Dinner Party Disaster

After shifting to Gurgaon, this was the first time I invited two of our friends to our home for a dinner party on this Saturday night. Nimish was a very good friend of my hubby from Engg days and  Anshika was my office colleague. To impress my colleagues and friends, I have always told them that I am a very good cook. Well I am a good cook, I make dishes reading cookery books and blogs!!!!! Trust me, it comes out really well.
 So overall, I have to prepare the dinner for 6 people(Me , my hubby, Nimish, his wife , Anshika and her hubby). I was dead sure that it would be a cake walk for me. I found out cookery blogs for starters (Kabab and Tandoori chicken) and my very own signature dish Hydrabadi Biryani and Chicken Do Payazza.  I was all set with menu and ingredients by Friday night to organize a lavish dinner. This is the occasion, when I can impress everyone with my culinary skills.
On Saturday morning, I got up only when my hubby said “its 11 am, get up otherwise maid will go”. “OMG!!! I got up and rushed to kitchen, I have to marinate Chicken for Tandoori Chicken”.
Thank God!!!  With the help of my maid I was able to marinate chicken, prepare the dough for kabab  and  naan. My maid went homw with a promise that she will be back by 5pm. I started making Biryani and after 3 hours of hard work, it turned out really well. I saw the clock was already showing 4’O clock. So I thought to take a little rest before my maid comes. I don’t know when I slept and got up at 7 pm. My maid has not turned up. Oh God!!! I was all on my own…. I kept the tandoori chicken on grill and suddenly there was no power in house. We have a power back up but of no use as I can’t operate oven. I thought of skipping Chicken do Payazza and started making balls from  Kababs dough.I asked my hubby to fry it till I get ready for dinner as they were about to come at 8 PM.  By the time, I came back to kitchen, I saw my hubby was struggling with the Kababs and all Kababs were  burned into black. I was not knowing, what to say him as it was my fault to assign this work to him.
I was feeling restless as there were nothing for starter but I was happy that my main course was ready. My hubby suggested that we can serve chips and Knor soup to them.  Finally power was back and I grilled my tandoori chicken. “Ahh!! Now all huddles are over and rest of the show will be perfect”. 
But sometimes things just don’t go the way you want them to.
My guests came and we were having lovely conversion. Everyone was teamed up for playing cards.
 After the serving the starters, I thought of making Naan so that I can serve the main course properly. I have never struggled so much with Naan. The dough refused to form the right consistency and as soon as I got it into a ball I knew it had been over handled, which once baked would be very, very hard and unpleasant to eat. After making the Naan three different times, I finally gave up and thought I will sever biryani and Raita.
Worst was yet to come!!!!
I thought to warm my chicken biryani, so kept on burner. Anshika entered to my kitchen and said that lets come and play cards. I went to drawing room and started playing cards with my friend. Suddenly my hubby asked did you put anything on burner, its smelling….. “Oh God !!! Please no, please no… it can’t be my birayni. It’s my trump card to impress everyone”.
But it was over, all my biryani was burned as I left flame on high.
So here I was, with 4 guest in my house and I was nothing to serve them. It was such embarrassing situation for me. I did not know what to do. It was already 11 Pm and we called few restaurants but they refused to deliver the order.  My Hubby started surfing for the restaurant names which are open after 11 pm also. 
Anshika came to rescue me and  said “let’s all of us make something unique to eat.” I was so depress that I did not know what to do. Nimish came to my kitchen and said “let me make cake for you”. Anshika and Nimish’s wife boiled few eggs and started making egg curry. I quickly put rice at one burner and started making chapattis.
What a fun it was!!!! We all started playing antaksahri while cooking. Anshika and Nimish’s wife prepared a delicious egg curry where as all three male members made a beautiful chocolate cake.
My hubby  also prepared a unique starter for all of us from left over of Bingo chips.

Here are few snaps of our creative dishes:)

Bing Starters from Left Overs Prepared by My Hubby

Cake made by Nimish

Egg Curry

That night we had our dinner at 1 am and after that we all sat in one car and went to India Gate for having Icecream. We all were singing and teasing each other. WOW!!! What an experience it was!!!!!
Furthermore, the experience was a necessary reminder that the best cooking comes from a place of love, not from trying to impress others. Had I just relaxed, taken my time and had the confidence to just be me, the evening would have turned out far better. I just hope my friends will consider responding to a future dinner invitation. No fire extinguishers required.