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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to serve a meat free meal at a dinner party

124 replies

CoralFish · 18/10/2018 12:35

Having friends round and I am trying to think of a menu. I came up with the following.
Starter: Spiced vegetable fritter topped with fried egg
Main: Lentil Dhal, aubergine and chickpea curry and rice
Dessert: Rice pudding
Mentioned to DP and he said it sounded nice but I should do a chicken curry instead because people will expect meat.
It hadn't occurred to me that there was no meat. None of us is vegetarian. AIBU to not give people meat? Nobody would say anything, but would they go home afterwards saying 'shame there was no chicken'?
My main concern was having rice twice in the meal! Grin

OP posts:
onanothertrain · 18/10/2018 13:45

So long as your guests like spicy food as all your courses sound as though they might be spicy

RiverTam · 18/10/2018 13:45

extraordinary that in 2018 a veggie dinner party would be considered something odd.

BrokenWing · 18/10/2018 13:55

Change fried egg to poached otherwise too greasy on top of a, I assume, fried fritter.

Agree to much rice, but would prefer ride with main and a lighter dessert (sorbet or something citrus, fruity) to cleanse palette after heavy and spiced starter and main.

Original poster
CoralFish · 18/10/2018 14:00

Haha so much rice pudding hatred!

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius it's a bit cheat-y and so easy it's embarrassing! Blush

500g arborio rice
1 litre almond milk
3 tbsp maple syrup (or honey or sugar)
3 spiced chai tea bags
3 tsp vanilla extract

Chuck it all in a pot, bring it to the boil, fish out the tea bags (taste and leave for longer if you want it stronger), simmer for about 30 mins or until rice is cooked. You can eat it straight away, make it in advance and stick it in the oven in individual dishes for 10mins before serving, or it's actually also really nice cold (if you like rice pudding Grin)

OP posts:
JessieLemon · 18/10/2018 14:01

Rice pudding is absolutely delicious 💛

I’d love to attend your dinner party!

vandrew4 · 18/10/2018 14:02

sorry, going against the grain a bit but if no one is veggie then I would expect meat and would be disappointed with lentils instead

itwillbealrightpromise · 18/10/2018 14:09

Indian rice pudding is a thing - it's called kheer. It's bloody lovely. I'm half Indian and sometimes have it for breakfast, but as a pudding too. Mango sorbet (or kulfi if you can get it) would be nice as well.

Menu sounds lush and wouldn't notice the lack of meat at all!

possumgoddess · 18/10/2018 14:24

Actually I am going to go against the flow here, I think if you are not vegetarian, and unless several of your guests ARE vegetarian, it is a little odd not to offer a dish containing meat at all. As somebody else has suggested, Indian meals usually contain a variety of different dishes so perhaps do a meat dish and a vegetarian dish? Personally I don't like aubergine and I only like really mild curries so I definitely wouldn't like it but I know I am fussy and I am sure your guests will think it is delicious. And in common with just about everyone else, no to the rice pudding afterwards (although it is one of my favourite puddings). I think possibly something a bit lighter? I understand that Kulfi is really easy to make and would continue the Indian theme. There must be loads of mumsnetters out there who know a lot more about Indian cuisine than I do.

Hillarious · 18/10/2018 14:34

I think we're moving on from expecting to have meat in every meal, so I would go ahead and just do a veggie based meal. If you do want another curry, my current favourite is tandoori cauliflower with a curry sauce. It was served at work recently, as the veggie option to the tandoori chicken. The cauliflower tastes just as good - if not better, but is nowhere near as heavy on the stomach. The cauliflower would add a different texture to the meal.

Eliza9917 · 18/10/2018 14:38

I wouldn't expect to be served lentils at a dinner party.

Like posters above, I'd also wonder at your financials as well.

If this was come dine with me & I'd seen your menu before hand, I wouldn't want to come But we aren't huge veg eaters. We have veg as sides, but it consists of peas, carrots, sweetcorn/corn on the cob, broccoli/cauli, sweet peppers, the occasional courgette, salad. We rarely eat cabbage or sprouts. If we have spinach its in spinach, rocket & watercress salad. Occasionally I try to increase our scope of veg & buy different things but our regulars are as above.

JessieLemon · 18/10/2018 14:52

I wouldn't expect to be served lentils at a dinner party.

😂😂😂

Hillarious · 18/10/2018 14:55

Like posters above, I'd also wonder at your financials as well.

Is eating with people you perceive as poor a problem? I'm assuming the pp think that lentils = being poor.

Eliza9917 · 18/10/2018 15:14

No but - being totally honest here - I'd definitely wonder why they were going to the expense of a party when they were obviously so hard up that they were serving lentils. I'd worry a little bit that I'd taken food from their mouths.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 18/10/2018 15:14

Thank you, @CoralFish! Thanks

IHaveBrilloHair · 18/10/2018 15:19

No meat wouldn't bother me at all, we often eat veggie meals.
I'd tweak your menu slightly though, don't do rice with the main, do Indian bread, also add a carrot/poppyseed salad.
Make raita to go with the starter.
Oh and you must have lime pickle, I love it

Original poster
CoralFish · 18/10/2018 15:26

I'd definitely wonder why they were going to the expense of a party when they were obviously so hard up that they were serving lentils

Oh my goodness! These people are my friends! I am not trying to impress them with my wealth - just trying to provide appropriate sustenance whilst we drink copious amounts of wine catch up.

Thanks so much for all the comments. Will definitely reconsider re: textures (not lentils and chickpeas) and I might even decide on chicken in the end! Grin

I'm still doing the rice pudding Wink but I've been googling kheer and will take some inspiration from that.

OP posts:
bellinisurge · 18/10/2018 15:35

I'd love to be invited. Hang out, eat good food made by someone else, chat with mates, have a drink. Sounds excellent.

JessieLemon · 18/10/2018 15:36

Don’t change your menu for the posters trying hard to find faults OP, lentils are great! Your menu sounds lovely. Your friends won’t think in the same way as some of the oddballs on this thread, trust me!

RangeRider · 18/10/2018 16:03

I wouldn't eat rice pudding, I don't like aubergine or chickpeas or lentils. I'd be happy with a vegetable curry that involved potato, cauliflower etc. But not your ingredients. I'd be eating rice and a bit of sauce if it was mild. You might want to tell your guests what you're planning...

Loopytiles · 18/10/2018 16:06

Lentil dahl is lovely but in the UK version of Indian food is more often a side dish or one of several dishes (veggie or not)

greendale17 · 18/10/2018 16:09

Starter and main sound nice.

Rice pudding- I wouldn’t serve this as a dessert ever let alone for a dinner party. Such a let down

Alaimo · 18/10/2018 16:14

I think it sounds fantastic, and I would happily eat every single dish on your menu.

celtiethree · 18/10/2018 16:20

Aubergine is one of those love hate foods. I wouldn’t serve it unless I knew people coming actually liked it. Can’t stand it myself. I eat mostly vegetarian so would be happy with a vegetarian meal. But couldn’t eat your main or dessert. Rice pudding is just grim.

RabbityMcRabbit · 18/10/2018 16:23

Another alternative to rice pudding is rasmalai which is delicious and creamy. I also would leave the fried egg off completely and serve yogurt and chutneys with the fritter. It sounds delicious x

seventhgonickname · 18/10/2018 16:40

If you'd just asked about the menu without mentioning meat most posters may not have noticed.
I'd add the Bombay potatoes, chipaties and raita (to cool anyone who thinks the curry is hot.
The rest sounds tasty.