What menu items would you choose? and how would you manage the cooking and preparation step by step?
Two hours include the cooking , preparation and all the tablesetting etc .
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
two hours only? 
- daal
- chaawal
- chapaati [as a treat]
- guR waale chaawal [Rasaaval] for dessert
- pakauRe as appetizer
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
Pilau- peas or channey
Chicken or meat Salan, I normally have some masala ready made in fridge or freezer for emergencies.
Fried fish or roast chicken
Chicken kebabs or shami kebabs which I normally have in freezer.
Then usual raita, salad, bean salad.
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
all that in just 2 hours…make sure you have help from a JIN. 
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
1- achar gosht (in pressure cooker)
2- zere wala chawal
3- Deep fry chicken breast pc with masala and bread crumbs over it.
4- creme caramel and bread dessert
5- raita
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
She mentioned she has stuff ready in the freezer..so 2hrs are enough.
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
i would phone a restaurant
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
Another menu
1- chicken karahi
2- fish fillet
3- plain rice
4- fruit custard
5- raita
6- a simple salad
While chicken karahi is cooking I would soak rice in warm water, marinate the fish fillet and make fruit custard as custard has to be chilled.(40 minutes)
Next I would boil water for rice and make the raita. Once its boiled I would put the rice to cook and make the salad in that time.(20 minutes)
I would set the table then (10 minutes)
Next I would shallow fry the fillet and garnish the custard(15 minutes)
Now I have 35 minutes to freshen up and do bukhor in the house
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
I always have boiled beans can so will make bean salad, koftas and kebabs are also present in my freezer so I will make kofta salan and chicken karahai, it just, I always have mixed vegies in my freezer so mix vegie pilau and huby will bring naan, will serve brownie in dessert ( the jhat pat microwave one which takes 2 min)
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
If it was at tea I would make:
1- fruit chat
2- chana chat
3- cutlets
4- cheese samosas
5- cheese sticks
6- bite-sized microwave pizza replicas(using samoli)
7- Dahi barey
8- custard
9- tea, coffee, qahwa
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
2 hours is quite a bit of time if you have all the ingredients available and a pressure cooker handy…
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
Boneless Chicken Karahi
Shami Kababs - frozen of course
Sabzi of some sort
Fish
Daal
Saday or baghar walay chawal
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
I hope you are making pakoray in a 2 hr dawat and not expecting your wife or bhabhi along with chapati and ghurr walay chawal.
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
If the usual life-saver ingredients are at home, then it shouldn’t be too hard. I can whip up a chana chaat very quickly and we usually have cookies and mixed nuts in the pantry, so I can serve these things as starters. We also tend to keep premade frozen kababs and an assortment of rotiyan, so that knocks out two items from the main course. A chicken ka salan can be made in a fairly short amount of time and since frozen spinach is generally on hand, a palak ka salan can be made too. Not a fan of rice, but maybe chanay ya matar walay chawal. For dessert, if we have ice cream, I’ll serve it with some cut fruit.
Depending on who my guests are, I may even skip the meat kababs and do aloo ki tikkiyan which are easy to make and pair very well with a freshly made chanay ki daal with a mean tarka. I could still keep the chicken ka salan…and maybe omit rice all together. In either menu, I’d keep salad and raita as they’re easy to make. Actually, I like the second menu better because it’s not labor intensive, allowing me time to clean and do other things, and I’m comfortable with the dishes.
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
Don’t mind LP’s tea, but if these are what you call dawat, please don’t invite me.
2 hour dawat is easily doable.
biryani, seekh kebab keema, maash daal or mixed sabzi, and condiments. done!
the only part thats difficult is, having all the ingredients on hand like muzna said. otherwise… shouldnt be an issue.
Why not ? Are tge menus too simple or too much.for you ?
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
aloo ghost ka salan
pulao
daal chawal or daal & chappati
russian salad
sooji halwa
potato cutlets
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
If I had just two hours I’d minimize the number of dishes and focus on making one main dish. Moussaka is a great option because it’s very filling on it’s own. I usually pair it with a greek salad, soup and garlic bread (store bought), and make a quick fruit custard or just brownies and ice cream.
Another dish I love making is pav bhaji, an indian street food. Pair it with a simple appetizer, pulav, dal and some kheer or halwa for dessert and you have a yummy spread.
Re: Preparing a dawat in not more then two hours.
yes absolutely , two hours is a good enough time. Amazing how every one here has so many different two hour prep time menu’s .
I would opt for :
chicken karahi
Koftay
Pea Pilau
Ras malai for dessert
Even nahari using shan can be achieved in an hours cooking time ..