Indian food is built for sharing — but throwing a great Indian dinner party at home takes more planning than people expect. Quantities are different. Heat balance matters. And serving twelve curries when six would have been better is the most common mistake we see.
This is the planning framework our catering team uses for private dinners in Richmond, simplified for a home kitchen.
Build the menu around contrasts
A great Indian table is about contrast — creamy and tangy, mild and hot, dry and saucy, meat and vegetable. Six well-chosen dishes feel more generous than twelve overlapping ones.
- 1 creamy mild — korma, pasanda or butter chicken.
- 1 medium signature — tikka masala, rogan josh or bhuna.
- 1 dry tandoori — mixed grill, paneer tikka or lamb chops.
- 1 vegetable curry — chana masala, saag paneer or tarka dal.
- 1 rice — pilau or biryani.
- 1 bread — peshwari, garlic or plain naan.
How much to order per person
Indian food is rich. People eat less than they think.
- Curry: 180–220g per person across all dishes combined.
- Rice: 80–100g uncooked, or 1 portion of pilau for every 2 guests.
- Bread: 1 naan per 2 guests if you have rice; 1 naan per person if bread-only.
- Starters: 2–3 small pieces per person.
Timing the meal
Indian food holds heat well, so you do not need to plate at the last second.
Bring curries to a gentle simmer 20 minutes before serving. Rest tandoori dishes covered in foil. Reheat naans in a hot oven for 90 seconds just before service.
When to cook vs when to order in
Cooking 6 dishes from scratch for 10 guests is a full day's work. Most of our regulars cook one signature dish themselves — usually a tandoori plate or a dal — and order the curries, rice and breads from us.
Our catering team prepares group orders for collection or delivery across Richmond, Twickenham, St Margarets and surrounding postcodes, ready to serve in 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How many curries do I need for 10 people?
Four to five curries plus a tandoori dish and two rice or bread options is plenty for ten guests. More dishes leads to waste, not generosity.
Can I order Indian food for a dinner party?
Yes. We prepare group orders for collection or delivery across Richmond and surrounding areas, sized for parties from 6 to 30+. Order online or call us to plan a custom menu.
How far ahead can I order for a dinner party?
We accept group orders up to 14 days ahead and prefer 24-hours notice for parties of 8 or more so we can scale rice and tandoori timings correctly.
Do you offer dinner-party catering with delivery and setup?
For groups of 20+ we offer full catering with chafing dishes and delivery. Smaller dinner parties are served as collection or standard delivery orders, packed family-style.