Curry Go-Withs
May 30, 2019 5:01 PM Subscribe
I'm hosting a dinner party Monday night for two avid meat eaters, two vegetarians, and two people who eat most anything. My plan of the moment is to make this vegan coconut curry, which I tried last week and it was quick and fabulous, and it tastes even better warmed up the next day. What else can I serve with the curry on the table, and for appetizers?
As above, I plan to make this vegan coconut curry for a dinner party Monday night for carnivores and vegetarians, and I'll serve it with basmati rice and naan bread. But what else can I serve with the curry on the table, and for appetizers? The accompaniments/appetizers don't have to be Indian or Thai but should "go with" the coconut-chickpea curry. Could (maybe should) include an easy meat dish. All should be able to made ahead of time, ideally the day before, then heated up (or even better, not needing heating up). I've scoured the web and the "curry" questions here, but the suggestions -- mostly traditional Indian foods like samosas, chutneys, raitas, etc. -- are not hitting it for me. I was thinking about this lentil-mushroom pate that I've made before and everyone loves (I even like it and I'm a vegetarian who doesn't like mushrooms), maybe as an appetizer. What do you think? And what else with the curry or before? I like to be a bit lavish, as long as it can all be made beforehand and isn't too taxing. I'll also be serving wine, probably red (because that's what all the dinner guests like) -- any suggestions there?
As above, I plan to make this vegan coconut curry for a dinner party Monday night for carnivores and vegetarians, and I'll serve it with basmati rice and naan bread. But what else can I serve with the curry on the table, and for appetizers? The accompaniments/appetizers don't have to be Indian or Thai but should "go with" the coconut-chickpea curry. Could (maybe should) include an easy meat dish. All should be able to made ahead of time, ideally the day before, then heated up (or even better, not needing heating up). I've scoured the web and the "curry" questions here, but the suggestions -- mostly traditional Indian foods like samosas, chutneys, raitas, etc. -- are not hitting it for me. I was thinking about this lentil-mushroom pate that I've made before and everyone loves (I even like it and I'm a vegetarian who doesn't like mushrooms), maybe as an appetizer. What do you think? And what else with the curry or before? I like to be a bit lavish, as long as it can all be made beforehand and isn't too taxing. I'll also be serving wine, probably red (because that's what all the dinner guests like) -- any suggestions there?
Naan bread is great with curry — particularly garlic naan. Tear and share.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:22 PM on May 30, 2019
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:22 PM on May 30, 2019
Response by poster: Should mention there is no Indian food store anywhere within an hour or two and nothing like lemongrass or other common Asian ingredients in the local shops. (e.g., I am using a lemongrass paste instead of actual lemongrass in the curry, which actually worked great. I don't know how the paste came to be stocked at the local supermarket here in N.H.) Should also mention that I'm not 100% sure all my guests like curry or Indian food, so I'm looking for other options to serve that won't compete with but will rather complement the curry in terms of flavours -- I should have made that clearer.
posted by mmw at 5:22 PM on May 30, 2019
posted by mmw at 5:22 PM on May 30, 2019
If you were looking for a second entree for the carnivores, I'd suggest finding a simple version of tikki masala. If you want a meaty add-in, perhaps some small chicken meatballs.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:37 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by SemiSalt at 5:37 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
The curry looks delish! Dal would be great to go with it, and is very easy.
No one needs meat every meal. I’m sure your vegetarian guests would be happy to have a meal where they can have anything there. That can be uncommon.
posted by greermahoney at 5:48 PM on May 30, 2019 [7 favorites]
No one needs meat every meal. I’m sure your vegetarian guests would be happy to have a meal where they can have anything there. That can be uncommon.
posted by greermahoney at 5:48 PM on May 30, 2019 [7 favorites]
Can you pick up some salad rolls from a Thai restaurant? A few orders of those, with peanut sauce would be a great appetizer.
I've often gotten a simple green salad as an amuse bouche at a Thai restaurant. So a simple green salad wouldn't feel out of place. (pretty sure I've had it with a honey-mustard type dressing from a thai place.)
posted by hydra77 at 5:48 PM on May 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
I've often gotten a simple green salad as an amuse bouche at a Thai restaurant. So a simple green salad wouldn't feel out of place. (pretty sure I've had it with a honey-mustard type dressing from a thai place.)
posted by hydra77 at 5:48 PM on May 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
You could also do steamed edamame. You can (hopefully) find a bag of them in the frozen veggies section at your grocery store. Boil or steam them, or even throw them in the microwave.
posted by hydra77 at 5:49 PM on May 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 5:49 PM on May 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
Indian food is typically served with lots of condiments and relishes. Raita, chutney, pickles. I recently tried lime pickle for the 1st time, and it was delicious. I would make dal, too; I like it made with yellow split peas. Chopped cilantro in a dish is nice, maybe also chopped tomatoes. That curry recipe looks really good.
posted by theora55 at 5:55 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 5:55 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Do you have an air fryer by any chance? I just riffed some kofta/kefte from ground beef and select spices and they were SO F'ING GOOD in the air fryer - 12-15 minutes depending on density of your balls/patties. Probably they would also be great in the oven, but not as beautifully browned all around unless you've got a way to cook them raised up on a grate or grill and a convection oven.
Here's a good starting point recipe.
Naan/paratha/roti/chapati is very easy to make at home - see youtube for options for the oven or stovetop since you probably don't have a tandoor.
Paneer is also super easy to make from whole milk at home. Instant Pot version.
Also if you have an air fryer: veg pakora.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:09 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Here's a good starting point recipe.
Naan/paratha/roti/chapati is very easy to make at home - see youtube for options for the oven or stovetop since you probably don't have a tandoor.
Paneer is also super easy to make from whole milk at home. Instant Pot version.
Also if you have an air fryer: veg pakora.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:09 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Lemon rice is a great accompaniment to curry- it is rice with lemon, and tumeric, and there are other things you can add, but also most things beyond the lemon can be substituted- for example the recipe calls for cashews, but peanuts work as well. Peanut based things are also a great accompaniment to curry- you could do some lettuce wraps with peanut dipping sauce. One thing I love to make for gatherings, that always are a hit, and which you can prep everything before hand, and pop in the oven for a bit when guests arrive are Zucchini bites with gorgonzola and cherry tomatoes- you slice the zucchini about an inch thick, and use a melon baller or paring knife to hollow out a little bowl in the middle of the slice- put a crumble of cheese, and then half a cherry tomato on top- heat in a 350 over until cheese is melted.
posted by momochan at 6:11 PM on May 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by momochan at 6:11 PM on May 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
Since coconut curry can be a rich dish, maybe a cucumber salad with a tangy rice wine vinegar based dressing would be a good match.
posted by burntflowers at 6:16 PM on May 30, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by burntflowers at 6:16 PM on May 30, 2019 [16 favorites]
Do you want appetizers as nibbles before the main meal, or plated-type appetizers to precede the curry when everyone's seated at table? I agree that having a veg appetizer would be better than a meat. Some options that would go with a curry:
Sweet potatoes and peas (plated, pretty filling, probably best considered as a side than an app)
Peel, boil, and mash sweet potatoes, add a can of young peas and mix it all together. In another pan, heat up some cooking oil, and when it seems hot, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add minced garlic, grated or minced ginger, and a half a large onion, diced. Stir-fry till the onion caramelizes. Then add the sweet potatoes and peas and give it a good stir.
Cucumber raita (plated, or more accurately, bowled)
This one's easy. Dice some cucumbers. Add to Greek yogurt.* Mix. Serve.
* If you have time, you can level up your Greek yogurt by hanging it in cheesecloth overnight to strain out even more whey.
Pakora/Pakoda (nibbles)
Chop up a cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and garlic powder. (I add garam masala too but it's ok without it if you're worried about the flavor being "too Indian.") Make a batter out of chickpea flour and water in a 2:1 ratio -- should be somewhat thick but pourable, like for pancakes. Dip your cauliflower in the batter to coat completely. Shallow-fry in cooking oil.
Enjoy!
posted by basalganglia at 6:40 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Sweet potatoes and peas (plated, pretty filling, probably best considered as a side than an app)
Peel, boil, and mash sweet potatoes, add a can of young peas and mix it all together. In another pan, heat up some cooking oil, and when it seems hot, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add minced garlic, grated or minced ginger, and a half a large onion, diced. Stir-fry till the onion caramelizes. Then add the sweet potatoes and peas and give it a good stir.
Cucumber raita (plated, or more accurately, bowled)
This one's easy. Dice some cucumbers. Add to Greek yogurt.* Mix. Serve.
* If you have time, you can level up your Greek yogurt by hanging it in cheesecloth overnight to strain out even more whey.
Pakora/Pakoda (nibbles)
Chop up a cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and garlic powder. (I add garam masala too but it's ok without it if you're worried about the flavor being "too Indian.") Make a batter out of chickpea flour and water in a 2:1 ratio -- should be somewhat thick but pourable, like for pancakes. Dip your cauliflower in the batter to coat completely. Shallow-fry in cooking oil.
Enjoy!
posted by basalganglia at 6:40 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
I made a butter chicken curry for a group and for my side I did this roasted cauliflower salad. I made it with purple and orange cauliflower. Since you already have chickpeas in your curry, you could leave them out or sub with something else. But I thought the dressing was good and it worked well at room temp.
posted by vunder at 6:43 PM on May 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by vunder at 6:43 PM on May 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
For an easy meat dish, use that lemongrass paste to make a grilled lemongrass pork or chicken. You can even do it satay style on a stick.
Thai mango salad.
You could also make a lassi (mango, mint, strawberry).
posted by inevitability at 6:48 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Thai mango salad.
You could also make a lassi (mango, mint, strawberry).
posted by inevitability at 6:48 PM on May 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Another nibble suggestion is roasted chickpeas. I cook until super crispy and they stay that way for days (I use them to top salads, but they are good by themselves). I don’t see the recipe I use online, but there are many available with lots of different possibilities for spices.
posted by FencingGal at 6:54 PM on May 30, 2019
posted by FencingGal at 6:54 PM on May 30, 2019
I would generally not serve dal with a chickpea curry (an Indian menu would not serve two legume dishes together). To balance texture, I’d add something dry - perhaps fish or chicken tikka, and a potato dish (dry aloo dum or aloo gobi, as examples, or simple roasted potatoes). Perhaps a tomato cucumber salad or raita to accompany it.
posted by yawper at 7:06 PM on May 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by yawper at 7:06 PM on May 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
If eggs are acceptable, Malaysian roti jala? It's not hard to make, here's one approach.
posted by aramaic at 9:03 PM on May 30, 2019
posted by aramaic at 9:03 PM on May 30, 2019
I strongly recommend looking at Manjula's Kitchen for ideas, but you might get too many ideas...
posted by BinaryApe at 10:51 PM on May 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by BinaryApe at 10:51 PM on May 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you can get a hold of the spices, and if your friends like hot and spicy food, Cauliflower 65 looks to be a fun and interesting dish. (I eat the meat version, Chicken 65, all the time.) It can either be served as a course with rice, or as a finger food.
To drink, you could make some sort of chai. If caffeine is an issue, there are delicious rooibos chais out there, that are caffeine free.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:50 PM on May 30, 2019
To drink, you could make some sort of chai. If caffeine is an issue, there are delicious rooibos chais out there, that are caffeine free.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:50 PM on May 30, 2019
Satay chicken for the meat eaters and satay tofu for the veg or not meat inclined. Satay can be made with relatively simple easy to get ingredients or lots of shops these days have ready made in a jar. Serve on skewers so people can take what they fancy.
posted by like_neon at 1:34 AM on May 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by like_neon at 1:34 AM on May 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
If your supermarket has lemongrass paste, it very well has stuff from Bob's Red Mill, and that means it most likely has garbanzo bean flour. And that means you can make chickpea crepes. They're a fairly simple bread-like pancakey kind of thing that turns up in a couple of different cuisines - you also find them in Provence, interestingly enough, but they're also very much an Indian thing that would work well with curry. I made them once to go with a mung bean curry at an informal house party and they were great.
Gotcha a recipe here:
1-1/4 cups chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium carrot, finely grated
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 small green chile, finely chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Prepare the batter at least 30 minutes and up to a day in advance: In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, salt, cumin, and turmeric. Whisk in 1 cup of water to get a lump-free batter. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour on the counter, or overnight in the fridge. The batter will thicken.
Stir in the lemon juice, carrot, scallions, chile, and cilantro.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet on medium heat on the stove until it's hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle. drizzle a half teaspoon of oil into the skillet and then use a wadded-up paper towel to spread it and absorb excess oil (you want this only very faintly oiled). Ladle about a third of a cup of the batter into the skillet and use the back of the ladle to spread it out into a 5-inch round. Cook until the top is just set and you can slip a spatula underneath it easily (about 1 minute). Flip over and cook the other side for another 30 seconds or so. Flip that crepe onto a plate and repeat to use up the rest of the skillet, greasing the skillet again as you go as need be. Serve.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:39 AM on May 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
Gotcha a recipe here:
1-1/4 cups chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium carrot, finely grated
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 small green chile, finely chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Prepare the batter at least 30 minutes and up to a day in advance: In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, salt, cumin, and turmeric. Whisk in 1 cup of water to get a lump-free batter. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour on the counter, or overnight in the fridge. The batter will thicken.
Stir in the lemon juice, carrot, scallions, chile, and cilantro.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet on medium heat on the stove until it's hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle. drizzle a half teaspoon of oil into the skillet and then use a wadded-up paper towel to spread it and absorb excess oil (you want this only very faintly oiled). Ladle about a third of a cup of the batter into the skillet and use the back of the ladle to spread it out into a 5-inch round. Cook until the top is just set and you can slip a spatula underneath it easily (about 1 minute). Flip over and cook the other side for another 30 seconds or so. Flip that crepe onto a plate and repeat to use up the rest of the skillet, greasing the skillet again as you go as need be. Serve.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:39 AM on May 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
(Credit where it is due - that recipe is from the author Clotilde Dusolier's cookbook TASTING PARIS, which is delightful by the way)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:41 AM on May 31, 2019
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:41 AM on May 31, 2019
I love saag paneer, and to me, that would be a nice dish along with the curry. But then I think saag paneer goes with everything.
posted by mumimor at 3:41 AM on May 31, 2019
posted by mumimor at 3:41 AM on May 31, 2019
Response by poster: Thanks, all! Great ideas and thoughts, some of which I'll probably use for another dinner party. Besides the vegan coconut-chick pea curry, naan (garlic), and basmati or jasmine rice I'd planned (and the lentil mushroom pate as an app, with crackers, cheeses, and probably a dry sliced sausage, and maybe steamed edamame), I'm also going with grilled chicken tikka skewers that will be grilled ahead and served at room temp, a cucumber salad of some kind, and maybe something with cauliflower, either fried or sauteed (something I can make ahead). And for something completely different but also make-ahead, a blackberry-ginger trifle for dessert.
I take the point about an all-vegetarian meal -- I'm one of the two vegetarians at this dinner and every dinner I make just for my partner and me is all-vegetarian or pesce-vegetarian -- but this particular dinner is reciprocating a previous dinner hosted by the avid meat-eaters and I want them satisfied. I appreciate all the suggestions!
posted by mmw at 7:19 AM on May 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
I take the point about an all-vegetarian meal -- I'm one of the two vegetarians at this dinner and every dinner I make just for my partner and me is all-vegetarian or pesce-vegetarian -- but this particular dinner is reciprocating a previous dinner hosted by the avid meat-eaters and I want them satisfied. I appreciate all the suggestions!
posted by mmw at 7:19 AM on May 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
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I’d also serve curried cashews with drinks.
posted by Riverine at 5:13 PM on May 30, 2019 [1 favorite]