well i am going to 2 potlucks…one is for work, and the other is for my masjid (ladies night)…my problem is that i dont know what to make/bring!!! im not much of a cook…and i only cook for my hubby and me (plus leftovers)..which means i never cook for more that 4 people…so if you have any recipes or idea please help!
(the work one has to be a paki dish: either appetizer, main dish or dessert…the masjid one could be anything…)
thanking you guys in advance…
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buy some frozen samosas and fry them for the work party :halo:
for masjid you can make something simple like chicken qorma or biryani for let’s say 10-15 people = 5-6 cups of rice.
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samosas wont work...i would have to fry them the night before...since I will be working in the morning of the potluck...and next day oily samosas arent yummy.....
chicken qorma...biryani....thats somthing simple??? ha! i only wish!!
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Make easy dhai barae for one and for the other take a trifle.
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thats a good idea Diva...anyone else? i need all the ideas i could get...
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seekh kabab for office, you can mix everything at night and bake while you will get ready and Zarda for Masjid. It is very easy to make and does not take long time to prepare.
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how about cholay ki chaat 
for office.
You can make it the night before and store it in the fridge.
Biryani is simple Mfs - get shaan sindhi biryani masala and follow the directions but keep it less spicy.
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mfs u can make a dessert in two dishes and can take one to work and the other to masjid,sweet dish like kheer or anything will be easy because u dont have anything to do in the morning than.can make pinapple pudding ,halwa ,kheer,anything u like
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sandwiches,allo cholai,dahi barai are good options too,
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thanks for the ideas guys..i might do the cholay chaat...but here;s a question: doesnt the imli turn bad the next day???? i remember i hated having day old cholay chaat cuz of the imli...
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add the imli chutney and onions before leaving the house. The rest you can prepare and mix the night before. It is usually the pyaaz that goes bad overnight.
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I'm not sure if you'd like to invest in some time consuming stuff. But here's an idea. As I know I can relate to the cooking experience. (first here's a tip. Use ur strengths. And for me baking is one. So go creative with that). So so here's my bit.
This is basically like cutlets, but rather the usual round ones, its stuffed keema inside potatoes.
-take potatoes and boil them in water till they are really soft to touch (approx quantity per ppl say one potato per 1 and a half ppl, 2 potatoes for 3 ppl shud suffice)
-when they are very soft, run them thru cold water. Peel skin!
-mash them to a pulp
-now take some keema (I use 1lb of keema per 5 potatoes)
-pour oil in pot
-1 tsp of crushed garlic and or (1/2 tsp)ginger too
-put keema, fry away
-add bit of garam masala, or whatever spices u like. u can also stick to just black peper and salt too
anyway after the keema is ready set aside to cool.
Take the mashed potatoes make into a little round flat 3 inch roti, take a table spoon of fried keema put in center. Then u fold in the edges of potato and hide the keema. Making the mashed potato into an oval ball with keema inside.
keep on making the small oval shapes of the mashed potato stuffed with keema same way.
-now u can take a big pot/wok pour oil in it
-u need bread crumbs
-beated up 2 eggs
-dip the oval stuffed cutlets into the egg batter and then roll roll into bread crumbs and fry until they are golden brown. Keep on watching the potatoes as they break very easily. U roll them in oil if u see them getting flaky. Don't leave them in the oil to be fried for too long. As soon as they start turning gold keep on rotating them in oil and pop them out, onto a paper towel plate. This stuff will taste even better the next day. U can eat them with any sort of chutni, sauce u like.
U just can microwave them before serving or the better way is to actually warm them up in the oven instead for 30-35 mins at 410 F. Serve them on salad leaves or something.
Really really easy desert idea. (this serves atleast 6 to 8 ppl)
-2 or 3 cans of crushed pineapple
-2 boxes of digestive cookies
-1/2 liter whipping cream carton whipped
crush and crumble the cookies, layer them at the base of a large glass baking dish
-topp the layer evenly with crushed pineapple (don't over crowd)
-now take some sugar mix it in the canned juice of pineapple (according to ur taste of meetha-ness) sprinkle that juice with a tbsp over the pineapple/cookie layer
-top off with whipping cream.
-repeat the similar layer until u run out of space in the baking tray.
U can stick this in a freezer and serve it frozen. Or just chill it in the fridge. U can make this the night before. And just before serving it, top it up with a fresh splash of whipping cream. U can decorate the top of whipping cream with a tsp of crushed cookie crumbs (has to be really fine) just sprinkle with ur hand. or whatever u wish!
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by the way, its always good to have a backup dish incase the recipes u might try out which are new can go wrong 
Wish u best of luck and keep us updated as how it all went. 
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If you are looking for something sweet, then you can make mud pie. It is a layered pie of oreo and custard/pudding.
You can either buy crush oreo cookies or get the regular cookies, remove the cream and crush then in a food processor.
Take 1 bar of philidalphia
1/2 bar of butter (it will be 4 tsps)
2 instant vanilla pudding mix
milk as need (see the back of the pudding mix for the amount of milk) (make sure your milk is cold)
Sugar almost 1/2 cup
Put butter, cheese, and sugar in a large bowl and mix them togather. Then add the pudding mix and cold milk. Blend/mix them till it forms a smooth paste or puddingish texture.
In a plastic pot (you can buy one of those plastic potting pots), layer the crused oreo cookies and the pudding mixture. Just make sure the bottom and the top layer is of cookies and not pudding/custard.
You can garnish it with artifical flowers, gummy worms, etc.
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^my desert involves less work and no worms attached 
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my famous mini cheesecakes(that aren’t really mine):
everyone loves them, I am actually known for them! esepcially my fiance(which makes the recipe ven better since he has good taste)
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hmm...interesting ideas guys...making me hungry...
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My sister makes better :barbie:
:cb: but yeah I agree they are super duper easy. Taste great with fresh fruit kewi esp, strawberries. Or cherry sauce :yummy: U made me hungry for it now :bailan:
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Two recipes to share:
Keema Pastries
For Appetizer: Buy Pepperidge Farm "Puff Pastry Sheets" 1 box would do.
Defrost 4-5 hrs before making the pastries. Make filling....I usually make mine with Keema and little bit of potatoes. Just like how you would make (bhuna hoa keema) It's very simple.
Take keema add a small onion, little bit garlic/ginger paste, shaan keema packet or ghar ka masala, add green mirch (if like) and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Once the keema is cool down, cut the pastry sheets into 3 inche squares, fold it over to make a triangle and add your filling and throw them on a baking sheet/tray and bake on 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Make sure to check often to see you pastries fluff and become golden brown.
Yummy Pastries Ready!!
For Dessert:
Buy "Jello Strawberry Chessecake Mix"
Very very easy just follow directions on box and you can not mess up. It comes with the crust, the jello mix and the strawberry filling. (and Gelatin free)
it's a little bit of hand work (would use hubby here):D but very easy and not to mention very delicious. Every time I've made it my guest ask for the receipe;) and I tell them it's a secret. I guess not anymore.
Hope you will try either one!
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mfs555, just thought of it that Lasagna is another easy one to make. Especially with the precooked lasagna/pasta out there:)
Good Luck and have fun!