There is something about the spices in Indian food that is so warming, and absolutely perfect for a frigid winter day’s meal. The curry, cardamom, cumin combination is so crazy delicious with chicken, lamb or vegetables, and you can be really creative here!

Just like my Mexican, Asian and Greek dinner parties, try an Indian dinner party! You will impress friends and family with these amazing flavors, while sharing a warm and comforting meal on a bitter cold night.

The Table

I always at least try to decorate within the themes of my dinner parties. For Indian, I take inspiration from Indian restaurants with all the colorful table settings, wall hangings, and beautiful low lighting with candles and lanterns. 

I chose a colorful tablecloth, flowers and candles in vibrant red and blue colors. It works!

For the meal, I chose a good mix of homemade and store-bought dishes. See my post on hosting a large dinner party, and how to make it a bit easier as we get older!

Starters

I’m not a huge fan of samosas, pupusas or anything fried, but you can certainly find these and serve them as appetizers. Other than these, there aren’t a ton of Indian starters from which to choose. At Indian buffets I’ve typically seen a green salad with plenty of cucumbers!

Naan. Definitely serve some of this incredible flat bread either as an appetizer with some dips, or along with your meal (or both!). Traditional chutneys that can be served with your naan can be bought or made from scratch! Some popular ones are:

• Sweet chutney with apples and tamarind
• Spicy green
• Mint
• Garlic

Mulligatawny Soup. This is a curry soup that I make year-round, because it is so crazy delicious, and one of my family’s favorites. If I were serving this for a dinner party, I would definitely make it ahead of time and refrigerate it. It is fine to keep for up to about a week, plus letting it sit a bit longer helps meld the flavors and make it even better!

I would also make this in advance because it’s a kind of long recipe with a good bit of chopping. Make it when you have some time on a Sunday afternoon and serve it on Friday or Saturday for your get-together!

Mulligatawny Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• ¼ cup butter 
• 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ½ apple, cored and chopped
• ¼ cup white rice
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half – cut into cubes
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup heavy cream, heated

Directions:

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrot and sauté until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add chicken broth, mix well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add apple, rice, chicken, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer until rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in hot cream.

Mains

I found such a great assortment of frozen Indian dishes for this dinner. Peruse your frozen foods section at the grocery store, and you can find some amazing stuff. I got all these at Aldi!

Chicken Tikka Masala. I like to make a few dishes myself. If you want to try making an incredibly flavorful dish that’s a real crowd pleaser, try this recipe! The frozen dinner is no comparison to this home-made version. Marinating chicken in Indian spices for hours makes this tender and full of flavor.

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. turmeric 
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 (2″) piece ginger, peeled 
• 3 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup (8 oz.) plain whole-milk yogurt 
• 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
• 3 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

• In a small bowl, mix coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until combined
• In a blender or food processor, blend onion, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and oil until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Add yogurt, salt, and 1/4 cup spice mixture and mix until combined
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt. Using your hands, thoroughly rub marinade into chicken. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least eight hours or up to 24
• Preheat oven to 400˚. Arrange chicken on baking dish
• Bake chicken until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165°, about 30 minutes
• Transfer chicken to a platter. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges alongside. 

Sides

This kind of food has a lot of sauce. Frankly, I didn’t love Indian for years because every lunch buffet always looked like the dishes were the same- and very wet. Over the years I’ve come to learn the differences in the dishes, which makes it easier to make and buy the dishes I like best.

Rice. Given the moisture in this cuisine, it screams for rice. Regular plain basmati will always work, or try these specialized rices for a bit more flavor.

Vegetables. It’s just so great that you can buy these yummy vegetable packets that just need a minute or two in the microwave.

Using Curry Paste. If you’re interested in making a super easy Indian side-dish at home, check out this curry paste I found in the International aisle at the store. This stuff is amazing.

Like most spicier foods, you can get this in whatever spice level you like and tolerate. 🌶️. I highly recommend HOT if you buy this, because it is not overpowering at all, and the flavor is so good.

All you do is mix a little bit of water to this paste to form whatever consistency you like- thinner or thicker. Add it to whatever you want! I particularly love curried cauliflower. It just works so well to add the curry paste to a bland yet slightly crunchy vegetable, and cauliflower is perfect. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils or cooked carrots are also excellent.

This is my plate from my recent Indian dinner, it turned out great. I pair this with a crisp sauvignon blanc. If going for dessert, maybe a light frozen yogurt and fruit?

Have you tried an Indian Dinner Party theme? I’d love to hear your ideas!