Stocking for holiday parties, from Thanksgiving to New Year.

Order before Thanksgiving

Place your holiday order in early November and plan a second order mid-December for Christmas and New Year. Supplier deliveries slow down between the holidays, so build a little safety stock of best-sellers.

The party checklist

• Frozen appetizers — cocktail samosas, aloo tikki, hara bhara kebabs and paneer pakoras from Nanak: easy to bake or fry in batches.
• Chutneys and dips — tamarind and green chutneys, Veeba sauces and dips.
• Sweets — rasmalai, gulab jamun and kaju katli as dessert trays.
• Drinks — kesar mango pulp for lassi and mocktails, sharbat syrups and Indian sodas (Sosyo, Kashmira, nimbu jeera).
• Snacks — namkeen and chips for party bowls.

Sell to hosts and caterers

Promote “party packs” — a case of samosas, a kebab assortment and a chutney set — to hosts, and offer caterers case pricing with guaranteed delivery the week before Christmas.

The short version

Order in early November and again mid-December, lead with frozen appetizers and chutneys, add sweets trays and drinks, and sell party packs to hosts and caterers. Our team can tell you exactly what is available for your route this season.

Next on the festival calendar: Sankranti, Pongal & Lohri stocking guide · All festival guides