Organizing a party

Everyone loves to organize a party, but the trick is to ensure that the cook has enough time too. Whether you are planning a barbecue, an elegant dinner, special lunch for someone or a holiday buffet, a few simple strategies will guarantee you stress free entertaining.
All the good parties are well organized. Start with a few list, a menu, menu preparation time table and the list of dinnerware and cutlery that you need.
Simplicity is they key to a successful menu, especially when you are expecting large number of guests. Take advantage of the dishes that taste even better when made ahead. It is also smart to include some dishes that freeze well.
Marinate the meat, chicken or fish a day before party. If you are planning to make Biryani or Pulao, prepare qorma or yakhni one day before. Use seasonal fruits and vegetables whenever possible. They will be at their peak of flavor and reasonably priced.
If you are going to arrange a barbecue dinner  dips and chips are perfect appetizers, Marinate all the chicken and meat one day before for better taste and refrigerate it for the next day.
Holiday brunch buffets are great for carefree entertaining. Place the table in the center of the room, so guests can serve themselves from both sides of the table. Select the buffet menu wisely so that it should include some breakfast dishes and some lunch dishes as well like omlettes boiled eggs pancakes, cakes, pastries, casseroles, paratha, naan or puris, curries like Nihari, Karahi etc and one of rice dishes included. Serve rice pudding (kheer of firni) or trifle as desert.
When you are planning the menu for a dinner party it is important that flavor, color, texture and richness of the food should be well balanced. Appetizers that you are going to serve should be easy to handle, without being messy. Serve a simple soup followed by main menu that include dishes made up of chicken, beef, mutton and fish or shrimps. One vegetable dish is necessary to cater your vegetarian guests.
Try not to have more than two dishes that require your last minute attention. Also serve fresh vegetable salads and selection from fresh fruits nicely served with dips of chocolate or honey.

Setting a proper table 

There is a proper way to set a table. To begin place a dinner plate at each setting. Top with a salad plate and if you are going to serve soup place the soup bowl on top of the salad plate. Set the bread plates  to the left of the dinner plates above the forks. Napkins go either to the left of the forks or in centre of the dinner plates. Forks are placed on the left, while knives (cutting edge facing the plate) and spoons are on the right. If you are serving soup, the soup spoons are placed to the right of knives. If you are serving salads, the salad forks are set to the left of dinner forks. Butter knives may be placed right on the butter plate. If you have enough flat ware and room on the table, the desert forks and spoons are placed above the dinner plate. Otherwise set out the desert flatware with the desert. Place soft drink glasses above the dinner knives and water glasses to their left.

Rules of food safety

1.     Keep it clean:

Cleanliness is the best way to safeguard against harmful bacteria. Keep a clean kitchen. Always wash and dry your hands before handling food. Frequently watch kitchen towels, dish clothes and sponges . Rinse fruits and vegetables thouroughly before eating. Sterilize cutting board once in a week in a solution of 1 tablespoon bleach per one gallon water.

2.     Avoid cross contamination:

Don’t put cooked meat (or any ready to eat food) on a plate that ha sbeen in contact with raw meat poultry or fish. It is a good idea to have two or three cutting boards; one for raw meat, poultry and fish; one for vegetables and cheese; and a third one for fruits, nuts and chocolates.

3.     Cook the food right:

To kill harmful bacteria that may be present in raw eggs, fish, poultry, and meat, it is essential to cook these foods thoroughly.

4.     Keep the Hot foods hot and Cold foods cold:

The safe zones for storing food are below 40 F and above 140F. Keep food above or below these temperatures and you will discourage bacterial growth. Don’t leave food out at room temperature for more than two hours. In hot weather protein foods such as chicken, beef, mutton, fish, egg or a food containing mayonnaise should not be left out of refrigerator for more than one hour. It is not advisable to cook the food in stages for example don’t partially cook fish, chicken, beef, mutton and finish the cooking later. Even when food stored in refrigerator between the cooking stages, safe temperatures may not be maintained and bacteria would develop.

5.     Treat leftovers carefully:

Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible. Make small portions in containers for quicker cooling. Mark the dates on the containers so you know how long you’ve had them. If you have any doubt about the freshness of food discard them.  

Chicken roast

This is a very yummy & flavorful recipe. It is very easy to make and very good to serve your guests and family. Its juicy meat with crispy skin is liked by everyone. Seve it with stir fry or steamed vegetables, nan or chapati and raita or any chutney.

Ingredients:

• Chicken whole with skin 1(1.5 kg wt)
• Yogurt 1/2 cup
• Salt 1tsp
• Red chili powder 1tsp
• Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
• All spice powder (garam masala) 1/2 tsp 
• Cumin seed 1tsp (roast and roughly grind it)
• Coriander seeds 1tsp (roast and roughly grind it)
• Nutmeg powder 1pinch
• Oil 1tbsp
• Garlic paste 2tsp
• Ginger paste 1tsp

Method:

1. Wash the chicken thoroughly 
2. Dry it by putting it on kitchen towel
3. For marinade, take  a bowl and add all the ingredients i.e. yogurt, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, cumin seeds and coriander seeds powder, nutmeg and ginger garlic paste and add oil to it.
4. Mix them well.
5. Apply this marinade to chicken from both sides.
   
6. Leave this chicken for at least 4-5 hours or if possible for over night for marination in refrigerator
7.  Keep this chicken in air tight box for marination
8. When its marinated tie the wings and legs with string
   
9. Preheat the oven at 400 degree
10. Put it in a roaster dish and bake it for 50-60 minutes
11. Dish it out. Garnish it with fresh vegetables and salad leaves 

Serve it with green tamarind chutney and nan.

You can also serve it with mashed potatoes,boiled potatoes and buns.

Tip of the recipe

*Over night marination gives good results

*Whole chicken with skin enhances the taste

Qeema Khara Masala

It is a mince dried curry made with beef or mutton mince. All the spices in this curry are not grinded. The whole spice added in the Qeema curry gives it a unique taste and flavor to it. It is served with chapati, paratha or nan with salad.

Ingredients:

• Beef mince 500grams
• Onion (finely chopped) 3 medium
• Red chili powder 1tsp
• Button red chili 8-10
• Coriander seeds 1tsp
• Cumin seeds 1tsp
• cloves 3
• Green cardamom 2
• Black cardamom 1
• Cinnamon stick 1 inch piece
• Whole black pepper 10-12
• Yogurt 1/2 cup(beaten)
• Oil 1/4 cup
• Ginger chopped 1tsp
• Garlic chopped 2tsp
• Salt 1tsp

Method:

1. Take a big bowl and first marinate the mince with yogurt and all the spices i.e. salt, red chili, button red chili, crushed ginger and garlic, cloves black and green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, whole black pepper, coriander and cumin seeds,
2. Marinate the mince for 1-2 hours
3. Heat up the oil in a saucepan and fry the chopped onions in it for 5-7 minutes.
4. Don't let the color of the onion turn golden, only saute it
5. Then add the marinated mince to it and cook it without adding water to it by covering lid the lid on medium flame for 8-10 minutes.
6. Let it dry and fry it for 4-5 minutes 
7. Then again cover it with a lid and cook on low flame for 5--8 minutes until the oil cmeson the surface.
8. Dish it out and garnish it with coriander & mint leaves and sliced chili with ginger strips.

Serve it with chapati or nan with salad.

Naans

Naan is an over baked flat bread. It is also known as Tandoori Roti because it is cooked in special oven called tandoor. It is served hot with curries and barbecue range.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour (maida) 4 cups heaped
• Yogurt 4tbsp
• Salt 2tsp
• Baking soda 1tsp
• Yeast 1.5 tbsp
• Water 2.5 cup

Method:

1. Take a big mixing bowl and put all the ingredients in it
2. Knead it with 2.5 cup of warm water
3. Make a soft dough.
4. After kneading cover the bowl with cling wrap and keep it in a warm place like ovven for 1-3 hours.
5. The dough doubles in size
6. Make 12 equal balls of this dough.
   
7. Roll it with a rolling pin of 1/2 inch thickness.
   
8. Tap on one side of it with a wet hand.
   
9. Heat up the tawa and put it on tawa, the wet side facng the tawa.
10. Cover it with a lid and cook it on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes.
    
11. Take this naan out of the tawa and put it on a cookie sheet or aluminium foil plate.
    
12. Preheat the oven when you start making the naan.
13. On the broil at 500 degree and heat for 4-5 minutes.
14. Put the nan in the foil plate or cookie sheet in broil, the raw side facing upwards i.e. broil.
15. Cook them for 1-2 minutes till the nans are cooked 
16. Take them out 
    

Serve these naans with Qorma, Karahi Gosht or with any curry that you like.

Tip of the recipe:

*Make a soft dough.

*Give proper time to dough for rising.

Be careful when you put the naans in broil. If you will not take the nans out in proper time they will burn.

Soy moong ke daal

This is a very simple recipe to cook. Dill used in this recipe adds a great flavor to it.

Ingredients:

• Moong lentil 1cup
• Tomato (finely chopped) 1medium
• Onion (sliced) 1medium
• Dill (soya leaves) 1/2 cup
• Green chili 2medium
• Ginger paste 1tsp
• Garlic paste 1.5tsp
• Oil 2tbsp
• Salt 1tsp
• Red chili powder 1/2tsp
• Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
• Red chili crushed 1/2tsp
• coriander leaves (chopped) 2tbsp(for garnishing optional)
• Green and red chili (chopped) 2tbsp(for garnishing optional)

Method:

1. Wash the moong lentil thorougly with water and then soak it in water for 30 minutes
2. take a saucepan and add oil to it
3. Add sliced onion and it till nicely golden brown
4. Add sliced green chilies to it
5. Add ginger and garlic paste to it and fry it for 1-2 minutes
6. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder to it
7. Fry it well till the tomatoes and spices are cooked and take the shape of a smooth paste.
8. Add moong lentil to it and fry it for 5-6 minutes.
9. Then add 1/2 cup of water to it and cover it with lid.
10. Cook it on low flame for 15-20 minutes till the moong lentil is tender
11. Then add dill leaves to it and cook it further for 5 minutes
12. Dish it out and garnish it with sliced red and green chilies and coriander leaves.

Serve it with nan or chapati along with lemon pickle.

Arhar/tuvar ki daal

This is a very simple and light dal recipe. Easy to cook and good taste. Garlic tarka in the end adds great flavour and taste to it. it can be served with chapati or boiled rice with mixed vegetable pickle.

Inredients:

• Arhar(tuvar) daal 250grams
• Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
• Salt 1tsp
• Garlic 8-10 (cut into slices)
• Oil 2tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the arhar lentil thoroughly.
2. Soak it in water for 2-3 hours.
3. Take a saucepan, put the soaked lentil in it and add 3-4 cups of water to it.
4. Bring it to boil.
5. Add salt and turmeric powder to it.
6. Cover it with a lid and cook it on low flame for 1 hour or till the lentil is tender.
7. Mash the lentil with a masher or a wooden spoon.
8. Bring it to boil once again and cook it on medium flame for 5-10 minutes.
9. Dish it out and put baghar on it .
10. Take a fry pan, add oil to it .
11. Heat the oil and put garlic slices in it.
12. Fry them till nicely crispy golden
13. Put this baghar(tarka) on daal

Serve it with boil rice or chapati along with hot mixed vegetable pickle and fresh vegetable salad.

Tip of the recipe:

*Dont grind the daal

*Only mash it roughly with a masher or a spoon