Every dawat in our house starts with the same worried question: “Khana kam to nahi parega?” Nobody wants guests to see an empty degh, but nobody wants to be eating leftover biryani for four days either. I have made both mistakes. Once I ordered biryani by the kilo for a family get-together and ran out before the last cousins had eaten, and another time I cooked so much qorma that half of it went into the freezer.
Over the years I worked out simple portion rules that now save me every time, whether it is a lazy Sunday biryani order, a kids’ pizza party or a full dawat. I used to share these in separate small posts about biryani, pizza slices and bread. This guide puts everything in one place, with quick charts and a ready-made plan for 10 guests.
How to read these numbers: portions are for adults. Count children under 10 as half an adult. If you serve three or more main dishes at a dawat, people take a little of everything, so you can reduce each dish by about a third.
Quick Chart: Food Per Person
| Food | Per adult (one main dish) | Per adult (dawat with 3+ dishes) |
|---|---|---|
| Uncooked rice (biryani, pulao) | 100–125 g | 75 g |
| Cooked biryani or pulao | 300–350 g (about 2 cups) | 200–250 g |
| Bone-in meat or chicken for salan, qorma, karahi | 200–250 g raw | 125–150 g raw |
| Boneless meat or chicken | 150–200 g raw | 100 g raw |
| BBQ (tikka, boti, kababs) | 250–300 g raw | 150 g raw |
| Seekh kababs | 3–4 kababs | 2 kababs |
| Naan | 1–1.5 naan | 1 naan |
| Roti or chapati | 2–3 | 2 |
| Raita | 1/2 cup | 1/3 cup |
| Salad | 1 cup | 1/2 cup |
| Kheer, firni, custard | 1/2 cup | 1/3 cup |
| Cold drinks | 2–3 glasses (more in summer) | 2 glasses |
How Much Biryani Do You Need?
This is the question I get asked most, and the answer depends on whether you order it or cook it at home.
- Ordering by the kilo from a biryani shop: shops weigh the cooked biryani, so 1 kg feeds 3 to 4 adults as the only main dish. For 10 people, order about 3 kg.
- Cooking at home: 1 kg of uncooked rice becomes about 2.5 to 3 kg of cooked biryani. 1 kg rice with 1 to 1.25 kg meat or chicken feeds 8 to 10 adults as the main dish, or 12 to 14 at a dawat with other dishes.
The same rule works for pulao, like my chicken yakhni pulao or chicken Bukhari rice. For large quantities, the right degh matters too: see my guide to the best pot for biryani, and if you run out of biryani masala, my garam masala vs biryani masala guide shows what to use instead.
How Many Slices in a Pizza, and How Many People Does It Feed?
| Pizza size | Usual slices | Feeds |
|---|---|---|
| Small (8–10 inch) | 6 | 1–2 people |
| Medium (12 inch) | 8 | 2–3 people |
| Large (14 inch) | 8–10 | 3–4 people |
| Extra large / party (16–18 inch) | 12 | 5–6 people |
Most adults eat 2 to 3 slices and children 1 to 2. When my nephews and nieces arrive for a pizza party, I plan 2 slices per child and keep one extra pizza in mind, because there is always one cousin who wants “just one more”. For a large 14-inch pizza shared by four, cutting it into 12 thinner slices instead of 8 avoids the fight over the last piece.
How Many Slices in a Loaf of Bread?
- Small loaf: about 14 to 16 slices, including the two end pieces.
- Large sandwich loaf: about 20 to 24 slices.
Slice counts vary by brand and thickness, so check the pack. Each sandwich uses 2 slices, so a large loaf makes about 10 sandwiches. For breakfast, plan 2 slices per adult, and keep a spare loaf in the freezer; toast the slices straight from frozen. My food storage guide explains how long bread lasts.
Ready-Made Dawat Plan for 10 Guests
A typical menu of biryani, qorma, naan, raita, salad and kheer for 10 adults:
| Dish | What to cook or buy |
|---|---|
| Chicken biryani | 1 kg rice + 1 to 1.25 kg chicken |
| Mutton or chicken qorma | 1.5 kg bone-in meat |
| Naan | 12–15 |
| Raita | 1 kg dahi |
| Salad | 1 kg mixed vegetables |
| Kheer | 1.5 litres milk |
| Cold drinks | 4–5 litres |
For a BBQ night instead, plan about 2.5 kg of raw meat for 10 adults, for example 1 kg chicken tikka, 1 kg seekh kabab mince and 500 g boti, plus 15 naan.
My Dawat Planning Rules
- Count children as half. A family of 2 adults and 2 young children eats like 3 adults.
- Add a small buffer. Cook about 10 percent extra for unexpected guests. In Pakistani homes, someone always brings a cousin.
- More dishes, smaller portions. With three or more mains, reduce each dish by about a third.
- Bread and rice go fastest. If you are unsure, add extra naan or rice rather than extra meat. They are cheaper and fill everyone up.
- Plan for leftovers. Keep boxes ready and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour on hot days.
Quick Answers to Common Questions
Is 1 kg biryani enough for 4 people?
If you buy 1 kg of cooked biryani from a shop, it feeds 3 to 4 adults. If you cook with 1 kg of uncooked rice at home, it feeds 8 to 10 adults.
How much meat per person for a dawat?
About 200 to 250 g of raw bone-in meat per adult if it is the only main dish, or 125 to 150 g when you serve several dishes.
How many naan for 10 people?
Plan 12 to 15 naan for 10 adults, or 20 to 25 rotis.
How many pizzas for 10 people?
About 3 large 14-inch pizzas for 10 adults, or 2 large pizzas for 10 children.
How much rice per person?
100 to 125 g of uncooked rice per adult for a rice-only meal, or about 75 g at a dawat with other dishes.
