Indian menu ideas

[Octopuscrazy]

Hi everyone, I'm thinking of doing an Indian menu for a group of approximately 15, buffet style.
I am definitely doing a tandoori chicken curry which is a delicious YouTube recipe. Can you help with what else to serve? Not too keen on lots of deep fried foods. Thank you

Nadiya Hussain's lamb bhuna recipe is really good.

A couple of really good veggie dishes - chana sag is my favourite and bombay aloo is a classic

Breads, rice and a couple of nice dips - I love a mint chutney that packs a real punch, and a raita for those who want to cool things down.

A really good dal is a wonderful thing and you can make it in advance.

My favourite recipe

A selection of breads - naan, paratha, poori, chapati.

Poppadom and dips.

Lamb biryani is gorgeous.

Roasted cauliflower and broccoli florets drizzled with plenty of oil with curry spices/Garam masala, squeeze of lemon or lime when it comes out of the oven, plenty of fresh coriander scattered over. Tastes lovely at room temp too.

Thank you for the suggestions. I am going to check some of them out.
Just to say, I'm not Indian so not sure exactly what all of the suggestions are.
I'll come back with a menu to be critiqued

I’d make these paneer skewers and the mango salsa to compliment the chicken curry www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tandoori-paneer-skewers-mango-salsa
I’d also serve pilau rice, naans, popadums, katchumber (Indian cucumber salad) and bhajis. www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/entertain/baked-onion-bhajis/

I like anjum anand's corn on the cob in spicy peanut sauce. Also her Bombay potatoes and Sunday lunch red kidney bean curry
Vegetarian curries last for days so can be done before the meat ones so those may free up time when catering for so many

Indian food covers so much!

For a special occasion, you'd make a biryani. Actually fairly easy to do. I roast some veg, make sure they're only part roasted. Put rinsed basmati rice in the same pan, coat with the cooking oil. Add spice paste (Jamie Oliver has recipes for various spice pastes that are good) and boiling water to cover. Mix. Cover the while roasting dish tightly with foil and cook for at least an hour. It may need longer and it may need extra water. Top with chopped coriander and salted cashew nuts to serve.

A daal would be the traditional side dish.

Samosa, pakora, bhaji dokla would be good sides, plus bread, raita and sauce.

I have a Gousto recipe for cauliflower and potato curry that is really delicious if you'd like it.

If you were going all out, I would do:

Breads (one of naan, paratha, chapatti, puri)
Rice (i would chose something simple to go with as many curries as possible but you could do biryani as others have suggested)

A couple of vegetable curries
A daal
A chicken curry and a lamb curry

Kachumber (a basic Indian salad of cucumber and tomato)
Raita

Poppadoms

Sides. I know you’re not keen on deep fried foods but samosas, pakoras etc are great for adding a bit of variety to the meal.

Pudding. I’m not keen on Indian desserts so would serve ice cream or kulfi. Possibly a fruit salad.

But all of that is a lot of work!

@karmakameleon

If you were going all out, I would do:

Breads (one of naan, paratha, chapatti, puri)
Rice (i would chose something simple to go with as many curries as possible but you could do biryani as others have suggested)

A couple of vegetable curries
A daal
A chicken curry and a lamb curry

Kachumber (a basic Indian salad of cucumber and tomato)
Raita

Poppadoms

Sides. I know you’re not keen on deep fried foods but samosas, pakoras etc are great for adding a bit of variety to the meal.

Pudding. I’m not keen on Indian desserts so would serve ice cream or kulfi. Possibly a fruit salad.

But all of that is a lot of work!

Oh em gee. That sounds lush.

Thank you all for the suggestions. This is what I am thinking of doing:

Naan (store bought)
Poppadoms

Chicken tikka curry
Lahm bhuna
Chickpea and spinach curry

Plain basmati rice

Raita
Mint chutney

Pakoras/samosas ready made. (suggestions for best ready made welcome)

I also want to do a dhal but might be too much?

Not doing dessert. We are having birthday cake.

Thoughts?

Maybe some roasted cauliflower as well.
But that corn on the cob with peanut sauce looks delish as well.

Is the dhal eaten with rice or is it more of a soup?.

Sounds amazing! Can I come??

Dal honestly is not hard work at all...You basically put lentils in with onions and spices let it boil, add more spices/chilli/garlic/herbs and that’s it! Do it ahead of time so you have less to do on the day - it keeps brilliantly in the fridge or you can even freeze it and just microwave or pop it on the hob to heat through on the day.

You can make it the consistency you want - I like it both ways, thinner or thicker. We eat it with rice, with naan, with everything...

Have a look at cooking with Chetna on YouTube,m she was on bake off. She does lovely curries and shows you how to cook everything, found her very good.

Do you know if they are all meat eaters or any vegetarians that you have to cater for?