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Cocktail Party



Top 10 Snacks, Starters for Cocktail Parties

A cocktail party is usually an occasion for celebration. It might be to celebrate an occasion, an achievement or simply a sophisticated get-together.

Some of the occasions for which cocktail parties are held:
1. Pre-wedding events
2. Birthday party
3. Business meeting
4. Baby shower
5. Engagement
6. Any other happy moment worth celebrating!

  Top 10 Starter Recipes
1. Corn Cheese Balls
2. Nacho Chips with Cheese Dip
3. Pav Bhaji Fondue
4. Besan Masala Peanuts
5. Aloo Cheese Croquettes
6. Cheesy Baked Zucchini Fries
7. Ricotta and Cherry Tomato Crostini
8. Broccoli and Cheese Balls
9. Pesto Corn and Black Olives Pinwheel Sandwich
10. Paneer Tikka

At a cocktail party, the guests are usually served several bite-sized starters along with alcohol-based drinks or cocktails. A couple of non-alcoholic mocktails are also served for teetotalers. The guests will be moving around freely at a cocktail party. The snacks or starters may be placed at tables at convenient places or carried around by bearers depending on the scale of the party, the place where it is held, the number of helpers available, etc.

Usually, dry and bite-sized snacks are preferred. The starters are always made to look very attractive because there is a certain standard to live up to in a cocktail party! The cocktails may precede a brunch or dinner party.


10 Tips to choose your Veg Starters wisely for Cocktail Parties

1. Always include some starters with bread as it soaks up alcohol.
2. Let not all the starters be deep-fried. Not only will it get difficult to prepare, but some people might be hesitant about having so much deep-fried stuff. So, include some raw, steamed or baked starters too.
3. Include a selection of chips and dry tidbits that can be enjoyed with dips.
4. The starters served should be easy to pick and eat, and not saucy or messy. Go for bite-sized!
5. Pick a good mix of deep-fried, baked, tandoori and barbequed snacks.
6. Make it convenient for the guests by serving each starter with toothpicks and tissues.
7. The starters should be piping hot and fresh.
8. Ensure that the starters are circulated well, or placed amply in several locations, so that is it available for all the guests to try.
9. The cocktail snacks must be arranged attractively in platters to make it look classy.
10. Do not select starters with uncommon ingredients, because some guests might be hesitant to try. Mushrooms and eggs are also not very preferable.

A mix of Indian and international starters will strike a proper balance and make sure all your guests are satiated. When a series of snacks is served one after the other, variety is very important. Only then people will pay attention to and individually relish each snack. If the snacks are repetitive, for example if you serve four or five types of tikkis one after the other, the guests will get bored and not even notice what they are eating. So, go for a good variety.

This is not very difficult to do, because there does exist a rather large pool of cocktail snacks and starters in every cuisine. You can go for standard, ever-popular choices like the Corn Cheese Balls, Nacho Chips with Cheese Dip and Besan Masala Peanuts, or surprise your guests with something different like the Cheesy Baked Zucchini Fries or Pav Bhaji Fondue! Croquettes and crostini are ideal to serve at cocktail parties because they are handily sized and extremely attractive to look at. If you are planning to serve Tikkis or samosas, make sure you size them small.

When arranging a cocktail party, the idea is not just to serve satiating food, but to do it in such way that you set a new standard that’s spoken about memorably for a long time! Class and convenience go hand-in-hand to make a cocktail party a great success.

Chilli Cheese Naan On Tava Without Tandoor,   Pineapple Passion,   Tava Chana Dal Vadas,   Creamy Mushroom Tartlets,   Carrot and Black Grape Juice ( Party Drinks ),   Aloo Ka Bomb,  

Top Recipes

homemade pav bhaji | how to make pav bhaji at home | mumbai pav bhaji made at home | with 25 amazing images. There is nothing healthier than making your homemade pav bhaji versus opting for pav bhaji from the street. While i do love mumbai roadside pav bhaji, i still think you should make your pav bhaji at home. In this homemade pav bhaji recipe, we have first pressure cooked the vegetables (cauliflower, green peas and carrots), that go into the pav bhaji. Then in a separate deep non stick pan cooked the chilli garlic paste, sauted the onions, capsicum and tomatoes. Added the kashmiri red chillies, pav bhaji masala and cooked with some water. Finally we add the potatoes and pressure cooked vegetables and cooked the mumbai pav bhaji made at home. Why make mumbai pav bhaji made at home? 1. Street vendors tend to use inferior quality vegetables which are not even cleaned properly. At home, we have the option to use the best quality of everything. 2. Water used to clean vegetables is not filtered by street vendors. 3. Everything is cooked in the open which leads to all kinds of infestation of the food despite it being hot. 4. The butter used is believed to be half margarine and half butter to cut costs and will lead to heart issues. We make homemade pav bhaji as a one meal dinner. Traditionally pav bhaji is served with yummy ladi pav which is made of plain flour. We suggest you try and use homemade multigrain bread to have with your homemade pav bhaji. homemade pav bhaji is truly an innovation that arose out of the necessity of providing a nice hot meal in a hurry and one that tickles the taste buds. When I am lazy to cook on an entire meal for my family, pav bhaji in one of the first few dishes which comes to mind. It is easy to cook and also filling. Aside from pav bhaji, we have other variations like jain pav bhaji, khada pav bhaji, pressure cooker pav bhaji and pav bhaji made with doodhi. Enjoy homemade pav bhaji | how to make pav bhaji at home | mumbai pav bhaji made at home with detailed step by step photos below.

vegetarian sponge cake | eggless sponge cake | Indian vanilla sponge cake no eggs | with 22 amazing images. This vegetarian sponge cake is just what it should be – perfectly spongy! With the right level of sweetness, a pleasing flavour and melt-in-the-mouth softness, this versatile Indian vanilla sponge cake is the ultimate go-to dessert for vegetarians. The proper mix of baking soda and baking powder gives this eggless sponge cake a nice sponginess and rise despite not using eggs. Fondly called the vegetarian sponge cake, this eggless sponge cake can be enjoyed plain or with decorative icings like Mocha Glaze Icing or Orange Butter Icing. The same recipe also lends itself to making other cakes like Pineapple Cake. Note that for this vegetarian sponge cake we do not have to add any extra sugar because we are using condensed milk, which gives a rich flavour and texture. A few tips and points to make the perfect eggless vegetarian sponge cake. 1. Flouring the tin is necessary because it prevents the butter from melting and getting mixed into the cake batter. 2. If you don't preheat the oven before you put the cake tin inside the oven, it will be difficult for you to estimate the baking time. Also the cake will not rise well. 3. Sieving these dry ingredients, baking powder and baking soda together will make the flour lighter and will also remove lumps or impurities from the flour if present. 4. If you bake your eggless vegetarian sponge cake at a very high temperature, it might rise well initially but will deflate eventually. You can store this yummy vegetarian sponge cake in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, or in the fridge for 4-5 days. However, it is best enjoyed fresh and warm when the aroma is at the peak. Enjoy how to make vegetarian sponge cake | eggless sponge cake | Indian vanilla sponge cake no eggs | with detailed step by step photos below.

vegetable manchurian recipe | Chinese vegetable manchurian | Indo Chinese veg manchurian | with 29 amazing images. vegetable manchurian recipe is an Indo Chinese veg manchurian dish that has become so famous that it is available everywhere these days, from roadside eateries and local restaurants to Indian wedding menus and specialty diners too! The succulent vegetable manchurian features deep-fried vegetable balls in a thick gravy that is flavoured with typical Chinese ingredients like ginger, garlic and soy sauce. This desi interpretation of the Chinese dish has no MSG or Ajinomoto in vegetable Manchurian. Chinese vegetable manchurian is quite easy to make but you just need to take care of one thing – the vegetable balls should be of the right consistency, if the mix is too loose it will break while frying. Notes on vegetable Manchurian recipe. 1. When you start mixing a little bit more, the vegetables will start releasing water and the wet mixture will start coming together. It will look like this. Do not squeeze the mixture too much as it might become very loose. 2. Deep fry a few vegetable balls at a time, on a medium flame, until golden brown from all sides. It is very important to have the oil at the right temperature while deep frying. If the oil is too hot, the balls will burn from outside and remain undercooked and doughy from insde. We have fried the vegetable balls in batches of 5, each batch taking 4-5 minutes to cook. 3. Now add the cornflour-water mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes, while stirring occasionally. As cornflour does not dissolve in water, always stir the mixture well before adding it to any sauce or gravy. The reason for adding this is for the gravy to get thicker as it cooks. If the gravy is too thin after 3 to 4 minutes, you can add more of the cornflour-water mixture. But if the gravy is too thick, you can add more water or stock to it to adjust the consistency Serve the Chinese vegetable manchurian piping hot with Burnt Garlic Rice or Hakka Noodles. For more options, do check out our section of Recipes for Chinese Vegetables. Learn how to make vegetable manchurian recipe | Chinese vegetable manchurian | Indo Chinese veg manchurian | with detailed step by step photos and video below.

low calorie dal makhani recipe | low fat dal makhani | healthy low cal dal makhani | with 20 amazing images. low calorie dal makhani without cream and butter. We have made this a healthy dal makhani where the fat levels are reduced. So if you are diabetic or on weight loss then you can enjoy the low fat dal makhani recipe. low calorie dal makhani, a flavourful robust lentil preparation, is a celebrated delicacy from Punjab. Best had with the healthy makki ki roti. See why this is called a healthy low cal dal makhani recipe. Rajma and whole urad provide protein and calcium which are extremely important for maintenance of your body cells and healthy bones. Cooking the dal in tomato purée adds a little sharpness to this dish and also enriches it with folic acid and folic acid . We have done away with full fat cream and butter to make this recipe healthier. Some tips to make the perfect low calorie dal makhani recipe. 1. Cover and keep the whole urad bowl aside for overnight. It is important to soak them overnight so that they take lesser time to cook the next day. 2. Pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles or till the dals are overcooked. Both the urad dal and rajma should melt in the mouth and should not have a bite on eating, so ensure they are very well cooked. Enjoy low calorie dal makhani recipe | low fat dal makhani | healthy low cal dal makhani with detailed step by step photos and video below.

kadai paneer subzi recipe | restaurant style kadai paneer sabzi | homemade kadai paneer sabzi | with amazing images. Treat yourself to this fine sabzi, made in traditional restaurant style kadai paneer, spiced up with an assortment of spices and pastes. Kadai paneer is the most commonly ordered dish in every restaurant. It is a spicy and delicious sabzi. It is on the menu of almost every Indian restaurant. Making kadai paneer subzi is no rocket science you can easily make it by following our delicious recipe. To make kadai paneer subzi recipe, How to make Kadai Paneer Subzi. Combine coriander seeds and the red chillies in a mixer and blend to a coarse powder. Keep aside. Heat the ghee in a deep non-stick kadhai, add the ginger paste, garlic paste. Then rub the dry fenugreek leaves between your palm and add, sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. Add the capsicum and the coarse powder and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and ¼ cup of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Add the paneer and coriander, toss it lightly and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute. Serve kadai paneer subzi hot with naan, chapati or kulcha. The addition of dried fenugreek leaves gives the Kadai Paneer Subzi its characteristic taste, while capsicum and tomatoes complement the paneer well in texture, flavour and volume too. The tinges of ginger and garlic add a pungent dimension to this flavourful homemade kadai paneer sabzi, which goes very well with puris and rotis. For a complete meal combo serve homemade kadai paneer sabzi along with Dal Amritsari and Jeera Rice. Check out our collection of best paneer recipes to learn various other Paneer recipes. Enjoy kadai paneer subzi recipe | restaurant style kadai paneer sabzi | homemade kadai paneer sabzi | with detailed step by step photos and video below.

palak paneer recipe | Punjabi palak paneer | homemade palak paneer | spinach with cottage cheese | with 24 amazing images. palak paneer recipe is one of the many of the best loved vegetarian Punjabi dishes are the ones where paneer is combined with a vegetable. Paneer is widely used and very popular in Punjab due to the abundance of milk and milk products in the area. To make homemade palak paneer you need to make a spinach puree first. Then heat the oil in a kadhai , add the onions and sauté on a medium flame till they turn translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and turmeric powder and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato pulp and sauté till the mixture leaves oil, while stirring continuously. Add the spinach purée and 2 tbsp of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add the salt, garam masala and fresh cream and mix well. Add the paneer, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve spinach with cottage cheese hot. Some tips to make the perfect palak paneer recipe. 1. Blanch the spinach for 2 to 3 minutes. If you boil the spinach for long, the spinach will lose its colour and the Palak Paneer gravy will come out dark. 2. Run the strainer below cold water to refresh the spinach. This stops the cooking process of the spinach. It is a very important step in the Palak Paneer Recipe as you do not want to overcook the spinach. 3. We do not add the garam masala in the beginning because adding it earlier would make it bitter. This combination of spinach and paneer is not only highly nutritious, but is a splendid blend of taste, texture and flavour. The paneer in this homemade palak paneer recipe has been fried to add some extra flavour. You can however add the paneer pieces without frying if required. Serve homemade palak paneer with rotis or parathas. Enjoy palak paneer recipe | Punjabi palak paneer | homemade palak paneer | spinach with cottage cheesee | with detailed step by step photos below.

Who can resist the temptation of sinking their teeth into a soft, rich and gooey chocolate cake? An all-time favourite, the Chocolate Cake fits perfectly into any occasion , and is a must-add to everybody’s cooking folders. This intensely-flavoured eggless chocolate cake is surprisingly easy to make and hardly requires any complex preparations. Made with an ideal combination of flour, butter and condensed milk, this cake has a wonderfully rich texture – not to forget the memorable flavour derived from cocoa and vanilla. A recipe that is definitely worth trying! You can also try other delightful Cakes like Black Forest Cake or Cheesy Chocolate and Fruit Cake

dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | Indian dal curry soup | with amazing 26 images. dal fry recipe is a popular Punjabi dal fry. A mixture of moong and masoor dal cooked to perfection in dhaba style dal fry and perked up with an aromatic tempering along with fried onions and tomatoes. This dal fry has a very pleasing texture and irresistible flavour too. From roadside dhabhas to global Indian restaurants, almost all diners serve this all-time favourite dhaba style dal fry. A thoughtful combination of everyday ingredients come together in the form of a tadka to give this dal frydal fry a thoroughly enjoyable flavour that lingers on the palate for a long time. dal fry with masoor dal is made with the most basic ingredients yet the outcome is beautiful. Generally, authentic dal fry is made with made with toor dal and chana dal but here we have slightly twisted the recipe by making dal fry with masoor dal and toor dal. This is our version of it. The aroma tingles your nostrils, while the flavour teases your taste buds – so enticing is this dal frydal fry that it is hard to believe that it is simple, everyday fare made with the commonest ingredients! The addition of nigella seeds to the tempering is a special touch, which leaves a lingering flavour of dal fry on your taste buds even after you finish your meal. You can serve the dal fry with rotis, parathas, naans, plain steamed rice or jeera rice. It is simple and easy to cook, but gives irresistible results, so do give it a try! Learn to make dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | Indian dal curry soup | with detailed step by step recipe photos and video below.

pani puri recipe | golgappa | puchka | home made pani puri | with amazing 33 images. pani puris are known as "golgappas" in Northern India and as "poochkas" in West Bengal. pani puri is crisp semolina puris filled with sprouts and chilled mint flavoured water make a great snack for a hot summer afternoon. When my favourite “ pani puri wallah" is serving me these delightful little puris one after the other, I just go on eating till I can eat no more! Sprouts can be replaced by hot ragda to complement the chilled mint water. Making the puris takes some time to master and although they can be bought from a local store, the extra effort put in to make them at home is well worth the trouble. Do remember to store the puris in an air-tight container. You can always refresh them by baking them in a slow oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Finding excuses to invite people over, organize a chaat party and serve in disposable plates made from dry 'Sal' leaves to create an ambience. End on a sweet note with desserts like Baked Boondi Gulab Jamun Kesar Malai Kulfi and Malpuas. Pani Puri, have it spicy sweet or balanced – just the way you like it! It is a delight to watch the vendor skilfully punch a tiny hole in each puri thereafter adding the fillings and dipping it in the meetha chutney and teekha pani. Because of the hygiene and cleanliness issue, many people prefer making pani puri at home from scratch. The elements required for making home made golgappa are - crispy puri, a stuffing of your choice (soaked boondi, boiled potatoes, chickpeas and moong or ragda) and pani (teekha phudina pani and sweet imli pani). There are many other versions of pani too like lehsun ka pani, jaljeera, hing jeera pani. The recipe can be modified as per your preference. If you are making a mixed sprouts stuffing for pani puri then you would require some pre-preparation of 2 days. Make sure, you assemble pani puri only when you are eating it or else it will get soggy and the crispiness of the puri will be lost. Once you are done don’t forget to have a sip of teekha pani and a sukha puri to bring the delightful experience to a fitting end! Learn to make pani puri recipe | golgappa | puchka | home made pani puri | with detailed step by step recipe photos below.

rasgulla recipe | Bengali rasgulla recipe | rasgulla at home | chhena rasgulla | with amazing 21 images. rasgulla is a milk based popular Indian dessert orginated from Bengal yet equally loved all over India. rasgulla are served along with syrup and even cooked in the same sugar syrup. Ras stands for syrup and gulla stands for balls. rasgulla is one sweet the Bengalis cannot live without, and you too are sure to fall in love with it once you taste these super-soft, milk-white rasgulla. Remember that everything matters in the making of perfect rasgullas---from the amount of lemon juice used and the lump-free kneading of the chenna, to the consistency of the sugar water. Chhena is coagulated milk which acts a base for rasgulla. When you make rasgulla make sure to use and prepare fresh chhena, as making it in advance and storing it the refrigerator will change the texture of the rasgulla sweet. Notes and tips to make the perfect Bengali rasgulla recipe. 1. Bengali rosgulla is made using chenna. To make chenna at home, heat the cow’s milk and buffalo’s milk in a broad and deep non-stick pan and bring it to a boil. If buffalo’s milk is not available you can make the recipe using 5 cups of cow’s milk. Ideally, cow’s milk gives best result as it has less fat comparatively and the formation of malai (milk granules) is lesser. Keep stirring in between so that milk does not get stick to the bottom of the pan and get burnt. 2. To make soft, spongy rasgulla at home, put 5 cups of water in a steamer or a pressure cooker. For an added flavor, you can add some cardamom pods in sugar syrup. Make sure to have enough room for chenna balls to submerge completely and swell double or triple in size while boiling. 3. Do not hang the chenna for more than 30 to 45 minutes or else the chenna will be completely dry and rasgulla will turn hard. 3. Knead until the chenna is smooth, free of lumps and has no milk granules. If the chenna is not smooth the rosogulla may turn hard. Don’t over knead or else there will be no moisture and rasgulla will develop cracks. 4. Remove Bengali rasgulla gently into a bowl. They will shrink a little after switching off the flame but it is normal. Before removing them if you wish to check if the rasgullas are cooked , or not drop a rasgulla in a glass of fresh water. It will sink to the bottom if done or else it will float on top if it is raw from inside. So, follow instructions perfectly and you will end up with praise-worthy rasgullas. Once you get the hang of it, rasgulla becomes quite easy and you will be game to make it very frequently! Do try other popular Bengali sweets like Chum Chum and Lebu Sandesh. Learn to make rasgulla recipe | Bengali rasgulla recipe | rasgulla at home | chhena rasgulla | with detailed step by step photos.
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