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 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.

HOW TO ARRANGE FOR POTLUCK / KITTY PARTY

I used to make potluck along with my school moms group friends when I was in my rented house. Mostly it would be a lunch party from 1 pm to 3 pm before kids come from the school. It would be 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 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 laugh 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 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 

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12 Kesari Varieties – Different Types Of Rava Kesari Recipes - Indian Halwa Recipes

Collection of 12 Rava Kesari varieties / different types of rava kesari / Sheera Recipes. In this new year 2018, I wanted to start with a sweet post. So here I made a collection of different types of rava kesari recipes from my website. Kesari is basically an Indian sweet dish prepared with semolina, sugar and ghee. 

People in South India and North India call this yummy dessert recipe in different names like rava kesari, Kesaribath, Sheera, Halwa etc. We love to make Rava Kesari / Ksheera at home for all the festivals and occasions. Even today I made kesari bath for new year celebration. Kesari is basically a beginners sweet. Its so easy to make and takes less time to prepare. Even though its considered as a beginners sweet, many of us doesn’t get it right in texture. Sometimes it becomes hard, chewy, dry or with lumps. 

To prepare hotel style, soft and ghee dripping kesari must be the dream of many. Me too not an exception. When I was a beginner, I struggled a lot to make perfect kesari. So my MIL taught me some useful tips about the ratio of water and rava, perfect cooking of rava/semolina without lumps and much more. 

From then, I started to make good kesari every time and I got the confidence to explore different types of rava kesari recipes like milk kesari/ Paal kesari, pineapple kesari, mango kesari, Karnataka style kesaribath, microwave rava kesari, other kesari recipes like Vermicelli kesari, Aval kesari/Poha kesari and some North Indian Sheera recipes like suji ka halwa/ suji sheera, Atta ka sheera and Moong dal dal sheera. I am yet to try banana sheera and fruit kesari recipes. I will add them in this list once I do that. Now lets see the collection of 10 Kesari recipes from Chitra’s Food Book in this New Year 2018 as my first post .

I thank all my readers and followers of my website for your unconditional love and support. I am really blessed to have you all. Hoping to get more and more support, encouragement and love from you in this new year as well. Ok, lets move on to the post !

Kesari Varieties - South Indian, North Indian Sheera Recipes

12 Kesari Varieties – Different types of South Indian & North Indian Sheera Recipes

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Kesari Recipes

Serves: Serves 3-4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

• Rava Kesari Recipe

• Kesaribath recipe

• Karnataka Kesari bath using chiroti rava

• Microwave Rava Kesari

• Milk Kesari / Paal Kesari

• Pineapple kesari

• Mango Kesari

• Semiya kesari

• Poha kesari/ Aval kesari

• Sooji halwa

• Moong dal halwa

• Atta halwa

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20 Side Dish For Poori – Indian Vegetarian Side Dish For Puri Recipes

Side dish for poori recipes / Indian vegetarian side dish for puri.This post is a collection of 20 South Indian and North Indian Side dish recipes for poori with potato, without potato, tomato based side dish recipes and few more with Besan,  peas, chana, mixed vegetables, paneer gravies and curry. 

Most of them are easy to make as its done in pressure cooker and many gravies can be prepared without any grinding job. So bachelors can also try them. I have also shared some hotel style/restaurant style potato curry recipes too. Poori / Puri is one of the most popular Indian breakfast recipes.  It is loved by all irrespective of the age. 

The most common side dish for poori is potato masala. Kids love to have it with sugar, ketchup, jam, potato and paneer gravy. Apart from potato curry, many other gravies can also be prepared. Recently I made a list of 10 different types of poori recipes from my website. So I thought of making this list of side dish recipes that my readers would find it helpful.

In this list, you can find Tamil nadu hotel style potato masala, Onion masala without potato, Chana kurma, Potato kurma, Veg kurma, Green Peas kurma, Karnataka style Veg sagu and avarekalu sagu, North Indian restaurant style potato bhaji/ aloo subzi, Chole masala, onion tomato sabzi, dahi aloo, easy chana masala using pressure cooker, Bombay chutney, Paneer butter masala, Paneer korma, Kadai paneer and aamras recipes. 

You can also find video recipes for some of the kurma recipes. I am yet to try Andhra and Kerala style potato curry recipes. I will update this list as soon as I post them. Ok, now lets see 20 different types of side dish for poori with links. Please click on the image or the title to view the particular recipe.

Do check out my 10 types of poori recipes !

Side dish For Poori/ Puri Recipes - South Indian, North Indian Vegetarian Side dish For puri

Side dish for Poori / Puri - North Indian & South Indian Side Dish Recipes !

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish for poori

Serves:  3-4

Prep time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 35 Minutes

• Potato masala – Tamil nadu Hotel style

• Poori masala without potato

• Hotel vegetable kurma

• North Indian Potato bhaji / Aloo Sabzi

• Chole masala for bhature & Puri

• Chana masala in pressure cooker

• Tomato bhaji / tomato sabji

• Potato Kurma – South Indian style

• Vegetable sagu – Karnataka style

• Avarekalu sagu / Field beans gravy

• Chana kurma / Kondakadalai kurma

• Green Peas kurma / Pattani kuruma 

• Cauliflower kurma

• Bombay chutney

• Aamras 

• Dahi aloo – Dahi wali aloo for vrat

• Tomato thokku in pressure cooker

• Paneer korma

• Paneer Butter Masala

• Kadai paneer / Paneer Capsicum curry

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17 Murukku Recipes – Murukku Varieties - South Indian Murukku Recipes

Diwali is fast approaching. Murukku recipes is a must & should snack for South Indians during diwali. So I have made a collection of 15+ Indian murukku varieties for easy reference. Murukku / Chakli  is a crunchy, deep fried Indian snack made with rice flour and urad dal flour. Most of the Tamil people used to grind murukku maavu during Diwali to make thenkuzhal and mullu murukku as these two are the most common types. 

In this list, I have shared different types of murukku recipes that includes our traditional thenkuzhal murukku, mullu mururkku @ magizhampoo with coconut milk, Instant chakli / Instant murukku recipe with besan flour (Karnataka style), Some flavored murkku recipes like Butter murukku, Garlic murukku, Potato murukku, Lemon murukku , Ragi chakli , Karnataka style kodubale etc. Tirunelveli Manoharam and Achu murrukku / Kerala achappam known as rose cookies that is commonly made during Christmas are some of the sweet murukku varieties. Apart from them, I have shared an interesting sweet murukku podi recipe especially for kids and toothless elders which my mom used to make with leftover mullu murukku or thenkuzhal when I was young.

I am yet to try some more murukku recipes like pottukadalai murukku, wheat flour murukku and thengai paal murukku. I will try to share some of them before Diwali and include them in this list.
Lets see the list of 15+ different types of South Indian murukku recipes. Please click on the pictures to see the respective recipes. All these recipes are with step by step pictures and some recipes have video as well. Do try any of these murukku varieties based on your liking and share your feedback with me.

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