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What makes a sundowner stand out from other evening gatherings is its location and vibe. Generally hosted early evening out on the balcony or the terrace or even the rooftop of your home, a sundowner is about revelling in the orange, pink, grey and purple hues cast in the skies as the sun sets over a bustling urban landscape.
A sundowner gathering hosted on the weekend generally means that guests will gather for cocktails and mocktails in the early hours of evening and stay on as it morphs into a melting dusk. What accompanies the signature drinks meant for slow-sipping at such a party are flavour-packed small bites perfect for nibbling. These are recipes meant simply for grazing, without complicated cutlery. They are good binge bites with drinks, yet never fill one up completely, leaving a healthy appetite for dinner.
Mini Cheese And Olive Skewers
All things elegant, graceful and befitting the vibe of a sundowner event, these skewers are very easy to put together ahead of the party. Thread cubes of cheddar or mozzarella balls into skewers and couple them with seeded green or black olives.
Cherry tomatoes can also be propped up on skewers or toothpicks before arranging the small-bites on round trays. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil, crushed pepper and dried herbs just before serving. The salty, creamy skewers pair exceedingly well with floral drinks and gin-based cocktails.
Corn Chaat Cups
These cocktail-style desi favourites are easy-to-make and simple to serve at a sundowner. Boil corn and coat it in butter. The butter’s saltiness wraps the corn to lend it a bright flavour that is accentuated with black salt, chaat masala, red chilli powder and finely chopped onions.
Toss the boiled corn with these myriad spices in a large bowl, garnish with coriander and serve in small cups or shot glasses at the sundowner. The crunchy, lipsmacking small-bites go well with fruit juices and fizzy spritzers.
Mini Paneer Tikkas
If you want something more elaborate to level-up your appetiser game at a sundowner, you cannot go wrong with soft, melt-in-the-mouth mini paneer tikkas skewered onto toothpicks. Marinate paneer in a spicy, savoury mixture of curd, red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and other assorted spices.
Grill or air fry small cubes and serve them with grilled capsicum, tomato and onion slices. Make a fresh mint chutney to go with the tikkas. The soft texture, smoky flavour and light char of the tikkas is a good coupling with whisky-based cocktails and assorted fruity mocktails.
Loaded Nachos With Salsa And Sour Cream
Whether you make a non-vegetarian version with kheema or bacon strips, or a vegetarian version with kidney beans and mushrooms, loaded nachos will be instant crowd-pleasers at your sundowner gathering. Craft a vibrant salsa accentuated with flavours of basil and mint for the topping. Add melted cheese, olives and jalapeños to the loaded nachos.
Garnish with a generous dollop of sour cream that balances out the spicier flavours in the toppings. Great for sharing and grazing, platters of loaded nachos can pair with tangy, sour, tropical cocktails as well as they would with non-alcoholic sherbets and fizzy colas.
Chocolate Ganache Shots
Amidst a host of savoury and spicy appetisers, make room for at least one sweet small-bite that can close off the evening or act as a palate cleaner between two munchies. Chocolate ganache shots with a crushed biscuits base and a layer of whipped cream at the top can be interesting alternatives.
Swap the whipped cream for a fruit compote for a seasonal, tropical nuance. Not only will the ganache shots pair with a host of sweet and sour cocktails and mocktails, but they will also bring an elegance in your small-bites game, fitting a chic sundowner.
