HOW TO THROW THE SPOOKIEST DESI INSPIRED HALLOWEEN PARTY

With Halloween creeping around the corner, now is the time to think of preparing for your scare fest Halloween party.

Hopefully by now you should know what scary character you will be dressing up as, but if not why not check out our creepiest make up looks that is sure to spook everyone out!

Throwing the perfect Halloween is about having the key elements there, and we are here to cover all the basis’ for you.

Halloween is getting bigger and bolder ever year, so why not go out all this Halloween?

Decorations

Decorations doesn’t have to be costly, and with many pound shops on the high street, you don’t have to worry about splashing the cash.

Poundland have a great variety of Halloween decorations, food and costumes for only a £1!

There is a great range of Halloween decorations from hanging skeletons to Halloween balloons to Halloween Photo Booth Kit’s. Your Halloween party will be ready to spook all your guests with these decorations!

If you’re looking to add an eerie vibe to your Halloween party then these candles by Andrew James will be perfect!

Food

This is where the desi inspired bit comes in to your party. You need to keep everybody happy, and you can’t go wrong with a selection of Indian inspired Halloween snacks.

With a combination of English and Indian food on the table, everybody will be spoilt for choice.

Halloween Carrot Fingers

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream cheese dip
• 4 long carrots
• 1 medium carrot
• 5 sliced almonds

Method

• Fill a serving bowl with the cream cheese dip.
• Wash and peel 4 long carrots for fingers and 1 medium carrot for a thumb.
• With a paring knife, cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of each carrot.
• Then use a dab of dip or softened cream cheese to glue a sliced-almond fingernail atop each notch.
• Stick the fingers in the dip and serve with baby carrots or crackers for dipping.

Pakora

The colour of Pakora’s will bring the Halloween food table to life. Add some chillies to the snack, and it’ll give your guests taste buds a little fright.

Ingredients

• 250g/½lb gram flour
• 50g/2oz self-raising flour
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp tandoori masala powder (optional), available from specialist Asian supermarkets
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 300g/10½oz potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 300g/10½oz onions, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, trimmed, finely chopped
• 6-8 spinach leaves, finely chopped
• handful fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp chopped green chilli
• 1 tsp salt
• sunflower oil, for deep frying

Method

1. Sift the gram flour and the self-raising flour into a bowl. Add the chilli powder, garam masala and tandoori masala powder, if using, and stir well to combine.
2. Add the lemon juice, then gradually add enough water to form a smooth batter that is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the sunflower oil to the batter mixture and mix well to coat the potatoes and onions.
4. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-based frying pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it.
5. When the oil is hot, carefully lower tablespoons of the batter mixture in batches into the oil and fry for 5-6 minutes, or until the pakoras are crisp and golden-brown and the vegetables have cooked through. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Chutney

Every snack needs a side dish to accompany with, and we came across this recipe for a Pumpkin Chutney.

Ingredients

• 7 kh of pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, and diced
• 3 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 500g light muscovado sugar
• 600ml cider vinegar

Method

1. Place the pumpkin in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Toss to get it all coated, cover and leave overnight. Drain of any juices, wash in cold water, then drain again to remove excess moisture.
2. Peel and segment the fruit and remove the pith. Tip into a heavy-based pot with all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 40 mins. Cool, then transfer to a sterilised jar and seal.

Candy Apples

Add some sweet to the table, with these flavoursome Candy Apples, that will be a treat this Halloween.

Ingredients

• 8 apples, firm and medium sized
• 8 wooden sticks
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• ¹⁄₂ cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon red food colouring

Method

• Wash, dry and polish apples.
• Remove stem.
• Insert wooden stick in stem end.
• Remove blossoms.
• Set aside.
• Put sugar, syrup and water into saucepan.
• Heat and stir to dissolve.
• Boil without stirring until it reaches 300 degrees on candy thermometer.
• A bit of syrup dropped into cold water will separate into brittle threads.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in cinnamon and food colouring.
• Dip apple to cover.
• Hold above saucepan to drain.
• Place on greased pan or tray stick side up.
• Quickly dip remaining apples.
• Return syrup to heat long enough to liquefy if it firms too much.
• Let stand at least 1 hour before serving.

Mummy Dogs

Ingredients

• 1 package refrigerated breadstick dough (8 count)
• 8 hot dogs

Method

• Preheat oven to 375°F Using 1 dough strip for each, wrap hot dogs to look like mummies, leaving an opening for eyes.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Place dots of mustard and poppy seeds for eyes and enjoy!

Shish Kebabs

Again, a spicy treat that all can enjoy.

Ingredients

For the spiced lamb

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• 600g/1lb 5oz lamb leg meat, cut into 3cm/1¼in cubes
• pinch salt

For the yoghurt sauce

• 150g/5oz Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
• handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
• pinch of salt

For the flatbreads

• 4 x 20cm/8in ready-made flatbreads

To serve

• 200g/7oz red or white cabbage, core removed, thinly shredded
• dash ready-made chilli sauce
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• ½ red onion, peeled, thinly sliced
• 4 dill pickles, thickly sliced
• pickled chillies, to taste (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

• For the spiced lamb, in a large bowl, mix together the garlic and cumin until well combined. Add the cubes of lamb leg to the spice mixture and stir until completely coated. Set aside for at least two hours, or chill in the fridge overnight.
• Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the coated lamb cubes to the hot pan, in batches, and season, to taste, with salt. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown griddle marks appear on both sides of the meat cubes and the lamb is cooked to your liking. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside (keep warm). Repeat the process with the remaining coated lamb cubes.
• Meanwhile, for the yoghurt sauce, in a bowl, mix together all of the yoghurt sauce ingredients until well combined.
• Meanwhile, for the flatbreads, heat a separate griddle pan over a low heat. Cook each flatbread, one at a time, for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until warmed through.
• To serve, spoon a dollop of the yogurt sauce into the centre of each flatbread. Pile a little of the cabbage on top of each flatbread, then drizzle over the chilli sauce. Place two slices of tomato and onion on top, then sprinkle over the dill pickle slices. Add the cubes of lamb, then sprinkle over the pickled chillies. Squeeze over the lemon juice, then fold the edges of the kebab over the filling.

Drinks

No Halloween party is complete without some spooky inspired drinks!

Here’s a selection of spook-tastic Halloween drinks we came across.

Pumpkin Pie Martini

Ingredients

• 50ml Caorunn Gin
• 25ml Pumpkinand Cinnamon Vanilla Syrup
• 20ml Lemon Juice

Method

To make the Pumpkin Syrup:

• Marinade cubed pumpkinin a container with Agave or Sugar Syrup, Vanilla Pods and Cinnamon Sticks.
• Muddle together to extract the water from the pumpkin, sieve and bottle.
• Add all ingredients to a Boston Glass, shake and double strain.
• Garnish with a twisted Vanilla Pod in a Martini

Halloween Jello Shots  

The look a treat but be careful the alcohol contained them may trick you.

Ingredients

• Sour gummy worms, one package

STRAWBERRY

• 1 package strawberry Jell-O gelatin dessert
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Malibu rum

PINEAPPLE

• 1 package pineapple Jell-O
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Malibu rum

BLUE LAGOON

• 1 package berry blue Jello gelatin
• ¹⁄₂ cup water
• ¹⁄₂ cup Sprite
• 1 cup raspberry vodka

RASPBERRY

• 1 package raspberry Jell-O gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup raspberry vodka

Method

Strawberry:

• Boil water, add jello and stir until completely dissolved.
• Add malibu rum and pour into 2 oz shot glasses (I use plastic) leave some space for gummy worm on top
• Chill until jello is 1/2 way set up and add gummy worm. If you add to early it will fall to bottom, make sure it can support the worm.
• Chill until firm and serve!

Pineapple:

• Boil water, add jello and stir until completely dissolved.
• Add malibu rum and stir.
• Follow previous directions to pour and set with gummy worm.

Blue Lagoon:

• Boil water, add jello and stir until completely dissolved.
• Add sprite and vokda, stir.
• Follow previous directions to pour and set with gummy worm.

Raspberry:

• Boil water, add jello and stir until completely dissolved.
• Add raspberry vodka and stir.
• Follow previous directions to pour and set with gummy worm.
• Time does not include chill time.

So, it’s not exactly a Desi inspired Halloween party, but there’s no stopping you from adding your own twist to it.

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Happy Halloween!