8 Delicious Indian Foods That Aren’t Curry !

MASALA FISH

This is simply irresistible. Spicy sauce with any type of fish! This dish is quick to make and can be prepared when you are in a hurry and remember that this dish isn’t a curry!

BIRYANI

You can use a variety of non-veg like mutton, lamb, chicken and even if you are a vegan – you can use veggies instead. This dish is a complete meal in itself. You can make a raita to accompany it. This dish is very aromatic as cardamom and bay leaves are also used.

ALOO PARATHA

This heavenly dish is baked on the tawa and then shallow fried on the pan or the tawa itself. It is stuffed with mashed potatoes and spices. This is also a very popular dish for breakfast. This can be served with curd or pickle.

CHILLI PANEER

Paneer is a very popular Indian dish. This recipe is a favourite amongst all. The pieces are coated with chilli sauce and a lot of other sauces.

SHAMI KEBAB

These little chicken patties are shallow fried in oil and are usually made of mutton or lamb. These are served as snacks and can be served with raw onions.

KEEMA

This is mincemeat of lamb or even chicken. It is loaded with ginger, garlic and garam masala. You can also add peas if you like. If you are a vegetarian, you can use soy mince instead of meat.

DAL MAKHANI

Dal makhani is a popular Punjabi dish. It has lentils, kidney beans and tomatoes in it. It is slowly cooked. This dish is laden with calories because of the cream used in it.

CRISPY PANEER FINGERS

This is again a paneer dish. The cheese is coated with batter and spices. You can also cover it with breadcrumbs. This is a finger food and therefore kids enjoy it a lot. Accompany it with a sauce or a dip.

Other Indian foods that aren’t curry are Aloo Tikki, Dosa and Samosa. There are sooo many others that you need to try. All the above foods are dry, easy to cook and can be served with a dip or a sauce. These dishes are uncomplicated and enriched with spices. Enjoy them while you watch your favourite T.V. serial. Weekend cannot get better than this.

List of Questions to Ask Your Caterer !

When we plan for the wedding, a major chunk of the budget goes to the caterer. Now a days the caterers offer a wide range of services. They can be called event managers rather than wedding caterers. You have to choose the services you require from your caterer and specify them in advance so that he can arrange them well in time. Some services might require some additional expenditure so it’s always better to ask the additional cost as well. You must not hesitate in asking the questions. You must keep the guest list and budget in mind before asking these questions.

Keep a list of questions to ask from your caterer.

Check the Dates - The first step is to check the dates to see if your potential caterer is free or not.

Experience - Check if the potential caterer is new or he has an experience. Obviously you must go for the experienced one.

Updated - Your potential caterer should be aware of the latest themes and trends.

License - Don’t forget to check if they have the liquor license and the other permits.

Food - Specify your budget and ask the dishes and choice of food they are providing in your budget.

Associations - Aask your potential caterer if they have a tie up with other vendors like the baker for cake, etc.

Specializations - Ask if they specialize in certain cuisines.

Source of meat and poultry - They should have fresh supply of meat so ensure quality.

Up Gradations - Does your potential caterer provide additional services like chocolate fountain or ice sculptures?

Plates and Glassware - Ask your caterer the quality of plates and linens he is using.

Left Over Food - Make sure you ask the potential caterer about the policy for left over food. Ask them if you can get it wrapped for your guests or drop it at the nearby shelter.

Clean up Policy - Be very clear about the clean up policy. Sometimes the caterer leaves it for the venue owner who has no provision for it. Ultimately you are left for arranging the clean up.

Children’s Meal - Ask the potential caterer if they charge for the kids. Certain caterers don’t charge for kids below a certain age.

Alcohol - Does the potential caterer provide bartenders and alcohol? Which brand of alcohol does he serve?

There are so many questions like the ratio of servers to guests, payment policy, overtime fees, changes in menu, personalised menu, refund and cancellation policy and references of previous parties. Also make sure that he is not stacking up two or more parties.

5 Reasons To Consider Indian Buffet For Your Wedding Reception

London Darbar′s Food And Drink Has Been Acclaimed In All Of London For Its Quality And Flavor

London loves Indian food; there is no denying the fact. The ever-increasing crowd at Indian restaurants in London is a tell-tale sign of the same. From curries to chicken to going Vegan, Londoners have rightly termed Indian food a visual delight as well as the food for the soul. Your heart must already be planning the reception menu with Indian delicacies but if your mind still needs a few more reasons, here they are –

1. Extensive cuisine & varied tastes

– Indian cuisine must be the most extensive cuisine bringing a lot of regional variations as well. You can choose to please the spicy craving with North-Indian delights. The taste of South-Indian cuisine is altogether different. And then there are Bengali sweets, Gujarati snacks and Hyderabadi Biryanis to please a mixed group.

2. Value-for-Money

– Nothing comes out as a better value deal than Indian buffet. Not only it is economical and fits in your budget, the options and choices it brings along makes it the best choice if you are planning your wedding reception on a limited budget. In fact, Indian cuisine is the number one choice to offer wide variety for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Candy Buffet style- Emerging as a rage nowadays

In the past decade or so one of the most exciting upcoming trends for weddings is certainly the candy buffets. Such type of a trend has emerged as rage among the wedding guests as it is quite easy and convenient to set up. Besides that such is there soaring popularity nowadays that they have become the talk of almost every wedding ceremony. More often than not candy buffets are color schemed to the bride's chosen wedding colors. At times even two or three colors are used by matching up or via consultation with a color wheel.

Key elements for a successful wedding ceremony

In past decade or so, organizing special occasions in exotic venues and putting a variety of mouth watering dishes / food items on display has evolved as one of the most commonly (and widely) followed norms. But, easier said than done, meticulously planning for a high profile event (e.g occasion like wedding) can be very cumbersome. This is because apart from considering the best food options for your visitors during the ceremony, making suitable arrangements for the guests and the rest of your entourage can turn out to be unmanageable. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to hire the best in class wedding venues with the specialized catering services for your event.

A Perfect Wedding Menu- Secret to success of your big day

The food that you serve your visitors at the wedding ceremony will absolutely help to make create a mood and characterize their experience. From formal to casual, eccentric to classy, there are an endless number of possible wedding supper alternatives are present these days.

Are You Well Prepared to Host an Extravagant Asian Wedding?

There is no doubt that making arrangements for an Asian wedding is by no means an easy task or a cakewalk. Indeed it is pretty cumbersome and a challenging task for even the most organized people. This is because thoroughly planning to host an Asian themed party implies organizing and taking care of a host of things from your guest list, wardrobe, decorations, venue, food etc. Well, this asks for a lot of sweat and hard work and a bit of assistance can always be handy.