chicken.
PS,
the quantity for chicken and meat will be that large only if you are serving one or two dishes but do reduce the quantity a little bit if you have more dishes.
You will cook less of each if there are more dishes...
Re: HELP!
Anyone know of any good qorma/korma recipes? I need to make it with chicken.
Also, can someone tell me how to convert grams to pounds...I am not good at converting.
I just realized the Karhai and dam ka qeema together are both dry dishes...I should have one salan right?
Re: HELP!
I found Mostar's recipe for Qorma...looks good but how on earth do I find out how many onions is 750 grams of onions???
Take 750 grams onion, slice it thinly and fry till light brown in 2 cups of oil.
Separate the fried onion from the oild and grind it and make a mix of it with 200 grams of yougurt.
Put following garam masala in the hot oil (make it hot again after separating the onion)
Zeera, Kali Mirch, Long, few sufeed illachies and tezpat. Fry for few seconds.
Now put 4 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste in the hot oil , stir fry it quickly for 10-15 seconds and mix it thoroughly with the oil. Then put 1 Kg beef or mutton and mix it thoroughly with the mix. Now put following masala in it
Lal mirch (ground) 2 tablespoon
Dhanyia (ground) 2 tablespoon
Zeera(ground) 1 teaspoon
Qorma aroma masala mix 1 tablespoon ( mix of jaeful, jawatri, sufeed illachi and zeera)
Stir fry quickly for 8-10 minutes till oil separates. Put 50 grams of yougurt.
Then put water in appropriate quantity (that it covers the meat)
Simmer it till the meat is tender and most of the water evaporates.
Then put the yougurt and onion paste in it and put some kewra water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Qorma is ready.
Re: HELP!
The thought of saag keema is rupulsive (sorry!)
Saag is such a strong flavour/dish initself that it will overpower anything added to it.
Saag really needs to be served alone - with makaii roti
Re: HELP!
Hi Reha , if you want an easy dish which cannot go wrong ... then do this :
In a blender , add three onions chopped, one and a half teaspoon ginger and garlic paste each .... 6-7 green chillies , salt to taste , red chilli just one teaspoon, garam masala one and a half teaspoon, half cup water .... blend into a fine paste ..
Then heat a pot, pour some oil in , let it get hot , then add this blended mixture, chicken and half a cup of double cream , mix well .... then cover it, leave it on the lowest of heat and let it be for a good 45 minutes .... this dish is really easy but you got to cook it simmering .... just mix it every 15 minutes and make sure its not left uncovered .
When the chicken is done, heat up a coal peice ...put the coal in a cup, place it in the middle of the pot, pour a bit of oil on the coal and cover immediately, turn off the fire under the pot...and dont uncover the dish until the next half hour .........
Its done ... its called Chicken BBQ or chicken kasturi.