When I feed people, I like to cook up a wide variety of foods (except desserts, a food group I haven’t mastered…so I generally hit our local ice cream shop, or let the guest who offers to bring something take on the dessert task!). Obviously, if it comes out of my kitchen, it’s gonna be gluten free.
But I don’t advertise that fact.
It’s easy to make gluten-free food for a party, particularly if you already have a well-stocked GF pantry. No matter what cuisine grabs your fancy, there are plenty of great meals you can make, meals that are effortlessly gluten free and absurdly delicious.
Today, I’m making Chicken Tikka Masala, using a recipe based on the one created by the amazing Madhur Jaffrey. While Jaffrey’s recipe, and my own variation, is a bit on the complex side, the flavors make all the effort worthwhile.
It’s gluten free without any extra effort on your part, and it’s perfect for parties — adjust the heat level in the sauce to suit the tastes of you and your guests — and leftovers are a pure joy.
I love dishes like this. Tacos, curries, rice noodle dishes, Italian sauces…so many foods are gluten free, without requiring neon signs advertising the fact. Foods like this make it easy to show others the other side of living gluten free: the side that doesn’t require lots of specialty ingredients and expensive options.
What is your favorite naturally gluten-free crowd pleaser?
Tip of the Week
If your buffet involves a mix of gluten-free and gluten-filled foods, place the GF items at the beginning of the line to reduce the chances of cross-contamination further down. Clearly mark the gluten-free items and, if you have time, used colored tape to clearly identify the dishes and utensils that are used for gluten-free items.
Menu of the Week
As mentioned, Chicken Tikka Masala is a perfect dish for crowds large and small. It’s highly customizable, allowing you to adjust the spices and heat to suit yourself. It reheats like a dream, and you will be glad you made extra when you crave a dish later in the week!
I always have cooked lentils on hand, so tossing them into a curry mixture is the work of minutes (if you don’t have cooked lentils handy, they only take 20 minutes on the stove). Any other legume or whole grain, like buckwheat works equally well.
- Chicken Tikka Masala with Steamed Rice
- Blistered Green Beans with Bacon and Nut Crumbles
- Curried Lentils