Neighbourhood "running dinner"

[NewToRenting]

We live overseas, in a multicultural community (with lots of Britishers hence asking on here!). One neighbour has decided to organise a "running dinner".

Google definition: A running dinner is a dinner where (almost) none of the participants know each other and every course is eaten at a different house of one of the participants. This participant is called the host of that round.

I'm an introvert but decided this would be a good chance to know some neighbours at least, so signed up.

The schedule for the evening looks like this:
5.30pm - Arrive for starter.
7.00pm - Arrive at main course - I have been asked to host this.
8.30pm - Arrive at dessert course.
10.00pm - After dinner drinks.

Ours is a (boring!) teetotall vegetarian household. I'm planning to serve chick pea curry, rice and raita. Does the menu sound ok? Should I be serving soft drinks/ salads/ side dishes as well? Does this look like enough food?

Just me, but if I heard the main was going to be vegetarian I'd be hoping for a meat alternative. Would it make more sense for you to do a nice salad starter or a veggie friendly dessert?

Does the organiser know your household is veggie and teetotal?

I would include another 2 side dishes (raita is a condiment really, isnt it?) and yes you need to serve drinks.

You might be teetotal but you have to offer your guests wine. It’s a big get together, relax, get to know the neighbours thing. People will want wine or beer with their dinner, and you’re doing the main. It’s the most important. If you dont want to then swap with the starter person.

We eat 5 vegetarian dinners a week and only 2 nights of meat but I’m not too keen on chickpeas. And a chickpea curry feel a bit flat for a main course in a dinner party.

I’ve only ever heard that referred to (by white Zimbabweans and South Africans) as a ‘safari dinner’ — ‘running dinner’ sounds terribly rushed and athletic.

I agree with a pp that (speaking as a vegetarian myself), you should get in touch with the organiser and tell him/her you’ll only be serving a teetotal vegetarian curry and see how that goes down — I’d probably suggest a swap to starter or dessert.

I’ve only ever heard it called a progressive dinner.

I’m almost a veggie teetotaller, so it wouldn’t be an issue for me!

But in your shoes I would offer to host starter or pudding instead, in case some are disappointed.

If it’s not all BYOB, let guests know in advance that you won’t be serving alcohol so they can bring their own if they want.

Fine if you don’t want alcohol in your house, but again, that will cause less fuss if it’s not the main course.

Ok thanks for the suggestions, yes the organisers do know that we are vegetarian and teetotal.

I assumed that since Starters, Dessert and Drinks courses were being hosted by others, I didn't need to offer those as well. I don't mind serving alcohol but then I feel like I'm shouldering the lion's share of the work AND cost both.

Anyhoo....I will add a few sides/ mains, suggestions please, in keeping with the Indian theme.

For drinks, I have some unopened bottles of vodka in the house, maybe I could do some sort of cocktails with them....simple suggestions welcome please!

Safari dinner, progressive dinner....interesting terminology!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_dinner

Ffs, people can very easily cope with one vegetarian meal in their lives 🙄. A chickpea curry sounds lovely but yes to sides with it.

That sounds much more stately and leisured!

You need to serve wine - otherwise veggie main is lovely

Eh… mostly eat vegetarian, there are lots of really delicious meals but a chickpea curry? I can’t get in with the texture of chickpeas and really don’t enjoy it. A lot of people don’t enjoy chickpeas.

I'd have thought (provided you have no restrictions on what you can eat) that part of the fun of this type of event is seeing how other people do things and trying something outside your norm. So teetotal vegetarian is fine. You can serve fantastic drinks that are not alcohol and delicious veggie food (like chickpea curry!)

Fine, you aren't keen on chickpeas. What if she was to serve steak to someone who doesn't especially like beef? You go to a dinner party, you take what the host has offered. Presumably no one offering to host is going to serve a plate of slop so graciously pick around the chickpeas if you don't love them.

Whilst there's nothing wrong with a chickpea curry it's a "family supper" not a "party main course"

I think you misunderstood pp suggestion - you would be better being the host for the starter, and let another household do the main, not that you should do starters too.

But if you stick with being the main you should prepare at least 3 different curry dishes not just one for it to be a reasonable main course for an event like this. Your chickpea one as planned, perhaps an aubergine one and some saag paneer perhaps

Yes, this is a good way to do it. A pot of chickpea curry just isn’t good enough for a dinner party. You need to do a bit more.

Thank you for all the suggestions, I will include more curries apart from the chick peas.
So it has to be wine? Vodka cocktails wont do :-( Ok then educate me please...white? red? chilled? room temp? I'm not in the UK but should be able to get most brands here, so which one should I buy? I am supposed to cater for 6 people (including me and DH) - how many bottles should I buy?

Vodka cocktails are a bit much for dinner. I mean, sure, some people drink cocktails with food but most really don’t want to get drunk at a dinner party. So yes, wine or beer.

I love chick pea curry and would serve naan bread.
If people want wine / beer they can bring their own if they can’t cope without alcohol or meat for an hour I pity them.

Yes. You are shouldering the main costs here I’d have thought! Maybe not if the others buy in beer/wine.

Great idea to get to know people- not get pissed!

If you are vegetarian how will it effect your ability to partake of all the other courses before and after yours? Do they all know and will cater for you.

Your menu sounds fine but I would include a couple of bottles of wineI dont drink either but always ensure there is plenty for others

2 bottles of red. 2 bottles of chilled white

Personally I love a cold beer or lager with my curry. You should also serve something non alcoholic of course, like lime and soda or lemonade and what about serving mango lassi.

I would be serving indian style beer eg Cobra or Kingfisher rather than wine or cocktails - including some alcohol free if you can get hold of it.

However I think it's a bit weird and mean to make the person who is the newbie in the neighbourhood host a "main course" which is therefore expected to be the centrepiece of the meal. It puts an unreasonable pressure on the one person who should be being made to feel welcomed and it doesn't feel very welcoming. And the person who is hosting after dinner drinks doesn't have to cook at all. If I was organising something like this I would emphasise that no single course is the "main" and it should be seen as a "tasting menu" with 3 savoury courses that are each a little more substantial than a starter but less than a normal main, with desert in the 4th house