Indian Party Food Ideas: Starters, Platters and Buffets That Feed a Crowd

There is a moment at every good party when someone puts down a tray of hot samosas and the room quietly reorganises itself around it. We have seen it happen at 18th birthdays, 70th birthdays, engagement parties, office Christmas dos and one very well-fed conference for a hundred people. Indian starters are the best party food there is: made to be eaten with fingers, as good for vegetarians as for meat eaters, and happy on a buffet table for an evening.

This guide covers what to serve, how much of it, and how to lay it out and keep it hot. It then explains the three ways to get it from us, because they suit different sizes of gathering: individual starters added to a CurryOut order, made-to-order starter packs arranged on platters for bigger get-togethers, and our catering packages when what you really need is a full buffet.

The Indian snacks and starters that work at a party

Anything that needs a knife and fork, or has to be eaten within two minutes of leaving the oven, stays on the restaurant menu. These are the ones that work on a buffet table.

Samosas

The anchor of any spread: samosas are the classic Indian snack and appetiser, with crisp pastry and a spiced filling, deep fried in the traditional way and as good warm as at room temperature. We make Chicken Samosas, Mutton Samosas and Vegetable Samosas, and the vegetable version is filled with spiced potato, peas and vegetables. Cut in half on the diagonal for a canapé-sized bite.

Deep fried onion bhajis and the other bhajees

An onion bhaji is Britain’s favourite Indian starter for a reason: sweet onions and warming spices in a gram flour batter, a crisp edge and a soft middle. Alongside the classic Onion Bhajees we make Tandoori Bhajees, Fenugreek Bhajees and a Mixed Bhajees portion, which gives a vegetarian table some crispy veggie variety.

Pakoras

Pakoras use the same batter idea with a different filling and a lighter, crisper result. Chicken Pakoras and Fish Pakoras carry the meat and fish side; Potato Pakoras, Mushroom Pakoras, Cauliflower Pakoras and Potato Spinach Pakoras give vegetarians proper choice, with vegetables like mushrooms and cauliflower adding variety and taste.

Kebabs

Sheek Kebabs are spiced minced meat grilled on a skewer; cut into thirds they are among the first things to go on any platter. Shami Kebabs are round, soft, spiced patties that suit a bun or a lettuce leaf as well as a toothpick.

Chicken tikka pieces, fish tikka and chicken rolls

Chicken Tikka Pieces are the most useful thing on a party table: tandoori-spiced, boneless, eaten with fingers, in wraps or on a salad. Fish Tikkas do the same job for people who eat fish but not meat. Chicken Rolls are spiced chicken in a crisp pastry roll, halfway between a samosa and a spring roll, and the thing children reach for first.

The full list is on the starters page, with the vegetarian options gathered under veg starters. Each starter carries a chilli rating on our shop, and most sit at two out of four, so they suit a mixed crowd.

How many pieces per person

This is where party planning goes wrong, in both directions. (For rice and curry quantities, our portion guide has those.)

Grazing party, no main course, two to three hours: eight to ten pieces per person. Twenty guests, 160 to 200 pieces.

Starters before a sit-down meal or a curry buffet: three to four pieces per person.

Canapé-style reception, one hour, drinks in hand: five to six pieces per person, cut small.

Children under twelve: half the adult number, and lean towards chicken rolls, samosas and plain pakoras.

Split the total roughly 60:40 between meat and vegetable pieces at a mixed party; this works for both dinner parties and casual grazing menus. Vegetarian guests eat vegetarian starters, but so does everyone else, so a 50:50 split never leaves anyone short. For an office gathering, where you may not know who eats what, go 50:50 and label everything.

Option one: add individual starters to your CurryOut order

For a small gathering, a match night or a curry night with a few extra mouths, the easiest way to feed them is to add starters to a CurryOut order. Every starter above is sold by the portion in our chilled range, cooked fresh in Batley, blast chilled and delivered in insulated packaging across mainland UK. Order by 12pm for next-day delivery, with a £30 minimum order and free delivery over £80, or collect from the shop.

Starters arrive chilled and you heat them using the instructions on the pack: oven at 180°C (gas mark 4) on a tray for 15 to 20 minutes, less in a fan oven, or air fryer at 170°C for 6 to 10 minutes with a shake halfway, which keeps them crispy; serve once hot throughout. They are suitable for home freezing, so a couple of spare portions in the freezer is never a bad idea.

This option suits up to about a dozen people. Past that, the platters below save you a lot of tray-juggling.

Option two: starter packs for larger gatherings

For a bigger get-together, our starter packs are made to order and come arranged on platters, ready for you to reheat and serve, which works especially well when you want several vegetarian options on the same table. You are not unpacking twenty tubs; you are lifting a lid.

Packs start from £30. Choose a set pack, or build your own from the full list of starters and set your own quantities, with a minimum of 18 pieces per item and a £30 minimum order, which helps if your guest list includes mixed diets. Because everything is made fresh for you, starter packs need 24 hours’ notice. They are supplied chilled to reheat at home, and for larger orders, including parties, office meetings and special occasions, we can supply them hot (VAT applies to hot food). Starter packs are collection only, from the shop at 100 Upper Commercial Street, Batley.

This is the option for a birthday for 20, a leaving do or a house full of relatives, when you want a spread rather than a stack of containers.

The sauces that make it a spread

Starters without dips are a missed opportunity. Allow one small pot between two guests, mixed across three or four kinds. Yoghurt Sauce and Indian Raita cool things down, Mint & Onion and Chilli & Onion add sharpness (they do the job of the mint chutney and green chutney you would get in a restaurant), Chilli Sauce is for the brave and Mango Chutney is for the children and for anyone who says they do not like spicy food. All are best served chilled. An Indian Salad for every four guests gives the table some colour and gives the kebabs something to sit on.

Five party menus that work

Match night or film night for six

Thirty to forty pieces: sheek kebabs, chicken tikka pieces, onion bhajis and vegetable samosas, with two sauces, make an easy plan for a night in with friends. Add the portions to a CurryOut order alongside a couple of curries and, as a snack-heavy menu, you clear the £30 minimum with lunch for tomorrow thrown in.

Birthday for 12 adults

Around a hundred pieces: sixty of chicken tikka pieces, sheek kebabs, chicken samosas and onion bhajis, forty of vegetable samosas, mushroom pakoras and potato pakoras, six pots of sauce and three salads, which suits family birthdays as well as adult parties. Build it as a starter pack with five or six different items at 18 pieces each, and add a couple of naans cut into strips for scooping or for simple sandwiches with leftover tikka or kebabs.

Office lunch or leaving do for 20

A hundred pieces, split 50:50 meat and vegetable, everything labelled, which is especially useful for office guest lists with mixed dietary needs. A starter pack collected the morning of, or supplied hot for the lunch itself, keeps the office kitchen out of it and works well when you want party food without asking anyone to show off with home cooking. Mango chutney and yoghurt sauce in, chilli sauce optional, and put the chicken rolls nearest the door.

Open house for 30 over an afternoon

People come and go, so aim for eight pieces a head and keep half back to refresh the table, with a light dinner option for guests who stay longer. A starter pack of around 250 pieces across everything, plus a few tubs of Chicken Karahi and Chana Dhall, a vegetarian dish to sit alongside the chicken, with rice for the guests who stay for a meal.

Engagement party or pre-wedding gathering at home, 40 to 60 guests

This is the point where a starter pack becomes a catering job, because you will want curries, rice and bread as well as starters and you will want them kept hot. See the catering section below.

How to serve Indian party food

Reheat as the pack says. Oven at 180°C (gas mark 4) on a tray for 15 to 20 minutes, less in a fan oven, or air fryer at 170°C for 6 to 10 minutes, shaken halfway, and serve once hot throughout. Fried starters go soft in a microwave, so use the oven or bake them through in the air fryer instead.

Keep it warm in waves. Put out half, keep half in a low oven, covered, and refresh the platters every half hour. Cold samosas are still good samosas, but hot ones go faster.

Cut for hands. Samosas in half on the diagonal, sheek kebabs into thirds, chicken tikka pieces as they are. Toothpicks by the kebabs and napkins everywhere.

Label the heat. A little card that says how many chillies each item carries on our scale saves a lot of watering eyes. Our curry heat guide explains how the rating works.

Make a guest list early. As soon as you have a date, count heads and dietary needs so the quantities above work.

Give vegetarians their own platter. A labelled vegetarian platter stops the vegetable samosas disappearing under a pile of tikka.

Option three: a full buffet from our catering service

When the party needs a proper meal rather than starters, and you would rather host than reheat, our catering packages take over. They are buffet-style and start from £9.60 a head including VAT: Essential for 20 guests or more with two starters and two dishes, Celebration for 40 or more with three of each, and Signature for 50 or more with four of each, all served with rice or bread, salad and sauce, with mains chosen from the same list as our weddings, from Chicken Tikka Masala to Chana Dhall.

The food arrives hot at the time we agree, or you collect it, and chafing dishes are available to hire to keep it that way for the evening. It is drop-off catering: we do not provide serving staff, plates or cutlery, so your venue or a hire company covers those, and the chafing dishes come back to us in Batley afterwards. Ten of the people who have booked it have left reviews; one of them, after a 70th birthday, gave us “11 out of 10 in all aspects”.

Frequently asked questions

What Indian food is good for a party?

Samosas, onion bhajis, pakoras, sheek and shami kebabs, chicken tikka pieces and chicken rolls. They eat well with fingers, suit meat eaters and vegetarians, and hold up on a buffet table.

How many samosas per person for a party?

As part of a mixed spread, two per person. If samosas are the main starter, three to four.

How much party food per person?

Eight to ten pieces for a grazing party with no main meal, three to four if a meal follows, five to six for a one-hour canapé reception.

What is the difference between CurryOut starters and a starter pack?

CurryOut starters are sold by the portion, chilled, and added to your online order for next-day delivery or collection. Starter packs are made to order for larger gatherings, arranged on platters ready to reheat and serve, from £30 with 24 hours’ notice, and collected from our shop in Batley.

Can I serve Indian starters cold?

Samosas, kebabs and chicken tikka pieces are fine at room temperature once heated through and cooled, though hot is better. Do not leave food out for more than two hours, and do not reheat what has already been out.

Is everything halal?

Yes. All of our meat products are halal, and everything is cooked in our HACCP-compliant kitchen in Batley.

Do you deliver party food?

CurryOut starters are delivered chilled across mainland UK, next day when ordered by 12pm, with a £30 minimum and free delivery over £80. Starter packs are collection only, from our shop in Batley, chilled or hot for larger orders. Catering delivers a hot buffet across West Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.

Feed the room

Work out your numbers from the guide above, then pick the route that fits. For a handful of people, add starters to a CurryOut order. For a bigger gathering, build a starter pack from £30 or ring us to talk it through. For a full buffet, look at our catering packages or call the kitchen on 01924 359300. We have been feeding parties since 1996 and we will tell you what you need.