Channel your inner Tarla Dalal and try these 9 recipes for your next house party
Belan, apron, aata, go!
House parties are the stomping ground for social butterflies. Fluttering from one house to the next in their best outfits, being their charming selves and running point on all conversations. From getting last-minute mithaai to Babli masi’s taash night to doubling up as the interior decorator at their BFF’s baby shower, there’s little these party hoppers can’t do. But what happens when the guest becomes the host? The pressure runs high —did you curate just the right playlist, not to mention, guest list? Should you do a BYOB or open up your personal bar? Should you plan a potluck or just mass-order pizzas?
The food, nobody needs to tell you, can make or break a party. Because after all, dil ka raasta pet se hokar jaata hai. How about you surprise your guests with a homemade treat? It could be drinks, appetisers or desserts, anything that’ll add a personal touch to your party. We’ve rounded up nine recipes from food creators to inspire you to get whipping in the kitchen. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert, these recipes are easy, quick and won’t burn the kitchen down.
9 easy-to-make recipes for your next house party
A very (straw)berry mocktail for the season
All the non-drinkers on your guest list will be delighted when you serve them Saloni Kukreja’s strawberry mocktail in between the sea of beers and whiskeys on the rocks. Not only is it pretty and refreshing, it’s an ode to strawberry season too. All you need are some fresh strawberries, a cocktail shaker, lime, ice and soda or regular water. We bet even the hard drinkers will be running over to the mocktail station to steal a tasty sip, so be sure you make extra.
A caffeine hit for the coffee connoisseurs
Coffee with Natasha has the perfect drink idea for your next impromptu house party. This cold brew and tonic water drink will be a sure-shot conversation starter for coffee nerds and teetotallers, and it’s so easy to make. Just prepare a jar of cold brew coffee, get a few bottles of tonic water — Natasha recommends Sepoy’s mint tonic water — and let the caffeine take over.
K-potatoes for the K-drama queens
A Korean romance may not be written in the stars for you (it was written for this one woman though) but Korean food is pure love for so many. Get on the popularity train and whip up Aishwarya Sonvane’s easy Korean Chilli Garlic Potatoes. They’re flavourful, spicy, filling, and will make delicious food companions to all the in-depth dissections of everyone’s current K-drama obsession.
Cucumber sev puri for the calorie-conscious
Macros this, micros that, for all calorie-conscious guests who wouldn’t be caught dead even thinking about devouring Korean potatoes, Tweak India’s founder Twinkle Khanna has a recipe for you. This cucumber sev puri starter will shut their carbs-protein-fibre saga. You just need to replace the puris with cucumber slices, add mashed potatoes, tomatoes, sev, meethi and teekhi chutney and pass the plate around. It’s a recipe that’s healthy, tasty and definitely worth stealing.
Dadi’s sooji poha bites for the feels
There’s very little that can replace the swaad of dadi ke haath ke khaana. Send your guests on a nostalgic journey by borrowing this sooji poha bites recipe from Instagram’s favourite dadi Vijay Nischal. You don’t need any fancy ingredients, just poha, sooji (semolina), coriander, masalas and some patience to steam them in an idli maker. You can shallow fry, air fry or deep fry them for extra crunch and serve it with pudina chutney.
Rice-paper dumplings for the Asian-obsessed
There are very few people who wouldn’t devour a plate of dumplings right down to the last piece of diced garlic. For guaranteed host-with-the-most status, you have to serve this rice-paper dumpling recipe by Anushka Rawat. It’s the most delicious way to use up all the veggies in your fridge. You can also add tofu, paneer, chicken or mushrooms to the filling as per your taste and serve them with your favourite chilli oil.
Chicken sandwiches for the win
If your cooking skills start at Maggi and end at sandwiches, Chetna Makaan has just the recipe to make you seem like a master chef. This tandoori-flavoured fried chicken sandwich with spiced mayo and garlic will make your mouth happy and invite tons of compliments. If you’d like to keep a vegetarian option on the menu for the herbivores, Makaan’s mustard potato cheese sandwich, a universally loved combination, will be an instant hit.
No-oven chocolate cookies for the sweet tooth
Sometimes, the only thing standing between us and some home-baked goodness is the lack of an oven. Luckily, we have Shivesh Bhatia’s no-oven recipes, and these snackable chocolate cookies will satiate all sugar cravings and sweet tooths in the room. You can bake the cookies in a pan and they’re ready in under 15 minutes. But we’d recommend starting off with a small batch first so you can iron out any errors.
Biscoff marble cake for the grand finale
No list of recipes for a house party is complete without a grand, show-stopping dessert and Aathira Sethumadhavan has just the recipe for you. The universally loved combination of biscoff and chocolate in this recipe will have your guests asking for not just second but third helpings. The recipe doesn’t require an oven, you can make it in an idli cooker or regular pressure cooker. Sethumadhavan also has a recipe for homemade biscoff if you’re feeling very ambitious.
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