Half biryani fits a 500 ml container, full fits 1000 ml (some run 750 ml for full to cut cost); curry, dal and plain rice each need 450–500 ml; a thali plates best on a 5CP or 8CP tray. Buying one big size for everything is the most common packaging waste — you pay for volume the dish never fills. Here's the portion-to-size map, with real ₹, so you stop over-buying.
Portion → size map
| Dish | Portion | Container size |
|---|---|---|
| Biryani | Half | 500 ml |
| Biryani | Full | 1000 ml (750 ml if trimming cost) |
| Curry | One serve | 450–500 ml |
| Dal | One serve | 450–500 ml |
| Plain rice | One serve | 450–500 ml |
| Thali | Full plate | 5CP or 8CP tray |
For a thali, prefer the 5CP or 8CP compartment tray over 3CP. The extra compartments aren't wasted — fill the spares with pickle and onion. It lifts the presentation for almost no added food cost, and a fuller-looking tray reads as better value at the same price.
Paper container prices
| Size | Plain | Branded |
|---|---|---|
| 250 ml | priced ≈ 350 ml | ≈ 350 ml |
| 350 ml | ₹4.5–5 | ₹5.9–6.25 |
| 500 ml | ₹5–6 | — |
| 650 ml | not stocked | not stocked |
| 750 ml | ~₹7 | ~₹9 |
| 1000 ml | ₹8–9 | ~₹11 |
Prices vary by order quantity — larger runs come down. Note 650 ml isn't stocked in paper; if you're between 500 and 750, go to the 750 ml or check the plastic range where 650 ml exists.
Stop over-buying volume
This is the whole point of the guide. A single serve of dal is 450–500 ml — packing it in a 750 ml box wastes ₹2–3 per box (₹5–6 vs ~₹7) and looks half-empty, which reads as less food, not more. Multiply that across a few hundred orders a day and the over-sizing is a real monthly number.
Two honest calls on cost:
- Full biryani in 750 ml instead of 1000 ml — legitimate way to trim cost if your full portion genuinely fits 750 ml. Don't force it; a cramped 750 ml that spills the moment the lid comes off costs you the complaint. Check your actual portion weight first.
- Branded vs plain — branded paper runs roughly ₹1–2 more per box (350 ml: ₹4.5–5 plain vs ₹5.9–6.25 branded). Worth it on the packs the customer sees and photographs — the biryani box, the thali. Skip the branding on the ₹5 side-dish box nobody displays.
What a mid-tier kitchen actually stocks
You need three or four sizes, not eight: 500 ml (half biryani, single curry/dal/rice), 1000 ml (full biryani), 750 ml (full biryani if you're cost-trimming, or larger single serves), and a 5CP/8CP tray for thalis. That covers the vast majority of a veg-plus-biryani menu. Add sizes only when a specific dish demands it.
A real scenario
A tiffin-and-thali kitchen on the Rudrapur–Haldwani belt was packing every curry and dal in a 750 ml box because it was "one size, easy to order." Each single serve sat half-full, and they were paying ~₹7 a box for a portion that fits a ₹5–6 500 ml box. We moved the single serves to 500 ml, kept 1000 ml for full biryani, and put thalis on an 8CP tray with pickle-and-onion in the spare compartments. Per-order pack cost dropped, the thali looked fuller, and the only size they now over-stock is the one the menu actually uses.
What to do next
- See paper and plastic containers by size on the food packaging page.
- Tell us your menu and portion sizes and we'll map dish-to-size, so you buy the volume the food fills and nothing more. Buying the wrong volume is the usual waste.