Cooking for a Crowd - Including Easy Recipes for Large Groups

Meals for large groups

Cooking for Crowd plus Easy Recipes for Large Groups

If you are looking for easy meals for large family gatherings, homemade curry is a great option. Cooking for a crowd does not have to be stressful, expensive or difficult. If you are feeding a crowd, see below for a delicious vegetarian recipe for 35 people and an easy chicken curry recipe for 35 people. 

These inexpensive meals for large groups can be prepared in advance. Keep it simple and serve with rice, naan bread and chutney leaving more time for you to enjoy the party with your guests.  

Curry often tastes better on the 2nd day, so these recipes will work well as ‘make ahead entertaining meals’.  So make them the day before the party if you can, or even better, cook way in advance and freeze.

Top Tips on Cooking Curry for a Crowd 

(See below for easy curry recipe for 35 people.)
  • If you are scaling up a recipe, you don't need to increase everything by as much as you think, especially the liquid element of the recipe.    So, if you are multiplying the recipe by 5 times, you will not need 5 times the liquid.  Be careful too, with strong flavours like garlic or spices.   Don't overdo it!
  • Ginger and garlic quantities should be roughly equal in a curry.
  • If you put too much spice in your recipe, counteract at the end of cooking by adding lemon juice.
  • If you want to save time on your curry cooking, use frozen chopped onions, frozen ginger and frozen garlic.  
  • Frozen, pre-chopped vegetables can also be a great way to cut down on prep time if you are cooking curry for a party or a large number of people
  • Buy or borrow a rice cooker which takes the stress away and means you can avoid gloopy rice and instead serve perfectly cooked, fluffy rice!
We have added 2 easy meals for large groups - each will feed around 35 people. Using our curry spice mix, these easy feed a crowd recipes are a great solution if you are catering for your own birthday party, looking for Halloween food ideas, feeding a crowd on bonfire night or looking for easy entertaining recipes for your Christmas or New Year's Eve party.  
EASY MEALS FOR LARGE FAMILY GATHERINGS
Goan Chickpea and Sweet Potato Recipe for 35
Vegetarian Curry for 35 people

Top time saving tip: use frozen onions, ginger and garlic.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon oil
4 onions, chopped (or use 1kg frozen chopped onions)
8 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
100g ginger, grated
100g of Goan Spice Blend from Spice Pots  
3 tins tomatoes
3kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
3 - 4 tins 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tins 400ml tin coconut milk (add a little stock if you think you need more liquid) 
3 bags of washed spinach (add just before serving)
Coriander, chopped to garnish
Salt, to taste, about 5 teaspoons
  1. Cook the sweet potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, about 8 minutes.  Alternatively, you can roast them in the oven, in small chunks for about 10 minutes.  You may need to do this in batches and you could even do this the day before you do the rest of the prep.
  2. Heat the oil over a medium heat, add the onions and cook slowly for around 10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Don't rush this part! Then add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add a splash of water to the pan, then add the Goan spice mix.  Cook gently for about a minute then add the tomatoes.  Cook down for a few minutes, until the tomatoes have reduced and are a dark, thick paste.
  4. Add the chickpeas, and stir gently until warmed through.  Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer (you may need to loosen the coconut milk with a little boiling water or stock).
  5. Add the cooked sweet potatoes and stir to combine, before adding the spinach**. **If you are cooking in advance, we suggest omitting the spinach and only adding on the day, once it's been reheated.
  6. Season with salt as required and garnish with fresh coriander.
    Chicken Bhuna for 35 people 
    Easy Chicken Curry Recipe for 35 people 
    Ingredients:
    3 tablespoons oil
    5 onions, finely chopped (or use frozen chopped onions)
    12 fat garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
    150g ginger, grated
    3-4 tins chopped tomatoes
    100-120g Bhuna Spice Pots 
    5-6kg chicken breasts, chopped into largish chunks
    6 teaspoons salt
    Spinach, a handful
    For garnish, coriander and chopped fresh chilies  
    1. Heat the oil then cook the onions until softened and browning, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick paste.
    2. Add the Bhuna spice mix and cook for a minute, stirring.
    3. Add the chicken and salt and mix well to combine. 
    4. Add 350ml of water and with the lid on, let it simmer gently until the chicken is soft and tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Just before serving, swirl in some spinach and let it wilt. ** If making ahead, omit adding the spinach until the day of serving. 
    5. Then garnish with fresh coriander and chopped chillies and Mint and Coriander Raita on the side.  
    6. Serve with naan bread or make our easy flatbread recipe

    If you have any questions about our easy meals for large family gatherings then don’t hesitate to contact us!

    Other articles you may be interested in:

    Another option for a large family gathering is our Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe for a party

    Or how about our version of a beef mince chilli served in tacos or with rice?

    Is your homemade curry hit or miss?  Check out our top tips for making a consistently good homemade curry.

    Our blog post about making Healthy Curry with easy curry recipes included might also be useful.

    Our Indian Dinner Party Menu may help with smaller family gatherings.

     

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