Planning an Indian dinner party menu might seem daunting at first, but really it is not that hard. I get this question many times on instagram for what to include in a dinner party menu, and how to plan for it.
At Indian dinner parties, you will often find North India food. Here I am including recipes for a complete 3 course meal with starters, entrees, desserts, plus drinks, along with sample vegetarian and non-vegetarian menu.
Many of the dishes can be made in the instant pot and can be prepped ahead to make your party day less stressful. There are a few basics to remember and you can plan a party menu easily.
Tips to plan an Indian party menu
Planning
Try to get information about the guests a few days before the party.
Headcount: How many guests? Diet preferences: Any vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. Allergies: Do any guests have any specific allergies? Meat preference: What do the guests prefer – chicken, mutton, lamb, fish?
Think of a theme for the party:
Traditional North Indian dinner Chaat Party / Street Food BBQ party South Indian Dinner Festivals such as Diwali / Holi Holidays such as Thanksgiving / Christmas
What to include in the menu?
Most Indian parties or dinners include a 3 course meal, which includes appetizers, main course and desserts. You want to keep the menu simple.
1-2 appetizers and a beverage. This will keep the guests occupied while everyone arrives and also not keep them super hungry while waiting. You can potentially skip appetizers for a lunch, depending on the event. 1-2 dips and pickle One curry with gravy (e.g., paneer butter masala) and one without gravy (e.g., Aloo Gobi) + plus one meat curry (if applicable) One lentil or chickpea or bean dish One raita or Dahi Vada. This is important to include as it goes well with the spices in Indian food. One rice dish Some type of bread to eat with the curry. To make preparation easier, use frozen or store-bought bread such as naan, which can be easily warmed up. 1-2 desserts
How to prepare for an elaborate Indian dinner party?
Planning 2-3 days before the party can help relieve a lot of stress on the day and give the host a better chance to enjoy the party!
1 week before the party Decide the menu Make a list of all the ingredients for the items in the menu. Check what you already have in your pantry and cancel them out from the list. 2-3 days before the party (or the weekend before) Shop the ingredients. For any curries, onion-tomato masala (or curry base) can be prepared and refrigerated. eg. if making paneer tikka, you can make the curry sauce and on the day just heat and add the paneer. You can also prepare ginger and garlic paste to make your cooking easier. 1 day before the partyChop all the veggies (or marinate the meat). Soak the beans/chickpeas. Bean/Chickpea curries can also be made the day before, as they get better the next day as they rest and soak in the flavors. eg. Chana Masala, Dal Makhani, Rajma.Any dishes where boiling is needed can potentially be pre-boiled and refrigerated. e.g., potatoes. Prepare the chutneys/dips. These are typically easy to refrigerate. Prepare any desserts that get thicker/creamier as they rest. eg. Kheer Get the dinnerware and silverware ready. If using paper plates, have them ready. On the day Prepare the dishes and put them in the serving dish. For dishes, that need reheating just before serving, plan the serving dish accordingly. Have the table ready, depending on whether it is a sit-down dinner or a buffet style.
Pro-tips
Quantity: Think about the quantity of each dish not in isolation but as part of the whole menu. When multiple dishes are included at a party, the quantity of each can be adjusted down as people will try so many dishes. Also, many people fill up on appetizers and do not eat much of the main course. But everyone eats dessert! (more how much tips below) Simplify your cooking: I try to include more dishes that can be made in the instant pot, so that less of my active time is needed in cooking. Also with the instant pot, you can easily cook larger quantity at one time. Even if you plan to do a potluck or catering for the party, the below ideas will still be very helpful, especially the sample menus.
Appetizer Ideas
Indian dinner parties are incomplete without starters/appetizers (can skip for a lunch party). We love to include 2-3 appetizers/chutneys to keep the guests occupied until the dinner is served. Below are a variety of appetizers which you can choose from. You can also make an Indian charcuterie board with these appetizers. You can try a combination of store-bought and homemade appetizers.
Samosas (store-bought or homemade) or Samosa Jalapeno poppers Spicy Bombay Potatoes Kala Chana Chaat Khaman or Rava Dhokla Paneer Puffs – Make these in the oven so you can make a large batch to serve a party! Vada Pav Onion Bhaji Tandoori Gobi Paneer Pakora Paneer Tikka Dahi Papdi Chaat or Sev Puri
Dips to go with the appetizers
Tamarind Chutney Mint Cilantro Chutney
Non-vegetarian Appetizers
Chicken Tikka Kebab Chili Chicken Tandoori Chicken Wings
Along with the above, I always have some fruits, chips and dips for the kids.
Drink Ideas
Here are some simple yet popular Indian drink ideas for your next party. Depending on the guests’ preferences, you can also include some alcoholic drinks.
Mango Lassi Masala Chaas Shikanji Nimbu Pani Aam Panna Masala Chai Roohafza – I recently made this for a birthday party, and everyone loved it.
For more Indian drink ideas, check out 15+ Best Indian Drink Recipes.
Entrees Ideas
Main Course which consists of lentils, beans and paneer or vegetables curries. All of the options below can be made in an instant pot or stovetop.
Lentil & Bean Entree
Chana masala Rajma Dal Makhani Black-eyed peas curry Dal Fry/Tadka Kadhi Pakora
Paneer Entree
Here are paneer entree ideas to pick from:
Paneer Tikka Masala Palak Paneer Matar Paneer Paneer Butter Masala Paneer Vindaloo
Vegetable Entree
Here are some vegetable main dish ideas:
Vegetable Korma Aloo Gobi Mushroom Matar Aloo Matar Methi Matar Malai Saag Aloo Baingan Bharta
For more vegetarian curry ideas, check out this collection of Instant Pot Indian Vegetarian Recipes.
Non-Vegetarian Entree
If more than half the guests eat meat, I like to include one of the curries below on the menu.
Chicken Tikka Masala Butter Chicken Chicken Korma Chicken Vindaloo Chicken Chettinad Coconut Shrimp Curry Salmond Tikka Masala Chicken Keema Mutton Masala
Rice Dish Ideas
A rice dish is a must for an Indian dinner party menu. I like to serve flavored rice in place of plain basmati rice. A biryani, which is almost like a main dish, also works great.
Vegetable Biryani (or Pulao or Chicken Biryani) Jeera/Cumin Rice Saffron Rice with Nuts & Raisins Lemon Rice Spinach Rice Beetroot Rice Pulao Chicken Biryani Turmeric Rice
For more rice ideas, check out this collection of Indian Instant Pot Rice Recipes.
Salad/Yogurt Side Dish Ideas
Kachumber Sprouts Salad Laccha Pyaaz (Onion Salad) Raita – You can include a plain or vegetable based yogurt raita. Here is Cucumber Raita and Boondi Raita recipe. Dahi Vada
Breads
For a party, Naan is my preferred choice. You can buy plain or garlic naan from Trader Joe’s or Indian grocery stores. If you are inclined to make the bread at home, here are my roti and paratha recipes.
Dessert Ideas
Include 1-2 desserts in your dinner menu. If it is an occasion such as Diwali or Holi, you might want to include some sweets such as besan ladoo or gujiya. For a birthday menu, you can just include 1 dessert, as there is also cake at the party.
Rice Kheer, or Vermicelli Kheer, or Sabudana Kheer Carrot Halwa or Badam Halwa or Moong Dal Halwa Mango Shrikhand or Kesar Pista Shrikhand Gulab jamun Fusion desserts have been super popular Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Bowls Fruit Custard Trifle Cups Gulab Jamun Custard Jars
For more dessert ideas, check out this collection of Indian Instant Pot Dessert Recipes. Other Dessert/Sweet Ideas:
Badam Katli Coconut Almond Ladoo Besan Ladoo Gujiya – A must for Holi Chocolate Ladoo – A favorite with the kids.
Plan your next Indian dinner party with these vegetarian ideas. If you are looking to include a chicken curry, check out the Chicken options here.
Sample Menu’s
I get a lot of DM’s from readers when they plan their menu. Hence I am sharing here some sample menu’s to get you started with your party planning.
Lunch Menu
For a lunch party, I usually skip appetizers and go directly to the main .
Drinks: Mango lassi Main course: Chana Saag Paneer Butter Masala Vegetable Korma Rice dish: Lemon Rice Bread: Naan Raita: Cucumber Raita Dessert: Moong Dal Halwa and/or Mango Shrikhand
Vegetarian Dinner Menu
The menu below is great for a festival such as Diwali, where many prefer to have a vegetarian menu for dinner.
Appetizer Paneer Puffs Kala Chana Chaat Mint Cilantro Chutney Drinks: Mango lassi Main course:Chana Masala Paneer Tikka Masala Aloo Gobi Rice dish: Vegetable Biryani Bread: Naan Raita: Dahi Bhalla Dessert: Carrot Halwa and/or Shrikhand
Indian Dinner Menu
Appetizer Chicken Tikka Kebab Khaman Mint Cilantro Chutney Drinks: Shikanji Nimbu Pani Main course:Rajma Palak Paneer Chicken Tikka Masala Rice dish: Jeera Rice Bread: Naan Raita: Boondi raita Dessert: Kheer and/or Gulab Jamun
South Indian Dinner Menu
I have not shared much about a South Indian themed dinner party above. But below is a menu that works great when you want to host a simple South India kid-friendly dinner.
Appetizer Idli Peanut Chutney Main course:Ven Pongal Sambar Seviyan Upma Rice dish: Lemon Rice Raita: Boondi raita Dessert: Sweet Pongal or Vermicelli Kheer, Rava Ladoo
Indian Chaat Party / Street Food
Appetizer Sev Puri Kala Chana Chaat Mint Cilantro Chutney Tamarind Chutney Drinks: Shikanji Nimbu Pani Main course: Pav Bhaji or Vada Pav Paneer Frankie Bread: Pav (Indian dinner rolls) Raita: Dahi Bhalla Dessert: Gulab Jamun or Fruit Custard
Indian Fusion Party Menu
Appetizer Cheesy Samosa Jalapeno Poppers Chili Chicken Drinks: Shikanji Nimbu Pani Main course: Vegetarian Mexican Casserole Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta Minestrone Soup Dessert: Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Cups
How much to cook?
For anyone who has prepared for a party, this is one question that troubles the most – “How much of each dish?” I recently hosted a party for my daughter’s birthday with 15 adults and 14 kids. So, I wanted to share the quantities of food I made for it. It worked pretty well. There were some leftovers, but that is reasonable as you don’t want food to be completely finished at a party.
Order 1-2 regular sized samosas or 3-4 small mini samosas + 1 more appetizer + some fruits 3 cups of chana to make chole (3x Chana Masala recipe) Three 400gms packets of paneer to make the Paneer dish (3x my Paneer Tikka Masala recipe) 2-3 times of the Dahi Vada recipe 4 cups of Rice dish (4x Cumin Rice recipe) Naan – about 25-30 (I used frozen naan that we heated up)
How about a potluck?
Potlucks are great for large group dinner parties. Use a sample menu above, and each family can bring a dish to the party. That way, the host does not have to do it all and can enjoy the party with everyone else.
I hope this detailed post about hosting a dinner party helps you. I would love to hear what are your favorite dishes to make for your parties and potlucks. Comment below to let me know!
