So how should one proceed for an inexpensive desi dawat. One idea is to use regular plates instead of paper plates. Then there are inexpensive menu items such as Haleem, what ideas do you have?
Re: Inexpensive Desi Dawat
explain what you mean by inexpensive desi dawat. Haleem requires alot of ingredients that I feel definitely doesnt come in the inexpensive category. Hence I asked to please explain what you mean by inexpensive.
how many guests are you talking about?
Re: Inexpensive Desi Dawat
Dawat literally means ‘invitation’. I don’t know why ‘desis’ have turned simple lunch and dinner invitation into banquet gatherings where you must have numbers of random dishes on the table. I strongly oppose this culture.
I’m more than happy to cook and just have one simple, good main course on my ‘dawats’ than putting a painstakingly all perfect and all pleasing menu. That’s not my style of entertaining, and I don’t think I need to apologise for that.
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Jolie, you dont need to apologize at all for you believe in what you feel is best way of honouring your guests.
For many out there , including me, we feel a dawat is more like a food party because food is one of the most enjoyable elements in a halal party 
I dont believe in going overboard, but there has to be a difference between just a meal and a dawat. Hence why many of us make so much effort into putting together a pleasing menu and food.
Re: Inexpensive Desi Dawat
Eastern, I have been thinking about your post and even though I am waiting to know more details I will share a bit I can think of.
In less ingredient dishes you have the korma style dish. Aloo anda korma, chicken korma, daal korma style
you can include foods with more gravy , It can become very economical that way. For example , koftay
In particular for a desi dawat, I once put together : chicken korma + pea pulao + aloo bhujia and veggie cutlets and fruit trifle for the dessert. It was the bare minimum but was enjoyable.
Re: Inexpensive Desi Dawat
The most inexpensive dawats I have had, have included chicken biryani because it has saved me money on naan and goat meat.
Nihari end up being pretty easy and inexpensive if you use beef and not goat, as it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and is a mainly gravy item. However, it ends up costing a bit more than biryani b/c u have to purchase naan.
I also do shami kabob instead of chapli kabob for a dry/gravy-free item if I am trying to be frugal.
Fried rice is another one that doesn’t require a lot of meat, which is the most expensive grocery item usually.
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Ohhh and I add potatoes to any dish, where appropriate, if i feel that there isn’t enough meat/botis. Ex: biryani, curry, etc
I also go for aloo kabobs/tikki if I don’t have other ingredients for shame kabob or want to make it very inexpensive.
For appetizer, I do channa chaat instead of samosas, etc.
Sooooo… here is what my inexpensive menu looks like
Appetizer: Chana chaat
Dry item: Aloo tikki OR Chicken Shami Kabob
Vegetarian option: Daal/Kadhi/any veggie of my choice
Rice item: Biryani or Fried RIce
Curry: Usually skip it to avoid ordering naan
Dessert: usually inexpensive to make anyways so I go all out.
My usually dawats are based on time/convenience more than cost so I make more simplistic items.
However, Hubby helps decide the menu so I do not go overboard on price.
Re: Inexpensive Desi Dawat
Haleem works out cheaper as the quantity of beef used is low and dal is less expensive. Usually there are about 10 families which accounts for about 40-45 people including kids. But even if there are less people budget is always a concern especially when one lives in a community where there are dawats all the time.
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I totally agree, but first Dawat is the generic term used for parties mostly in the US by the Pakistani community. And yes, unfortunately people don’t visit each other unless there are lots of dishes on the table. But then again, a lot of people including myself, like to socialize and it gives my kids a chance to get together with their friends and get exposed to other Muslims as well. E.g. If prayer time happens during a party everyone prays namaz/ salat and my kids see that we are not the only crazy people doing it but there are his friends’ families too who do the same.
However, budget constraints become real as well. I am guilty of putting quite a spread on the table as I like to cook. Recently I was compiling a list and found that I have about 70 families to invite over a course of time.
You don’t need to apologize, the last state I lived in, we did have impromptu dawats like that with close friends but not here. Everyone is different.
Re: Inexpensive Desi Dawat
Good advice.
QUOTE=Chicken Biryani;10025067]Eastern, I have been thinking about your post and even though I am waiting to know more details I will share a bit I can think of.
In less ingredient dishes you have the korma style dish. Aloo anda korma, chicken korma, daal korma style
you can include foods with more gravy , It can become very economical that way. For example , koftay
Thanks, I do use chicken a lot, and never goat as we don’t eat much mutton at home either. DH doesn’t like traditional dishes like palo / pilaf and kabobs to be made with chicken so that definitely limits some choices. I use chicken leg quarters for salan at home and dawats as that works out cheaper and a beef gravy dish to even it out. I tried veggie cutlets once but they turned out awful. But you give me a good idea to try potato kebabs maybe the next time.
In particular for a desi dawat, I once put together : chicken korma + pea pulao + aloo bhujia and veggie cutlets and fruit trifle for the dessert. It was the bare minimum but was enjoyable.
[/QUOTE]
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Great idea about Aalto tiki, can u post a recipe. Give me some ideas for inexpensive desserts. I am known for my desserts and they get quite expensive. Suji halwa also works out cheap as well as cakes from boxed cake mixes.
Homemade cakes or desserts are inexpensive but you have to make the initial investment of flour, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, butter, cocoa powder.
I buy butter on sale and freeze it. Sometimes I go 4 months without buying butter but still making desserts.
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A single dish meat dawat > 4 dishes of good veg food
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When I am trying to make a dawat inexpensive, I use the nashta menu.
Breakfast aloo
Cholay
Halwa
Qeema
Omelet
Puri or Parathay
Everyone loves desi nashta anytime of the day!
Other than that, my dawats consist of food that is primarily simple in nature and I am one of those people that enjoys a streamlined menu. So I’ll do a spread with cuisine from the same family or make the main dish…the main dish. I don’t like too much variety in a menu.
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I usually boil the potatoes and semi-mash them (don’t turn them into a paste/fluffy… it has to be moldable). the texture is hard to describe but it has to be right for them to not taste bland.
I then add cilantro, green chillies, chopped onions, coriander powder, turmeric power, red chillie powder, and salt. I taste it to make sure everything is balanced.
I make them into kabob shapes, coat them with suji, dip them into egg and fry.
Sorry, I do not have the amounts because I guestimate it each time.
P.S. Some people add peas to it but I don’t like them with it so I don’t.
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Ok I’m curious, what are “expensive” dishes and desserts?
I’ve never really thrown a davat, but I imagine when you do different cuisines all at once, that could get pricey… (aka, I once had biryani, butter chicken lasagna and roast veggies and salad on the menu plus a cake).
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^ If you do kabobs, they could get pricey… as you need a lot more meat than u would in a curry dish.
Ex: seekh kabob or goat boryani would end up being more expensive than chicken biryani or tandoori chicken.
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Most baked goods run cheap. Fruit trifles, most halwas, kheer, custard, pudding, falooda are fairy inexpensive also in my opinion.
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i think we all need to lose weight
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Kam Kharch Baalaa Nasheen Menu:
Daal, roTii, sabzii, chaawal and guR waale chaawal…
…pure desii da’wat!