While dining out is good fun, there is something lovely about inviting friends to your home for dinner. Its more relaxed and easier to mingle and meet new people. At home, an open fire in winter or an atmospheric terrace on a summer evening can set the scene for a great night.

However hosting a dinner party for a larger group can seem very daunting if you’re busy.

But wouldn’t it be great if you could outsource most of the work, without it costing the high price of professional catering.

Taste of Bangladesh offers a very useful take-away family pack that’s perfect for this purpose. Being the lovely, flexible couple that they are, Shafique and Fahana are also happy to work with you on some reasonable swaps to cater for exactly what you need.

If you add your own simple salad of cucumber and tomato, cook your own rice and serve your own dessert, then one family pack for $71 can serve up to eight people.

If you don’t live too far away they can even deliver it not to your door for $3 extra.

Start by setting an inviting table and perhaps adding some incense and Indian music!

Set out some wine, water and juice and a few nibbles for mingling.

The Taste of Bangladesh family pack includes 8 entree pieces, four onion bhaji and four chicken tikka, but you can ask Shafique to just include 8 onion bhaji.

The onion bhaji come with tamarind and mint chutneys and Shafique even includes some complimentary pappadoms!

Serve the chutneys and bhaji for entree using your own serving dishes.

By cooking your own rice instead of including it in the order, you can have plenty on hand. Also, if you don’t take the rice, you can ask to upgrade the 4 plain naan to the more tasty cheese and spinach naan instead.

Asking Shafique to cut the naan into quarters makes it easier for sharing.

Serve the raita and the mains in your own dishes too.

Some of the four set mains ( beef vindaloo, butter chicken, lamb saag and minja handi (a cheese and vegetable dish)) be swapped, if you choose similarly priced dishes.

If you have more than 6-8 people you might want to order two or more family packs. If you do it can be handy to get more of the same dish, for example three Chicken Dum Murfh, three Fish Bengali and two palak Paneer work well.

Finish with a simple dessert of your own, made ahead of time or even some gourmet icecream served in glassware and garnished with a few frozen berries.

Finish with tea and coffee and a chocolate to round it all off.

For a small amount of planning and organisation and some big (but not too pricey) help from Taste of Bangladesh you can add your own special touches to a delicious Indian feast and create a night to remember!