Feast Pilaf Blog

Aqeeqa, Milad and Khatam at Home: Catering for 10 to 60 Guests in Islamabad

10 September 2026

The most common order in our kitchen isn't a wedding or an office event. It's a home function: an aqeeqa for a new baby, a milad in the drawing room, a khatam or Quran khwani where half the mohalla comes through the door over two hours. Nobody writes guides for these, so families guess — and either run short in front of guests or send three daigs of leftovers to the neighbours.

This is the guide. How home functions differ from other events, how to count guests when nobody RSVPs, and exactly what to order for each occasion, with our published prices.

Why home functions are their own thing

• Guests come in waves, not all at once. Food has to stay hot and presentable for two to three hours, not twenty minutes.
• The kitchen is a home kitchen. There's no space to plate for forty. Food should arrive ready to serve — lidded daigs with serving spoons, or already boxed.
• Timing follows prayers, not the clock: after Asr, after Maghrib, after Isha. Delivery has to land in the window between prayer and guests.
• Men and women often sit separately. Two serving points, or portions split in advance, saves a lot of running around.
• The mood is respectful and generous, not showy. Simple, well-made desi food beats a fancy spread every time.

Counting guests when nobody RSVPs

Family functions run on "sab aa rahe hain". Our rule: count the households you've invited, multiply by three, then add 15% for the neighbours and the uncles who bring someone. For a khatam or distribution, count boxes, not plates — and round up to the next five. Leftover biryani has never once been a problem in Pakistan; running out in front of elders has.

What to order, occasion by occasion

Aqeeqa — 20 to 60 guests, usually a lunch or dinner

An aqeeqa is a proper meal, and mutton belongs on the table. Our family dawat deals are built for exactly this size:

• Rs. 12,000 — 5 to 6 persons: Chicken Punjabi Qorma, Mutton Kunna, Beef Kabab, Chicken Biryani, Zarda, Seekh Kabab.
• Rs. 15,000 — 5 to 6 persons: Chicken Steam Roast, Chicken Qorma, Mutton Kunna, Beef Kabab, Chicken Pulao Kabab, Zarda & Fruit Custard, Seekh Kabab.
• Rs. 20,000 — 10 to 12 persons: Chicken White Qorma, Mutton Kunna, Beef Kabab, Chicken Pulao Kabab, Zarda, Seekh Kabab & Tikka.

All three include raita, salad, naan and cold drinks. For 30 or more, step up to the degh deals: Rs. 60,000 (25 persons) with Special Chinioti Kunna and Special Chicken Biryani, or Rs. 100,000 (30 to 35 persons) — a full mutton kunna degh, pulao kabab, reshmi kabab, qorma, BBQ mix, zarda and roast. Combine two deals for bigger families, or ask us to quote a mixed order. Everything is itemised on the event menu.

Milad — 20 to 40 guests, usually an afternoon, mostly ladies

A milad wants lighter, tidier food that can be served quietly during and after the gathering. Two good options:

• Hi-tea packages at Rs. 900 or Rs. 1,199 per head — sandwiches, samosas, pastries, tea, all in one — for an afternoon milad. Details in our hi-tea guide.
• Biryani by the kilo plus kheer for a milad that ends with a meal: 5 kg for 15 to 20 guests, 10 kg for 30 to 40, portioned into boxes if you'd rather not serve. See tikka biryani by the kilo.

Khatam, Quran khwani, soyem, chehlum — 30 to 60 guests, distribution-style

Here the food is usually handed out, often to people who won't sit down. The Rs. 40,000 degh deal (30 to 35 persons) was made for it: Special Punjabi Qorma in a degh, Special Chicken Pulao Kabab, Reshmi Kabab, Chinioti Kheer, with roghni naan, raita, salad and cold drinks. For pure distribution, biryani by the kilo, boxed — 10 or 20 kg with raita packed per box (boxes Rs. 20 each) — hands over cleanly and travels well. Tell us the number of boxes; we count them twice.

Serving at home without the stress

• Daigs or boxes, your choice. Daigs (free) with serving spoons for a sit-down meal; sealed boxes (Rs. 20 each) for distribution or separate seating. We collect daigs the next day.
• Ask for split portions if men and women sit separately — we'll pack two sets so nothing has to cross the house.
• Use your own dishes if you like. Many families prefer their own serving dishes for a home function; we fill them at the kitchen or at your door.
• Tell us the prayer time, not the guest time. We'll deliver so the food is hot when the first guests sit, not when the last ones leave.

Notice, delivery and areas

A day's notice is comfortable for the family deals and degh deals; a full kunna needs the day before regardless. Smaller biryani orders are often same-day if you call before noon. We deliver across Islamabad and Rawalpindi — Bahria, DHA, the F and G sectors, Saddar, Chaklala, Satellite Town — and around Soan Garden, PWD and Police Foundation you can simply pick up from the kitchen.

Questions families ask

Can you keep it simple — just biryani, qorma and kheer? Yes. Deals are convenient, not compulsory; order by dish or daig from the menu and we'll quote it.

Do you deliver to a ladies-only gathering? Yes — tell us who will receive the food at the door and we'll hand over and leave; no one needs to come inside.

Is the food halal and from an approved kitchen? Everything is cooked in our Punjab Food Authority approved kitchen in Soan Garden Markaz — walk in 11 am to 11 pm and see it.

Can you pack leftovers? Ask when you book and we'll leave extra boxes — sending guests home with food is half the point of a home function.

Book it

WhatsApp 0315 9093990 with the occasion, the date, your best guest count and the prayer time you're planning around. You'll get a quote the same day, and on the day, one less thing to worry about while the house fills up.