Academy Awards Party Menu

I love to host parties.  However, my friends have picked most of the traditional holidays for their annual parties.  BJ has the 4th of July, my sister-in-law has Christmas Eve, Rebecca has Memorial Day, and Heather has Labor Day.  So when I was trying to find an occasion for my annual party, the only thing I could think of was the Academy Awards.  I don't care much about the Academy Awards. Since I've had kids, most of the movies I've seen involve animation or talking animals.  But it's a reason to host a party, and people have a great time.

This year, I decided to have a Bollywood theme.  The guest are coming in festive Bollyw00d-style attire (saris, or bright clothes and lots of jewelry).  Jessica will be doing henna tattoos for those who'd like them.  And I'm doing an Americanized Indian feast.  I'm combining dishes in ways that are neither authentic nor respectful of regional variations.  And I'm modifying the spices to be more palatable to American tastes.  But we'll still get the idea.

One of the things I love about Indian cooking is that it's very easy to put together a menu that accommodates vegetarians without making them feel like they're missing something.  In addition, the heavy incorporation of legumes makes Indian food a great choice for an inexpensive but sumptuous feast.

Bollywood Academy Awards Menu

Veggies and Pita with hummus and chutneys 

Chicken Tikka Masala  (spiced chicken in a tomato cream sauce)
Saag Paneer  (spinach and cheese)
Gajar Matar (spiced peas and carrots)
Empress Dal (spiced lentils)
Chana Masala (chickpea stew)
Raita (yogurt sauce to cool the heat)
Various chutneys
Naan (bread)
Basmati Rice with Cinnamon & Saffron

Red Carpet Cake (banana cake with cream cheese frosting)
Chocolate Fondue (OK, not Indian, but it's yummy!)