Let's throw a party

PARTIES are fun time - a time to share one's hospitality with family and friends. A time of satisfaction and fulfillment of a job well done. With a little planning and hard work - the party could be a great success. Here are a few recipes which could help you turn your party into a fantastic one.

Vegetable Biriyani (for 12)

Ingredients

Pulav rice - 3 cups Cubed vegetables (cauliflower, beans, carrots and peas) - 4 cups Ghee - 1/2 cup Oil - 1/4 cup Onions - 6 Tomatoes - 6 Garlic - 20 flakes Almonds - 20 Coriander seeds - 1 tblsp. Poppy seeds - 2 tblsps. Ginger (chopped) - 2 tblsps Sonf (sombu) - 1 tblsp. Green chillies - 12 Mint leaves - 1/4 bunch Coriander leaves - 1 bunch Whole garam masala Cloves - 10 Cardamon - 6 pods Cinnamon - 4 small sticks Salt - 2-2-1/4 tsp Chilli Powder - 1/4 - 1-1/2 tsp Bread slice

Method:

Chop all vegetables. Cut onions lengthwise, slit green chillies. Pick and clean the mint and coriander leaves. Cube bread slices. Grind peeled almonds, ten flakes garlic, ginger, six green chillies, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, sonf, mint and coriander leaves into a smooth paste.

Wash the rice well, drain off all water. Heat 2 tblsps ghee in a thick casserole, add the whole garam masala (cinnamon, cloves and cardamon). When they sizzle put in the rice and fry till it is well roasted. Add double the amount of water, 1-3/4 tsps salt, cover and cook on a slow flame till the rice is done and all water evaporates. Keep aside. Fry the chopped vegetables in 1 tblsp of ghee, steam and keep aside. Fry the bread cubes in 2 tbsps of ghee till golden brown, keep aside.

Heat the remaining ghee and oil in a pan, add onions and the remaining garlic and fry till the onion turns light gold in colour. Add the remaining slit green chillies, saute a bit, add the ground masala and chilli powder and fry till the raw smell disappears. Add chopped tomatoes, and 1/2 tsp salt and cook till the tomatoes becomes mushy. Mix into the rice and vegetables. Toss gently till everything is uniformly mixed. Serve hot garnished with the fried bread cubes. Serve with any raita.

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Milk Puris (for 12)

Ingredients

Maida - 3 cups Wheat Flour - 3 cups Oil - 3 tblsps. Cuminseeds - 2 tsp. Salt - 1 tsp. Enough milk to mix.

Method:

Sieve the maida and wheat flour. Rub in the oil into the mixture. Add salt and cuminseeds (jeera). Mix with enough cold milk to make a firm dough. Keep aside covered for 1/2 hour.

Make medium sized balls, roll out into uniform circles and deep fry in hot oil till golden in colour. Serve hot with kurma.

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Vegetable Kurma (for 12)

Ingredients

Cubed vegetables - 3 cups (Carrot, peas, beans) Cauliflower flowerets - 2 cups Coconut - 1 cup Ghee - 4 tblsps. Oil - 4 tblsps. Poppy seeds (Khuskhus) - 1 1/2 tblsps. Cashewnuts - 2 tblsps. Sonf (Sombu) - 1 tblsp. Tomatoes - 6 Dry red chillies - 4 Cloves - 4 Cardamom - 4 Cinnamon stick - 2 small bits Onion - 2 Garlic - 6 flakes Ginger - 1 inch Salt - 1 3/4 tsps. Green chillies - 4 (silt)

Method:

Fry the vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, peas and beans) with two slit green chillies in two tblsps. of ghee. Steam till cooked. Grind poppy seeds, red chillies, cashewnut, coconut, sonf, ginger, garlic and coconut into a fine paste.

Heat the ghee and oil in a kadai, add a pinch of sonf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. When they splutter add the chopped onion and fry till the onion turns light gold in colour. Add ground masala and fry till the raw smell disappears. Put in tomatoes, cook till the tomatoes become mushy, add vegetables, salt, remaining two slit green chillies and a little water. Simmer till a thick gravy is formed. Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves along with milk puris.

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Date and Vermicelli Kheer (serves 12)

Ingredients

Milk - 6 cups Dates - 2 cups (chopped) Thin vermicelli - 1 1/2 cups Sugar - 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups Cream - 2 cups Sliced peeled almonds - 2 tblsps. Ghee - 2 tblsps. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp.

Method:

Fry the vermicelli in ghee till light gold in colour. Keep aside. Boil the milk in a thick vessel, reduce heat and add the vermicelli. Cook the vermicelli in the milk on a slow flame, stirring all the time till cooked. Reduce flame and add sugarslowly, and stir till the sugar dissolves. Remove from flame and add chopped dates to the kheer. Allow to cool.

Beat the cream into a smooth mixture. Add to the kheer when cold along with almonds and cardamom powder. Serve chilled, adding a little milk if kheer becomes too thick.

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