Cooking for Twenty People

During Chinese New Year, we would usually invite some friends over for lunch. That’s the only time I cook for a group of people so I try to keep it simple by keeping the number small between twenty to twenty five people. This year we had twenty guests. Ten of them were children so that made things even easier. I usually stick to this menu while varying it a little so that it won’t be overwhelming.

Menu for Twenty People

1. One Rice Dish (any variety for example fried rice or flavoured rice)
2. One Noodle Dish (any variety for example fried mee or meehoon including spaghetti too)
3. Vegetable Dish (stir fried mixed vegetable or coleslaw or salad)
4. Finger Food for kids (nuggets, hot dog, fried drummets or chicken wings, prawn fritters etc)
5. Fresh cut fruits for dessert (or cool jellies)
6. A curry for some gravy to go with the rice and noodle (can be chicken curry or kurma etc)
7. Not forgetting drinks. Packet and canned ones make things easier

That’s it. It’s very simple. I don’t bake, so if I want cakes, I may buy some cupcakes from the bakery. Jellies would be nice too. They can be prepared overnight so you don’t sweat yourself out too much on the day as you still have to entertain your guests.

I sometimes have a vegetarian or two among the guests, in which case my vegetables will be kept meatless and I may fry my noodles plain.

My Menu for twenty people for this year 2012

This year we had fried meehoon, nasi lemak with curry chicken and sambal ikan bilis, mixed vegetables, nuggets, hot dog, watermelon, pineapple etc. My rice, curry and fruits are missing from the picture so it looks rather little for a group of twenty but it turned out just nice.

My curry chicken boiling in the pot.

Nasi Lemak is easy to prepare for a big group. Looks great too.

Chinese New Year Cookies and snacks for the guests while waiting for lunch to be ready. I like to serve fortune cookies. They make a great ice breaker and something to talk about as everyone peers into their “fortune”. Usually the sayings are good ones so everyone is happy…

A little appetizer or snack, bak kwa or dried barbequeued meat for before after or during the meal cut up into bite sized pieces

Less I forget and to make things easier for next year, here’s what I had to do in the morning…

1. Boil 6 eggs
2. Soak the mihun (1 packet)
3. Defrost the hot dog, chicken meat and prawns
4. Prepare shallots, ginger, garlic and big onions
5. Cut vegetables, brocolli, cauliflower, carrot, baby corn, cabbage, cucumber and potatoes
6. Cut the fruits watermelon and pineapple
7. Wash the curry leaves and pandan leaves, lemon grass and cinnamon sticks
8. Cut the chicken and devein prawns
9. Blend the garlic, shallots for the curry
10. Cook the curry with 1 packet santan, 4-5 whole thighs and 2-3 potatoes
11. Cook the rice with 1 packet santan and using 4-5 cups of rice
12. Boil the hot dog
13. Cook the sambal
14. Fry the nuggets
15. Fry the vegetables
16. Fry the meehoon with chicken, prawns and cabbage
17. Have a bath, change, smile and greet the guests

Good thing I have a helper to help me out but even without one, I think it’s not too hard. I will look more disheveled, that is all.