Indian Potluck Party Recipes Ideas | Vegetarian Potluck Lunch, Dinner Recipes Menu

Here is the list of Indian vegetarian potluck party lunch and dinner recipes menu ideas comprising of South Indian and North Indian party snacks, main course, side dish recipes and dessert. Potluck is nothing but a gathering of friends where each guest contributes a different, unique, homemade dish or food to be shared among everyone. 

In simple words, a potluck party is a meal or party to which each of the guests brings or contributes their own food to share. Smaller, more informal get-together with distributed food preparation may also be called potlucks. Other names for a "potluck" include: potluck dinner, potluck lunch, spread, Jacob's join, Jacob's supper, faith supper, covered-dish-supper, dish party, bring-and-share, shared lunch, pitch-in, bring-a-plate, dish-to-pass, fuddle, and carry-in. (Source : Wikipedia).

In India, it is also known as kitty party. Potluck lunch or potluck dinner is the most common one. The only traditional rule for potluck is that each dish should be large enough in quantity that has to be shared among a good portion with the guests. In some cases each participant agrees ahead of time to bring a single course, and the result is a multi-course meal. Guests may bring in any form of food, ranging from the main course to desserts. Nowadays people have started to conduct potluck parties with themed lunch and dinners for special occasions and festivals.

People in abroad (especially in US) conduct potluck parties almost every weekend. As my friend Shalini is in US, she used to share all the pictures of potluck and discuss the recipe menu with me. All the pictures and the recipe ideas given in this post are shared by my friend Shalini based on the various potluck parties conducted by her friends. Thank you so much dearie. 

As we had already shared Kids birthday party menu list, framing this potluck recipes menu ideas was not difficult for us. The list I have shared here comprises of the most popular dishes that is liked by all. I have also shared a list of 2 sample Potluck party menu for lunch and dinner at the end of this post with the most popular combinations to give you an idea. Hope this post will be helpful to you all.

 Friends, do share your potluck recipes in the comments section. It would be a great help for all of us.

HOW TO ARRANGE FOR POTLUCK / KITTY PARTY

I used to make potluck along with my school moms group friends when I was in a rented house. Mostly it would be a lunch party from 1 pm to 3 pm before kids come from the school. It would be super good and fun filled if the number of participants is more in potluck. Our group have 8 people. 

A week before the potluck, we used to frame the lunch menu which includes starters, main course and dessert recipes. We write down the names of dishes and the person who is going to cook it. Mostly we all make the food at our home and conduct the party in one of the friend’s place. Some people used to buy it from outside especially sweets and snacks.

The person who is hosting the party in their house doesn’t have to cook anything but they take the responsibility of buying use and throw plates, cups and spoons.  As soon as all the friends meet, we used to display the food in the dining table. Our first job is to click pictures to share in social media pages. Then we go for tasting the food. 

After we finish eating, we used to chitchat or play UNO, cards or some one minute games for the last 30 minutes to 1 hour. It would be full of laughter and fun. Then we disperse to school to bring our kids back home. This is how we conduct the potluck parties at least once in a month. On the whole day, it keeps us refreshing, energetic and make us forget all the family or work related stress in the mind. I would strongly suggest all the ladies especially house wives to have a fun gathering like this at least once in a month.

Now, lets move on to the collection of Vegetarian Party Recipes list. Hope you like this and find it useful.

THINGS REQUIRED 

• Plastic/ Disposable plates
• Disposable cups for juice, water
• Disposable bowls
• Thermal food bags for carrying food
• Bowls and Ladles for serving food
• Tissue papers
• Water bottles

Starters

1. Gobi 65 / Gobi Fry
2. Paneer 65
3. Baby corn 65
4. Gobi manchurian
5. Baby corn manchurian
6. Vegetable manchurian
7. Paneer manchurian
8. Medu vada/ Urad dal vada
9. Masala Vada 
10. Sabudana vada with peanut chutney
11. Pepper Vada (Anjaneyar temple vada)
12. Mixed Vegetable Vada
13. Sweet corn vada
14. Cabbage vada
15. Thattuvadai set
16. Pakoda (onion, cashew pakoda, Veg pakoda, pudina pakoda)
17. Pani puri
18. Onion rings
19. Punjabi Samosa
20. Vegetable cutlet
21. Aloo tikki
22. Vada pav
23. Dahi Vada
24. Samosa chat
25. Canapes
26. Potato Chips Or Nachos with salsa
27. Veg spring rolls
28. Veg Puffs
29. Masala papad
30. Honey chilli potato
31. Paneer tikka with green chutney
32. Dhokla OR  Khandvi
33. Paneer pakora
34. Mirchi bajji / Chilli bajji
35. Stuffed Chilli Bajji (Andhra style)
36. Onion Bajji / Pakora
37. Potato bajji / Aloo Pakora
38. Raw banana bajji
39. Hara Bhara Kabab
40. Potato wedges
41. French fries
42. Falafel with hummus
43. Dabeli
44. Kachori
45. Kerala Pazham Pori

SOUPS

1. Tomato soup
2. Lemon coriander soup
3. Carrot soup
4. Dal soup
5. Mushroom soup
6. Veg clear soup
7. Minestrone soup
8. Sweet corn soup
9. Mulligatawny
10. Tomato basil soup

DRINKS / JUICES

1. Shikanji
2. Jal jeera
3. Thandai
4. Aam panna
5. Masala chaas
6. Lemon juice
7. Mango juice / Homemade Frooti
8. Fruit punch
9. Orange juice
10. Rose milk
11. Lassi (mango lassi)
12. Smoothie
13. Soft drinks
14. Masala coke
15. Buttermilk (Seasoned buttermilk tastes better)
16. Pinacolada

MAIN COURSE

1. Roti / chapathi
2. Paratha varieties ( Aloo & Gobi is the most preferred ones)
3. Kulcha ( Plain & stuffed Kulcha)
4. Poori
5. Idli
6. Dosa (Masala dosa)
7. Vada / Medu vada
8. Ven Pongal and Sweet Pongal
9. Rava kichadi OR Masala rava kichadi
10. Uthappam (Plain, Podi, Onion, Mixed Veg)
11. Rava idli
12. Idiyappam / rice sevai
13. Semiya biryani / Pulao
14. Kuzhi paniyaram
15. White sauce pasta
16. Veg noodles
17. Pav bhaji
18. Vada pav
19. Thayir vada
20. Sambar vada ( Refer Sambar recipe)
21. Sambar idli
22. Idli fry
23. Mini dosa recipes

SIDE DISH RECIPES / GRAVIES

1. Sambar Varieties For Idli, Dosa
2. Chutney Varieties
3. Idli Podi
4. Gravies & Kurma ( chana masala, saag, Paneer, Aloo, mixed veg, palak, dal makhani , dal tadka, veg kofta, methi malai, matar paneer, aloo gobi)
5. Raita (Onion, cucumber, boondi, carrot raita, mixed veg, masala)
6. Sambar For Rice
7. Kuzhambu Varieties ( Vathakuzhambu, Kara kuzhambu)
8. Rasam Varieties
9. Kootu Recipes
10. Poriyal recipes ( Potato, cauliflower poriyal works great)
11. Vadam, Vathal

RICE VARIETIES

1. Puliyogare / Tamarind rice
2. Tomato rice
3. Veg biryani varieties
4. Lemon rice
5. Veg pulao
6. Hotel Veg Pulao
7. Jeera rice
8. Paneer pulao / biryani
9. Mint pulao
10. Karnataka Bisibelebath
11. Tamilnadu sambar sadam
12. Vegetable Fried rice
13. Coconut rice
14. Plain rice, sambar, rasam, Kara kuzhambu  any dry curry ( potato curry, mixed veg curry, bhindi fry (North Indian), cauliflower curry )
15. Curd rice, pickle

SWEETS / DESSERT

1. Kesaribath
2. Rice kheer
3. Sweet pongal
4. Gulab jamun
5. Carrot halwa
6. Rava ladoo
7. Rasagulla
8. Rasmalai
9. Moong dal halwa
10. Easy Atta halwa
11. Semiya payasam
12. Ice creams
13. Sabudana kheer
14. Fresh fruit cream
15. Fruit Custard
16. Badam kheer
17. Carrot kheer
18. Kaju katli
19. Cakes and muffins 
20. Paal Kozhukattai
21. Chettinad Paal Kozhukattai 
22. Rava Ladoo 
23. Besan laddu
24. Moong dal ladoo
25. Beetroot Halwa

SALAD

Freshly cut onion, cucumber, tomato, carrot
Fruits salad

BEVERAGES

Tea / chai
Coffee
Water Bottles

POTLUCK LUNCH PARTY SAMPLE MENU 

• Any Fruit juice
• Masala vada / Gobi 65 / Medhu vada
• Rava kesari / Kesaribath Or Sweet pongal
• Bisibelebath & chips
• Vegetable pulao or biryani with raita
• Roti with mixed vegetable kurma or Paneer butter masala
• Plain rice, Sambar , Rasam,  potato curry OR cauliflower curry
• Gulab Jamun with icecream
• Payasam/ Kheer ( Vermicelli or rice)
• Sliced vegetables & fruits for salad.

POTLUCK DINNER PARTY SAMPLE MENU

• Tomato soup or sweet corn soup
• Gobi manchurian 
• Vegetable spring rolls or samosa
• Roti/ Naan/ Kulcha/ Rumali roti
• Paneer butter masala / Dal makhani/ Mixed vegetable gravy
• Vegetable Dum Biryani with raita
• Vegetable noodles with sauce
• Plain rice, dal tadka
• Sambar or rasam
• Papad or chips
• Carrot halwa with icecream or fruits custard
• Mixed fruits salad