Sara, if you're looking for a barbecue type item then why not do Tandoori chicken? It's super easy/fast and sooo yummy. I can send a recipe your way if you want.
Would I need a BBQ/grill for it? i know it sounds like a DAH!Q but i can only use stove.cant use the oven, no toaster-oven. =// but still...send it on over..
You can make kebabs a week in advance and freeze them, I make mine and freeze fortnightly and they go really fast.
Raita depends what kind of Raita you are making, If you are just whipping up yogurt with smoked zeera than you can smoke and crush zeera a day or week in advance and keep it in an air tight container and add it to the yogurt on the day.
For the Biryani, you can make the base a day before, just the salan part of it. Then on the day of actual dinner party boil fresh rice and add the base to it with all the garnishings.
Opt out of the Mash ki Daal unless you have a Pressure Cooker.
The Chicken salan you can make on the day since chicken doesnt take that long to cook.
So frozen kababs are only okay for a week?
The kind of raita i have in mind (that my mom makes for us) has boondi/choti pakoriyan in it with onions and tomatoes... come to think of it, my bhabhi makes it really well...
I want to swap the mash ki daal for alloo gobi. Is it okay to chop gobi and peel/chop potatoes and leave em in the fridge? If so, for how long? I'm assuming potatoes and gobi won't fare as well as chopped onions and tomatoes? I will make that one day in advance, as well as the chicken makhni.
It looks like the only fresh things will be the biryani and salad/raita.........