Come weekends, get togethers, kitty parties, dinner parties for occasions, our hunt for recipes begin. With the thought that our menu should be something innovative, something new, preferably with no repetitions from recent gatherings.

Keeping in mind that the dish should be such that all should enjoy, not to forget that people have different pallets, while some like their meal robust and spicy, some like to keep the spice levels in check, not too hot and spicy yet flavourful. That brings us to segment we have chosen today, subtle gravy dishes with a base that's white in colour. White indicating colour it lends to the dish, the use of some simple ingredients and spices that we shall speak about.

These white gravy combinations, obviously eliminate the usage of tomatoes and red chillies that lend its prominent colour to the dish. The gravies have a rich texture, taste flavour as a result of the use of nuts like cashews and almonds in the gravy or some slivered almonds even as garnish. These nuts give the dish a deep nutty flavour, leaving you with a great mouth feel after each bite. Another popular ingredient in white gravies is poppy seeds or khus-khus. These poppy seed are soaked in milk or water and ground to paste to be added to the dish.

While these ingredients give the dish a lovely nuttiness to the dishes, moving on with other ingredients that give these gravies a body is the addition of dairy products.

Dairy products like dahi, is a souring agent used in place of tomatoes, that gives a hint of tang and also helps form the thickness the gravy requires. Another very important ingredient for the right consistency of these white gravies is milk and fresh cream, making the dishes velvety and smooth. Methi Malai Matar Recipe - Fenugreek Peas Curry With Cream is the perfect example of using milk and cream to make the gravy.

Coconut milk could be a vegan alternative to milk in these dishes. Vegan Malai Gobi Recipe is a classic example where milk is replaced with coconut milk for a vegan version.

So here are some meal combinations, both vegetarian and non vegetarian white gravy dishes paired with salads, parathas and naans and of course some flavoured rice. So wait no more and get busy in the kitchen already.

Vegetarian Combinations

1. Aloo Matar Korma, Peanut Cucumber Salad, Nawabi Tawa Paratha, Jeera Rice

2. Paneer in White Gravy, Steamed Beet Salad, Warqi Paratha, Peas Pulao

3 .Mushroom Baby Corn Kaalimirri, Kakdi Pyaz Kachumber, Pudina Tawa Paratha, Vagharela Chawal

Non Vegetarian Combinations

1. Chicken in White Gravy, Kachumber Salad, Butter Garlic Naan, Dhaba Style Ghee Rice

2. Safed Murgh Handi, Pudina Pyaz Kachumber, Homemade Butter Naan, Sindhi Bhuga Chawal

3. Dum Murgh Kalimirch, Classic Indian Sliced Salad, Achari Laccha Paratha, Zarda Pulao