Indian hors d'oeuvres

[ghall2001]

We're hosting an Indian dinner party tonight and I'd like to serve some sort of hors d'oeuvres before we sit down. I'm looking for the Indian equivalent of a cheese plate with olives--something I can throw together easily that doesn't require cooking. I love samosas, pakoras, etc., but the main meal has us busy enough in the kitchen. Any ideas?

[foodwich]

Would you consider readymade stuff from the indian grocers ? nowadays indian stores carry lots of ready made snacks and depending on your area this might be an option. i often use frozen snacks which are just warmed and served. pretty good quality for frozen; patra comes to mind made by deep foods. if you have access to indian stores let me know, i will offer suggestions for things i have tried.

[Isabella]

I remember bringing spinach samosas (Deep foods) to a party.
I kept them warm in a crock pot lined with foil.
Some of these folks had never eaten Indian food before & went crazy.

They would have been better deep fried, but they were still really good.
I baked them on a pizza stone.

[Isabella]

yes, by all means make suggestions!
I looked at everything for about an hour before deciding on 3 items.
One was outstanding, 2 were just ok.

[foodwich]

I have tried the patra by deep foods. cocktail samosas again deep foods. there is a bhel mix with chutneys available that friends like. i make my own chutneys so dont use that but in a pinch .... plus there was a earlier thread for a 'make your own chaat' bar. so different snack things could be put together on the table and guests could mix their own versions. ready made chutneys from swad ; one green chutney and one tamarind., plain yoghurt, bhel mix, boiled potatoes and chopped cilantro and tomato as garnish. its a fun idea which i plan to try out next week at a party. hope this is helpful. enjoy your party !

[Isabella]

I ended up making a 6 qt crockpot of dal.
I guess they all loved it because it was totally gone!
I didn't even get to have any . . . and I think we only had about 20 - 25 ppl there.
And tons of other food!

Please let us know how your party goes & what you serve!

[foodwich]

ok. yours sounded successful. i have to try really hard not to stress out too much over wanting perfection !! always struggle with that. will attempt to post after the party next week.

[Isabella]

I was going to suggest Chapati Chaat.
Chickpeas with chopped onion & cilantro, lemon juice on little chapati rounds.
Easy, simple, quick & no cooking!

[dwagner6]

When I ate my only home-cooked meal in Udaipur, the family there just served some bowls of namkeens to us, sort of like a salty snack mix that comes with different ingredients based on what "mix" you get, ie: Delhi Mix, Bombay Mix. Much tastier and a tiny bit spicier than something like Chex mix, and good with pre-dinner drinks. Any Indian market and some other Asian markets will have it in the snack aisle.

[ghall2001]

This is exactly the kind of suggestion I was looking for. Thank you so much!

[zamorski]

My favourite one of these snack mixes is Deep's "Extra-hot Punjabi Mix." http://www.eastwestbazaar.com/product...

It has lots of crunchy fried dals, some currants for sweetness, black salt, and lots of heat. Only disadvantage is that the mix is fine enough that it is hard to eat with your fingers--really need a little spoon and little dishes,