Casual Entertaining: An Indian Buffet

A buffet featuring specialties of India is perfect for casual entertaining. Enlivened with exotic spices, these aromatic dishes will refresh the palate, especially after a month of traditional holiday fare. Even though the recipes call for a number of spices, the dishes are, in fact, easy to prepare. Most of them, such as the lamb curry and tomato chutney, can be made in advance—they'll taste even better the next day because the flavors will have time to meld. All you'll have left to do is arrange the buffet and welcome your guests.