Griha Pravesh Menu List: Veg and Non-Veg Housewarming Ideas

Putting together a griha pravesh menu list usually starts the moment the date is fixed. Griha pravesh is the Hindu housewarming ceremony, the first formal entry into a new home, and the food has to suit both the puja and the people who come to bless the house.

This guide walks through vegetarian and non-vegetarian ideas from our catering menus and our Powai kitchen, plus the practical bits: serving in a flat that's still half unpacked, and how early to book.

The puja meal and the party meal

Many housewarmings are really two events on one day. In the morning there's the puja, often led by a priest at a time chosen as auspicious, the muhurat. Later, friends, neighbours and colleagues drop in to see the new place.

The food for each can be quite different. A lot of families keep the puja day strictly vegetarian, and some also leave out onion and garlic. Others are happy with a vegetarian lunch and a non-vegetarian dinner for the evening guests. Traditions vary from family to family, so settle this with the elders before you settle the dishes. It decides almost everything else.

If you need a meal without onion and garlic, tell us when you enquire. Our team will tell you which dishes can be prepared that way and explain how each one is cooked.

A vegetarian griha pravesh menu list

Our Indian vegetarian catering menu is a comfortable fit for the puja meal, because almost everyone at the gathering will recognise it. It runs like this, with one dish picked from each pair or group:

• Welcome drinks
• Veg cutlet or paneer cutlet
• Pani puri or alu chaat
• French fries or potato wedges
• Veg fried rice, jeera rice, paratha or kachori
• Dal tadka, dum alu or mixed veg
• Shahi paneer, malai kofta or navratan korma
• Gulab jamun, steamed sandesh or rasgulla

Would you rather the meal taste of Bengal? Our everyday menu has plenty of vegetarian dishes that suit a housewarming lunch for family:

• Koraishutir Kochuri with Alu'r Dum (4 pcs), ₹250
• Chholar Dal, ₹170
• Shukto, ₹220
• Dhokar Dalna, ₹280
• Chhanar Kalia, ₹280
• Potoler Dolma (V), ₹300
• Pea Pulao, ₹140
• Basonti Pulao, ₹220
• Tomato Khejur Chutney, ₹130
• Bhapa Sandesh, ₹50 a piece

A few of those names need explaining. Koraishutir kochuri is a deep-fried bread stuffed with green peas, and alu'r dum is the potato curry that goes with it. Chholar dal is a dal made with Bengal gram. Shukto is a bitter-sweet mixed vegetable dish, traditionally eaten at the start of a Bengali meal. Dhokar dalna is fried lentil cakes simmered in a spiced gravy, a festive vegetarian favourite. Chhanar kalia is fresh chhana, Bengali cottage cheese, in a rich gravy, and potoler dolma is stuffed pointed gourd. Basonti pulao is sweet, golden-yellow rice, and tomato khejur chutney is a sweet tomato and date chutney that closes the meal.

Prices and availability are confirmed by our team when you order, and delivery charges are additional. Everyday dishes need 5–6 hours' notice, since each one is cooked to order.

Where the sweet fits in

The milk-boiling ritual is one of the best-known parts of griha pravesh. Fresh milk is boiled in the new kitchen and allowed to overflow, a sign that the home will never run short. In many homes that milk is then made into kheer, a rice and milk pudding, offered at the puja and shared as prasad.

That pudding is made in your own kitchen, as part of the ritual. For the guests, though, it's natural to keep a milk sweet on the menu. Bengalis call their version payesh, and chhanar payesh, a rich milk dessert with soft chhana balls, is one of the dishes we list for Bengali catering. Steamed sandesh, a delicate milk sweet, and rasgulla are both options on our Indian catering menus.

When the evening crowd eats non-veg

If your family is fine with meat or fish later in the day, the evening is where you can be generous. Our Indian non-vegetarian catering menu starts with fish chop, chicken cutlet or prawn cutlet. The main course is a choice of chicken korma, chicken kasuri methi, chicken kosha, prawn malaikari or mutton kosha, with dal, rice, pea pulao, paratha or puri alongside.

For a Bengali dinner, a few dishes from the everyday menu do the heavy lifting:

• Bhetki Fish Fry (1 pc), ₹200
• Chicken Kosha, ₹420
• Chingri Malaikari, ₹500
• Kosha Mangsho, ₹550

Chingri malaikari is prawns in a creamy coconut gravy, and kosha mangsho is slow-cooked spiced mutton. We've written about kosha mangsho and the fish fry in earlier posts if you'd like to know more before choosing.

Keep a couple of good vegetarian mains on the evening menu too. Some guests will still be keeping the day vegetarian, and they shouldn't have to make a meal of the starters.

Serving in a new flat

The kitchen may have one working burner and a stack of boxes in the corner. That's normal, and it's why catering makes sense for a housewarming.

For catered events, we provide serving equipment and the buffet setup: buffet tables, serving dishes, warming equipment and presentation items. For larger or more detailed events, we visit your home beforehand to look at the kitchen and dining area and decide where everything should go. On the day, our team serves the food and keeps the trays refilled.

If the guest list is long, ask about a live food counter. Our housewarming page mentions Mumbai-style pav bhaji counters and paneer tikka skewers as ways to mix comfort food with something lively. A counter also spreads people out, which helps in a smaller flat.

How early to book

The muhurat fixes your date, so enquire as soon as you have it. Our general rule for catering is at least 7 days in advance. For a housewarming, our housewarming page suggests 2 to 3 weeks, which leaves time to plan the menu and to fit in a home visit if one is needed. If your date is closer than a week, call +91 96740 12126 to check availability before you make plans.

When you write to us, include:

• The date and the time of the puja, if you know it
• A rough guest count for the puja meal and the evening
• Whether either meal must be vegetarian, or without onion and garlic
• Your area, so we can confirm delivery arrangements
• Any allergies among your guests

We're based in Powai and take catering enquiries across Mumbai, including Andheri East. Delivery charges are confirmed with your quote. We're available every day from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm for bookings and menu questions.

Frequently asked questions

Can the whole housewarming menu be vegetarian?

Yes. Each of our Continental, Chinese and Indian catering menus has a vegetarian version, and we can also build a Bengali vegetarian spread. Tell us your preferences and we'll customise the menu.

Do you cater a small griha pravesh with just family?

Yes. We cater small family get-togethers as well as large parties, including a gathering of around 10 close family members. Share your rough guest count and our team will prepare a quote around your menu.

Does sending an enquiry confirm my booking?

No. It starts a conversation, and there's no payment at that stage. Your booking is confirmed directly with our team once you've agreed on the menu, quote, date and arrangements.

Moving in soon? Fill in the form on our catering page, choose Housewarming as the occasion, and add your date and guest count. We'll take the menu from there.