Dawat Quantity Calculator
Tell us how many guests are coming and what you are making. You get how much rice, meat, naan, raita and dessert to buy, so nobody goes hungry and you are not eating leftovers for a week.
Your menu
Shopping list
| Buy | Quantity |
|---|
Dish by dish
| Dish | Main ingredients |
|---|
Raw, uncooked weights. Meat is bone-in unless it says boneless. Amounts are a planning guide from home dawats and caterers’ rules of thumb; your own family knows best.
How much food per person for a Pakistani dawat
These are the amounts the calculator starts from, per adult, raw weight, when a dish is the only main on the table:
| Dish | Per adult | 1 kg serves about |
|---|---|---|
| Biryani or pulao | 150 g rice + 200 g meat | 6 to 7 people (1 kg rice) |
| Chicken karahi or qorma | 250 g chicken, bone-in | 4 people |
| Mutton or beef qorma | 250 g meat, bone-in | 4 people |
| Seekh kabab | 150 g qeema (about 3 kababs) | 6 to 7 people |
| Plain rice with salan | 75 g rice | 13 people |
| Raita | 100 g yogurt | 10 people |
| Kheer | 200 ml milk | 5 people per litre |
More dishes, smaller portions. With two mains each one is made about a third smaller; with three, about half. People do eat a little more in total when there is variety, and the calculator allows for that.
Your own dishes. Making something that is not on the list, like chicken handi or a trifle? Type it under the menu and choose what kind of dish it is. It is worked out like the dishes of the same kind.
Children aged 5 to 12 count as half a portion. Under 5s usually share from a parent’s plate.
Tips from dawat kitchens
- Biryani always runs out first. If it is your star dish, choose “Hearty eaters”.
- Make the salan the day before. Qorma and nihari taste better the next day and it frees up your stove.
- Buy naan on the day and warm it in batches wrapped in foil.
- Comparing a caterer’s quote? Put these quantities into the cater vs cook calculator.
Questions people ask
How much biryani do I need for 50 people?
If biryani is the only main dish, about 7.5 kg of rice and 10 kg of meat, raw weight. With a second main such as qorma, about 5 kg of rice and 6.5 kg of meat for the biryani. Add 10% if your guests are big eaters.
How many people does 1 kg of biryani rice serve?
About 6 to 7 adults when biryani is the only main dish, about 10 when it is served with one curry, and about 13 with a curry and kababs.
How much chicken per person for karahi?
About 250 g of bone-in chicken per adult when karahi is the only main, about 165 g with one other main, and about 125 g when there are two other main dishes.
How many naan per person?
About 1 per adult when rice is also served, and nearly 2 when there is no rice. Order a few extra for the people who skip rice.
Do the amounts include bones?
Yes. Meat is bone-in (as Pakistani dishes are usually cooked) unless the list says boneless.
Last updated 25 October 2026. Found a mistake or want a feature? Tell us.