Thursday 9 May 2013

My Gourmet Indian Kitchen Party with ITC Chef's

Hello Everyone, 

It feels great whenever you are invited to a party or you are throwing a party because it gives you a lot of time with your loved ones and helps you relax, unwind and enjoy the moments. I was too planning to throw one since my daughter's bday last year where we enjoyed a lot. There were some things which were missing in the bday party of my daughter and I wanted to improve upon them this time. This time the occasion will also is different. The time is to celebrate the new home and I am throwing a housewarming party for all my friends and relatives. Making a house is a lifetime achievement award and I feel great that with the help of my parents I got this reward. Thanks a lot!

Let's start with the planning that goes into making a party which includes setting up a place, food & drinks, decorations, Music, games and finally a good garbage disposal system.

Last time, the music was not properly programmed and there was no playlist saved. This time I have all the music set with the help of my laptop and pendrives. This music will be connected to the best  speakers I have with me. They are not loud enough to disturb the neighbours but will set the mood right to dance. Ipod/iPhone docking with aux in cable will be kept in a room if anyone wants to play his own music and wanting to turn DJ, he/she will be most welcome.

As this is a housewarming party the place will be drawing room, lobby, kitchen, balconies of my house. There needs to be plenty of seating arrangement that needs to be taken care of, for that I will be fetching extra chairs from neighborhood.

Ambience will be a lot of shadow lights in the form of table lamps and wall lights. With soft music on the play in the background, it will be soothing to talk to people around and enjoy ourselves also. All the kids will be given a bedroom with TV as they can watch their favourite cartoon characters like Doramon and Chhota Bheem. They will also be playing with my daughter's toys if she shares and allows them to. Otherwise, TV is the best option with chocolates in their small hands.

Before the food is served it will be time to play some general games like Tambola. Tambola prizes will be those which I have showcased on my website www.thelifesway.com . Some of the lucky people will surely get great goodies from tshirts, bags, music CD's & headphones/earphones. Whosoever will be the lucky winner will have to perform a dance on his/her favourite number to claim his/her goodies. This will be the added twist that will make everyone twist and swirl and bring in a lot of fun to the evening.

Finally coming to the food and drinks part of the party which is the most challenging part as it makes or brakes the party. This time instead of ordering food from local vendors I have chosen special ITC Chef's for my party. Kitchens of India is one the great products crafted by the ITC hotels Chef's. The variety of products available will break away or atleast bring flavors to the regular dal and paneer in a vegetarian party. To check the whole range of dishes available I checked the website http://shopping.kitchensofindia.com/  and narrowed down the following items for my party.

To make it more effective so that food don't spoil all the fun on the D day, I went to the nearest superstore to check the products before buying them in bulk for the party. I picked up Mirch ka Salan and Mughlai Paneer as my favourites to taste beforhand.


@araijain



Mirch ka Salan has a taste which was totally different from what we have ever eaten. This was the taste of Green chillies cooked in white gravy and will be great as an additional dish. So I will be buying 2-3 packets for my party. This is priced at Rs. 95/- for 285gms.




@araijain




Mughali Paneer is a great Paneer dish and that's maximum Vegetarians can do at their homes or order from the market so Paneer has to be included in all the parties in various dishes. I will be procuring 5 packets of the dish priced at Rs. 100/- per packet of 285 gms.




Dal is a compulsory item as many of the people don't like paneer and other dishes and what's better than ITC world famous Dal Bukhara. I will be procuring 6 packets of the dish for my party.

I will also be serving Vegetable Biryani Masala Mix – 3 Packs and Paneer Makhani Masala Mix – 3 packs as an added servings.

This will all be served with the Laccha Paranthas and tandoori roti procured from the nearby Dhaba or if possible will ask my maid to make roti's for the people who don't like both the above ones.

For the Desserts, Ice cream will be the first choice in summers & will be always available at my party, but then I will introduce people to Hazoori Petha Halwa – 3 packets and Jodhpuri Moong Dal Halwa – 3 packets.

So overall, I have a big list of Kichens of India products to buy from the market and need to find out any discount stores for the upcoming party. I am procuring around 25-26 packets of dishes and will cost me around Rs. 3000/- only.

For drinks we will be providing the basic cold drinks available in the market – all the three flavours generally sold in the market. I would love to add APPY Fizz as the welcome party drink because it will set the right taste on everyone's tongue. As a valedictory gift for their coming to our home and celebrating our happiness, I will give them a pack of sweets per family procured from best sweets shop in town. We can also think of gifting KOI desserts also if I get them at discount and if people like to break away from Laddoo's and Barfi!

Thanks all, I hope you will feel to come to my party...thanks for reading and enjoying! 

Cheers!!!

A good garbage system will save you from tension as you can push all the used stuff like paper plates, tissues, glasses and packaging in big black bags and keep them in a corner for ready throw early next day. 


More about KOI - Kitchens of India brings to you a wide range of Ready to Eat dishes and desserts, giving you a gourmet meal in the comfort of your home - just Heat and Eat ! Each of these recipes have been crafted by the Masterchefs of ITC hotels, from royal recipes guarded closely over the ages. You can also choose from exotic chutneys and conserves to add the perfect twist to any meal.