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    Romantic Indian Dinner for Two

    Cooking, Drinks, Entertaining, Grown-up Parties, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Sponsored Jump to Recipe

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The menu features an easy semi-homemade Nav Rattan Korma, served over basmati rice, onion chutney, Mango lassi and kheer rice pudding for dessert.

    How about a date night and an exotic vacation all rolled into one — without ever leaving the house?

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    This is a sponsored post, and it may contain affiliate links for your shopping convenience. If you make a purchase based on my referral, I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    My husband and I recently enjoyed an afternoon getaway to India, featuring international food and decor from World Market, and inspired by the sweetly romantic comedy, “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.”

    All in the middle of a snowstorm!

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    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    The original plan was to enjoy the meal we cooked together on the patio on a springy afternoon. But North Carolina’s crazy weather played a trick on us. So we brought the feast inside (patio table and all) and dined in front of the French doors in our living room.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    Setting the Table

    Before I move into the recipes, I want to talk about how I set the table for our date.

    Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

    I was inspired by the beautiful scenery, jewel tones and Indian motifs from “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” which is in theaters March 6.

    Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

    I absolutely adored the first movie, which was about embracing love, living fully and following your dreams at any age.

    I’m really excited to see the sequel to and to catch up with all the characters. I can’t wait to see what happens when Sonny tries to open a second location of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel while planning his wedding to Sunaina and taking care of the hotel’s quirky guests. (Good thing he has Muriel helping him run the place!)

    And there is the matter of the handsome new guest who is attracting the attention of the female residents.

    I found everything I needed to turn my living room into Jaipur and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel at World Market.

    I started out with the Cadiz Bistro Table and Peacock Blue Cadiz Chairs I bought for our back porch last year.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    Next, I layered on a pair of yellow Khadi placemats. Since my table was small, I used the placemats as a runner.

    For my place settings, I used two Nomad dinner plates, white Nomad elephant plates, oasis green buffet napkins, hammered flatware, amber Fez tumblers, aqua paisley Moroccan tea glasses and dainty Picardie juice glasses for dessert.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    I used a large glass teal teardrop lantern as a vase for some seasonal flowers, and used tealight candles in smaller yellow and green teardrop lanterns.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    The Menu

    Now let’s talk about the food.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    World Market has a wonderful selection of spices, sauces, ingredients and prepackaged Indian food. which makes it easy to prepare a restaurant-quality meal at home.

    As much as I love Indian food, I’d never cooked it before because I didn’t think I could achieve that same complex blending and layering of flavors at home.

    But our meal was as good as anything I’ve ever had in an Indian restaurant. It just takes the right ingredients.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    For an appetizer, we began with fried puppodums (which are so cool to make!) served with assorted chutneys and relishes: Patak’s Mango Chutney, Patak’s Mixed Relish and homemade onion chutney. (Find the recipe at the end of this post.)

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    I recommend Taj Mahal lager (which I found in World Market’s beer section) as a great balance for the spicy chutney and relish.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    Moving on to the main course, we had vegetable Navratan Korma (made with Tiger Tiger Kashmiri Korma sauce), basmati rice and garlic and coriader naan.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    I used World Market’s hammered stainless steel Kadhai bowls (which are just like the ones from Indian restaurants) to serve the korma, rice and naan.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    I used the mini square white tasting dishes I bought for my Oscars party and the Luna cocktail spoons to serve the chutney.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    Since Indian food can be spicy (the spicier the better, in my opinion), we had cool mango lassi shakes with our meal.

    Plan a romantic night in with these dinner for two recipes inspired by the flavors of India and the film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

    We ended our feast with tiny servings of homemade kheer, a deliciously sweet rice pudding. The tiny juice glasses were just the right size.

    Romantic Indian Dinner for Two Recipes

    Navratan Korma Indian Food in a stainless bowl

    Easy Navratan Korma

    This quick and easy vegetarian korma is ready in minutes since it uses a prepared simmer sauce as its base.
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian, Vegetarian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 423 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 5 cups chopped vegetables such as carrots cauliflower, baby corn, onions, green beans and potatoes
    • ¼ cup golden raisins
    • 1 jar Tiger Tiger Kashmiri Mild Korma Sauce
    • 2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
    • 2 Tablespoons chopped cashews

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
    • Saute vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Add korma sauce and bring to a simmer.
    • Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. (If using potatoes, you may want to parboil them first.)
    • Add golden raisins and simmer for a minute more.
    • Remove from heat and garnish with almonds and cashews.
    • Serve over basmati rice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 4gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 112mgPotassium: 647mgFiber: 5gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 26730IUVitamin C: 9.7mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 1.2mg
    Did You Make This?Mention @AttaGirlSays or tag #attagirlsays!

     

    homemade kheer rice pudding in a glass bowl

    Indian Kheer Rice Pudding

    A deliciously sweet Indian rice pudding with cardamom, golden raisins, pistachios and almonds. It's perfect after a spicy meal.
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    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 55 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 25 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 215 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ¼ cup Basmati rice
    • 1 quart whole milk
    • 6 Tablespoons sugar
    • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 2 Tablespoons almonds sliced
    • 1 Tablespoon pistachios shelled and chopped
    • ¼ cup golden raisins

    Instructions
     

    • Rinse basmati rice until water runs clear, then soak for 30 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, bring quart of milk to a boil in a large sauce pan.
    • Reduce heat to simmer.
    • Drain and rinse the rice and add it to the milk. Then stir in the sugar.
    • Simmer rice and milk mixture for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides to prevent sticking and to prevent lumps from forming.
    • After the mixture has cooked for about 20 minutes, add ground cardamom, pistachios and almonds.
    • Continue simmering for another 15 minutes, until the rice mixture has thickened and rice is cooked.
    • Remove from heat and stir in golden raisins.
    • You can serve the kheer rice pudding hot, but it's best chilled.
    • Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving.

    Notes

    Adapted from Veg Recipes of India

    Nutrition

    Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 69mgPotassium: 298mgSugar: 23gVitamin A: 255IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 192mgIron: 0.4mg
    Did You Make This?Mention @AttaGirlSays or tag #attagirlsays!

     

    homemade mango lassi drink garnished with a mango slice

    Homemade Mango Lassi

    A delicious creamy fruit shake, mango lassi is the perfect accompaniment to spicy Indian cuisine.
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Dessert, Drinks
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 136 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces plain nonfat yogurt
    • ½ cup milk
    • 4 ounces frozen mango
    • 2-3 teaspoons sugar optional
    • dried mango slices
    • nutmeg grated

    Instructions
     

    • In a blender, combine yogurt, milk and frozen mango.
    • Blend until smooth.
    • If necessary, add sugar to sweeten mixture.
    • Pour into two glasses and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and dried mango slices.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 9gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 113mgPotassium: 479mgSugar: 24gVitamin A: 845IUVitamin C: 21.7mgCalcium: 307mgIron: 0.2mg
    Did You Make This?Mention @AttaGirlSays or tag #attagirlsays!

     
    fried bread with a trio of Indian chutneys

    Homemade Onion Chutney

    This tangy chutney tastes just like the condiment served in Indian restaurants. It's great on puppodums and naan.
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course condiments
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 26 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 1 cup red onion finely diced
    • ½ cup tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cloves garlic minced

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oil in a small sauce pan.
    • Add tomato paste, spices, salt, sugar and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and stir in onions.
    • Refrigerate and serve with puppodums or naan.

    Notes

    Adapted from food-India.com

    Nutrition

    Calories: 26kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gSodium: 276mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 375IUVitamin C: 5.3mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.7mg
    Did You Make This?Mention @AttaGirlSays or tag #attagirlsays!

    Filed Under: Cooking, Drinks, Entertaining, Grown-up Parties, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Sponsored Tagged With: dessert recipes, vegetarian meals, World Market

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diane Williams

      March 19, 2015 at 1:00 am

      Wow. Great Indian recipes and decor! My sister loves all things India. Pinning this! Thanks for linking up at #PureBloglove link Party! The party begins again Thursday night at 8 p.m. EST. i’m hosting at http://www.homemadefoodjunkie.com. i’d love to see more of your ideas!

      Reply
    2. Lou Lou Girls

      March 16, 2015 at 2:59 pm

      Oh my…so delicious! I’m always get so excited to see what you have brought to the party! Pinned and tweeted. Thank you for being part of our party. I hope to see you on tonight at 7. Lou Lou Girls

      Reply
      • Atta Girl Amy

        March 25, 2015 at 12:30 pm

        Aww, you are too sweet! Thanks for being such a great hostess every week.

        Reply
    3. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life

      March 14, 2015 at 7:01 pm

      I could definitely go for a date night like this! I love Indian food. Thanks for sharing this with us at #FoodieFriDIY!

      Reply
      • Atta Girl Amy

        March 17, 2015 at 9:40 am

        It eas delicious!

        Reply
    4. Kyla @HouseOfHipsters

      March 14, 2015 at 2:41 pm

      Sounds sooo good! Thanks for linking up at Found & Foraged!

      Reply
    5. Katherines Corner

      March 13, 2015 at 11:33 pm

      What a wonderful idea to have a themed dinner for two. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. watch for your feature on Monday xo

      Reply
    6. Erica

      March 12, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks for the post, your table is GORGEOUS! Thanks for linking up to Wordless Wednesday!
      Erica

      Reply
    7. All that's Jas

      March 12, 2015 at 10:08 am

      WOW! This is so impressive, from the table setting to the menu! And how special must your husband be and what a blessing you are to him to arrange such an amazing date! Thanks for linking up at Thursday Favorite Things. Can’t wait to see what you’ll share next week! Btw, I LOVED the first movie too and am looking forward to see this one. XO

      Reply
      • Atta Girl Amy

        March 17, 2015 at 9:52 am

        Thanks so much for hosting. And yep, my husband is pretty special, and he enjoyed helping cook (and eat) this feast!

        Reply
    8. Melissa

      March 11, 2015 at 12:58 pm

      This all looks so amazing! I love Indian food, and I am looking forward to trying some of these recipes!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Weekend Bites #26 | Homemaid Simple says:
      October 31, 2015 at 1:31 AM

      […] Not a whole lot going on this week. I sure hope you didn’t miss the Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Ice Cream though – oh yum! I also got crafty last weekend and made a St Patty’s Day Wreath out of Coffee Filters.  Features 10 Easy Ways to Encourage your Kids to Eat More Vegetables from Happiness is Homemade I accept any and all tips for getting my kids to eat more veggies. We’re good on fruit, but something about these veggies…. Tropical Smoothie from A Simple Pantry I’m on a total smoothie kick right now! I just love the sweet goodness packed in a drink.  Romantic Indian Dinner for 2 from Atta Girl Says […]

      Reply

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