Indian food is made for parties. It's meant for sharing, much of it is naturally vegetarian, and it tastes as good on the third helping as the first. The hard part is knowing what to serve and how much of it, so here's how we'd plan it, by the number of guests.
For two to four guests
Keep it special rather than big. A High Chai hamper (£78, feeds two) is an Indian afternoon tea in a box: savoury and sweet bites and masala chai. For a sit-down evening, private dining brings two to four courses to your table, with a minimum spend of £200.
For four to 16 guests
This is where party boxes (from £39pp) come in: curries, rice, flatbreads, salad, poppadoms and pickles, cooked fresh and delivered ready to eat or reheat, with eco-friendly plates and cutlery. A dabba (from £78, feeds two) does the same in traditional tiffin tins, from a menu your guests pre-order.
If people will be standing and chatting rather than sitting down, grazing hampers work better: bites rather than a meal, made to order around what you like.
For 17 to 50 guests
A self-serve hot buffet. The standard buffet is two or three curries with rice, bread, kachumber salad or raita, poppadoms and pickles. We set up before your guests arrive and come back to clear up.
How much food per guest?
Buffet: two or three curries is right whether you're feeding 17 or 50. Usually that's one vegetarian, one chicken and one lamb, and sometimes we swap the chicken or the lamb for a prawn curry. Add the rice, bread, raita or kachumber, poppadoms and pickles, and that's a full main meal for everyone.
Sandwiches: allow up to four halves per person.
Hampers: this depends on which hamper you choose. Our High Chai hamper feeds two hungry people as a full meal for example. So for more guests, we simply add more hampers to the table. If you’re choosing a sandwiches hamper or a bakes hamper, each would feed more and you’d order a few different types so your guests have a bit of variety to tuck into.
Nibbles before a meal: there's no set number. We size them to your guest list and to what's on the main meal menu, so you're never left with too much or too little.
The easiest way is to tell us your numbers and the kind of party, and we'll size the order for you.
Vegetarian and vegan guests
Indian food covers mixed groups better than most. Plenty of curries are naturally vegetarian, so everyone can eat from the same spread. We can include vegan dishes too, though some, such as raita or curries made with yoghurt, can't be made vegan. Allergens are listed on every menu we design for you.
Practical bits
Where: your home or another venue, indoors or outdoors.
Plates and cutlery: eco-friendly disposables are available; for private dining we bring all the tableware.
Distance: we cook in West Horsley (GU23) and travel up to an hour to an hour and a half.
Notice: book as early as you can, but even a week's notice may work.
SOME of our work
Ready to plan yours? See all our catering options and enquire.