Help in the party menu

[kritica]

Hi all,
wondering if u guys will help me with a party menu... there are going to be over 100ppl ... and i wanted to start making from today( its after two weeks) i want easy non messy recipes.... for so many ppl.....and one more thing.... i want only vegetarian recipes....
i want thinking of pulisadham but i dont know to make pulikachal.... does anyone know about ti.... send me the recipe....
thanks in advance for the help
kritica

[dev]

Hi Kritica,

100 ppl is a real crowd...Hmmm...If I were U,I would've ordered from a restaurant...:wink: :lol: Anyways,all the best...Hope U 've someone to help with the prep...:) For dessert,U can consider gulab jamuns...They r very easy to make & can be prepared ahead of time & stored...

Here's CI(Mysore hudugi)'s recipe for puliogare...This is one of her very famous recipe in Karnataka recipes thread...

puliyogare by CI

It has three stages.

First stage: Making masala powder (you can use any good rasam powder instead of this)
Ingredients:
Coriander seeds - 2 cups
Red Chillies - 2 cups
Fenugreek seeds - 2 Tbsp
Black pepper - 2 Tbsp
Cumin - 2 Tbsp
Mustard - 2 Tbsp
Chana dal - 2 Tbsp
Hing - 7 pinches
turmeric - 2 tsp
oil or ghee - 1 Tbsp
Method:
With little oil/ghee, roast all the above mentioned ingredients (except hing and turmeric) separately. After cooling, powder them finely and keep in an air-tight, dry container.

Stage 2:
Making Gojju:
Tamarind - How much ever you want to make gojju and store it.
Masala powder - Can be put depending on how hot you want. I usually put little less than equal quantity of tamarind.
Jaggery - equal quantity as in tamarind.
Oil - enough (like putting for upma all that stuff)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Broken red chillies - 2, hing - 1 tsp or variable depending on how much u are making.
salt
Method:
Heat oil in a kadai, temper with mustard seeds, chillies (this is just to check for the optimum temperature of oil)
Take very thick extract of tamarind. Pour it to the kadai and stir well. If you make the extract watery, you'll have to boil for long.
After it thickens, add sambar powder, salt,jaggery and keep stirring. You can check for the taste after it has been boiled for 10 minutes and add the powder, salt or jaggery if desired. If you don't stir, it'll splatter everywhere and start sticking to the bottom. Make sure you cover the surrounding area with lots of paper towels.
Gojju is done when it stops spluttering. There should not be any sound from the gojju.
After it is cool, put in a clean glass bottle and store it in refrigerator or freezer (I keep in freezer. Don't worry you don't have to thaw it before using it from the freezer. It doesn't form ice since it has no water content in it).Make sure you don't put wet spoon in it. Do not use steel/metal container to store it. It will spoil the container. (tamarind - acid)

Final stage : Making puliyogare
Ingredients:
Rice - desired quantity. Cook with a pinch of turmeric. Each grain should be separate. Spread it on a plate to cool.
gojju - depending on how strong you want puliyogare to be.
salt,
masala powder you made for gojju - 1-2 tsp
Dry coconut - grated for garnishing
Peanuts
Broken red chillies
Curry leaves
Mustard - 1 tsp
hing - 2 pinches
Oil - 1 ladle for a cup of rice cooked
Method:

Spread the rice. Place the desired amount of gojju on the rice as a heap. Sprinkle salt, masala powder everywhere on rice. Heat oil and temper with all the given ingredients(except grated dry coconut). Pour the oil on the gojju heap. Mix with a spatula. Test for the salt. You can even add gojju if required. If you want hotter, add little more masala powder and mix well. Add grated dry coconut and mix well. Secret is to make it atleast 1 hour before it is served. Do not heat it while serving.

Additional taste increasing:
Dry roast black sesame seeds and an inch of cinnamon stick. Powder and mix to the puliyogare. Remember do not put too much of sesame seeds. It'll make the puliyogare bitter. Optimum would be for 1 cup of rice, 1 tsp of sesame and 1 inch stick of cinnamon.

Note: You might end up with left over masala powder if you use less tamarind to make gojju. You are free to scale the recipe to your requirement.

[MysoreHudugi]

Dev,
Thanks for posting the recipe.

CI.

[kritica]

Hi CI and dev,
thanks for all ur help.... well its too expensive to buy especially roti form outside...i could make them and freeze them....
so thats why all this question.. i have a 25 cubic feet chest freezer other than 2 refrigerator so i have ample of space so i have to just start working....
well i am still not very sure about the idlys yet.... CI ur menu is very helpful..... i will get back to u by the end of the day with my menu.....
kritica
i mite need some help with the recipes....

[dev]

If U r experienced in cooking for large groups,then U might not have much problems...generally, many find it diffi when a recipe is multiplied..

Though it's expensive,it's safe to buy atleast a few dishes from hotel & prepare a few easier ones at home ...I believe U too r planning for the same... Anyways,once done , let us know how u managed things & how the party turned out to be...

[kritica]

Hi dev and CI,
i have finalized my menu for the big day.... first of all let me inform u that there is going to be a ganapathi homam on that day
so i cannot use onion garlic stuf flike that...
my friends start comming for lunch - dinner... from 12:00 i guess.....
the menu is

Idly
chutney
Avial
Urulai poriyal(potato curry)
chapathi( thanks to god i am not making them i am buying 300 of them)
sundal
puliyodharai( pulikachal is going to be made by my aunt)
rasam( i am planning not to make rasam and rice.. just make the curd rice)
rice
vadia
payasam.
thyrsadham
Raita( for puliangam)
fruit salad

the problem only come with an appetizer... i looked for pastry puffs.... but there are not availbable in here( i live in canada).....
idly ---- i have got lots of thattu for idly.. about 50 per yedu....( like using 4 different plates at different timees....so the problem there is solved....if i make masal vadai.. i cannot use onions.. so i am not going with that....

guys please please let me know if u have any appetizers in mind with has no garlic or onion with them and is easy to make and sstore......

i have tandoor veggie.....
like potato, cauliflower, capsicum(bell peper), eggplant.. all marinated in curd with spices( dhaniya, ginger, karapodi, uppu) about 1/2 hour.. and then bake them in the oven.. just enough to get them cooked.....

this is just an idea.. do u have anything like this i want to know an exact recipe... this is going to be quick and fast.. i want to do them previous day... and store them and just put them in oven for about 15 minutes.... and then serve them....
please help me with this will be greatful....

[R]

Hello kritica,

We have celebrated many occasions like aayushya homam, navarathiri etc. and also used to make appetizers without onion or garlic like mysore bonda or urad vada or kala channa vada(that is all coming to my mind now).

Even for paruppu vada, if you grind ginger with dhal and add other veggies like carrot or cabbage & mint or coriander leaves, no one will find any difference and the taste will be very excellent which is my personal experience!!

good wishes!!

[dev]

Hi Kritica,

Sorry to say...I don't have much ideas abt starters... Neither me nor my husb is very interested in vada,bajji,bonda stuff(any deep fried stuff for that reason...only exception is jamun)...:) so never bothered to learn it or make it...I feel tandoori veg is a good option...wouldn't take much time to prepare & not very messy too...

[kritica]

Hi dev and R,
thanks for ur help.... i will let u know if i want a recipe.. my aunt is going to be there.. vadai is here department... i will come back after confirming with her....
R, i didnot know u can put carrot.. i have tried cabbage with the ulundhu vadia but never carrot... i will try this weekend and let u know...
thanks
kritica

[R]

Hi kritica,

Tiny pieces of carrot is for paruppu vada; for urud vada, incl. cabbage, tiny pieces of coconut or palak keerai can be added.

Rgds.

[bhargavi.raj]

Hello Kritica,
You entering into a big venture,and Its always said that feeding people is a good thing.Your menu looks good and even the prep work & game plan are very nice.
I gave a party to my friends when i moved to my house. we had the pooja cum lunch. I found that making banana bonda was very easy. 50% of the work is done before and on the day just frying is needed.
Its just boiled mashed raw bananas+ soaked crushed channa dal+spices .Make bondas and freeze it. next day dip in besan and fry .so it can be an appetizer along with idlies .
A small tip for fruit salad, buy doles canned mixed fruits and make a batch of instant vanilla pudding the previous day. on the day mix and serve.

Hope ur party goes well,all the best!
ABout the malai kofta recipe u requested,u will have to giv me some time,i am working now,so i hardly find time.
will post for u soon.

Bhargavi.Raj

[hehehewalrus]

Samosas make excellent starters. But I am not sure how they would taste if they are not hot. Bondas would be great though no matter how hot they are, if you have very mildly spiced coconut chutney.
I like to make papads as starters, the big one, usually Lijjat - the smaller one(south indian style, without jeera) goes well with the sambhar/rasam rice items.

[kritica]

Hi guys,
well i dont know how to make bonda.. if not i will make the previous day and keepit.. it looks likei cannot go near the kitchen untill the 1st... u know as i am busy with course project for school, then there is work pressure at the place i work....hopefully i will be done soon... i am just hoping....
so guys give me a fail proof recipe for bonda.. i will make it....i think about 300 bonda shod do.. i dont know yet...
one more ting.. one of u were suggesting vadagam... i have asked my mother the recipe for sobbu vadam... it looks eazy... but the problem is i live in a cold country... i cannot leave it outside as its always windy.. do u guys have any idea how to dry the vadam... fast and easy... with mininum or without sunlight....
guys u have been great help.. i will keep asking ? if i have any.. hopefully u give me the recipe for the bonda....
thanks
Kritica

[padmasini]

Here is the recipe from Mr. Hemant. It tastes exactly like you get in the hotels.

Ingredients:

Ulundhu (dehusked) 150 gms.
Payir parappau/Thoram Parappu 3 spoons
Coconut (2"piece) 1/4 cup
Ginger 1" piece
Green Chillies 4 to 5 nos.
Black pepper 1 spoon
Jeera 1/2 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Cooking soda two pinches

The Parappus dhalls) are to be soaked in water for at least three hours in winter and 2 hours in summer.

Chop chillies, grate Ginger and cut a 2" piece of coconut flesh in small pieces. Set aside. Make a thick but very fine paste of both Parappus (dhalls) .If you want very fluffy Bondas, you can use the agitator or egg beater and make a frothy dough. But before doing that, add salt to taste. This dough should be of vadai dough consistency. so take care when you make paste. Coarsely grind Jeera and Pepper . Some people add whole peppers and pounded jeera. You can do as you like. Mix cooking soda in a little oil and mix thoroughly till it turns milky. Add this to dough .Now mix all the ingredients with dough and see that they have evenly been mixed. Now Take a Kadai and heat up oil. Check if it is hot enough by putting a drop of dough. When ready, wet your palms and make a small lemon sized bonda by hand and put directly in oil. Take care that you don't drop it from height or else you would burn your hand with hot oil. Fry at medium heat till the bondas are beautiful golden in colour.

The frying should be evenly done or else the center portion would not cook properly. The Bondas would be fine crispy on the outside and soft creamy inside. Prepare coconut chutney also and serve hot bondas with chutney.

[kritica]

Hi padmasini
thanks for ur help, is it the same for urulai bonda.. let me know

[apujittu]

Hi Kritica,
You can make samosa even 1 week before, freeze them, on the day just defrost them(they should come to room temperature) then bake it in the oven and serve them. My friend she did this procedure & the samosas were excellent too!

[kritica]

thanks shalltry....

[kritica]

Hi guys,
i want to start making idly dough...maavu... from today on... could you tell me how much would it take to make
like here in canada. ... i use 2 parts of ponni rice and 2 parts of muthu samba and 1 part of ulundhu... the problem is i dont kow how many kilos it takes to make them.... for 150 ppl

i cannot make the dough all in the same day... so i have to start today or 2morrow...
let mek now
kritica

[MysoreHudugi]

-- deleted.

[kritica]

Hi all,
thanks for all your help.. i have started making idly maavu.... i will start making chutney and stuff from 2morrow and freezer them...i have to have maa kolam.. any ideas.... we would probably rent a tent and have food there...
well any suggestions for organinzing and never run out of food.....
plz let me know.....
kritica