BIR/TA Portion Sizes?

[Malc.]

Are BIR/TA portion sizes meant to be a single portion or a double?

If your like the wife and I, we only buy a single main and share it whilst enjoying a  number of accompanying side dishes. We do this as we find a single portion of a main, lets say Korai/Karahi chicken, has enough chicken and curry sauce, for two people.

This was again demonstrated last night when I ordered a Mixed Thali from the Shanaz. The Thali consisted of Lamb Bhuna, Chicken Bhuna, Chicken Tikka, each with four pieces of meat, plus Special Rice, Sag Aloo and a Nan all of which are served in half sized containers (except the nan). I also ordered a Keema Nan as again we were sharing, but I needn't have ordered the extra Nan as we were both very full having shared the meal equally. Infact, we had some rice and a little onion salad left over. Given the Thali costs 11.95 I think is is very good value.

So, are we alone on this or do others feel the same?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Are BIR/TA portion sizes meant to be a single portion or a double?

My impression is that, in most places, a portion is about 1 1/2 times as much as a single person needs.  So if Khanh & I order two main courses together with the normal trimmings (rice, chapathi, sag aloo, ...) then we would normally end up taking some home with us.  Even more so if we have already eaten a starter.  But there was one restaurant, many years ago, that offered Murgh i Mussalam, and it was rather expensive.  Not having tried it, and wondering why it was so expensive, I asked how many people it would serve.  "Oh just one, Sir", I was assured.  So, feeling flush one day, I ordered it (for lunch, I might add) and was horrified to discover that it was a whole spring chicken, stuffed with two boiled eggs and keema.  More than enough for two, in fact !

** Phil.

[Ramirez]

For me it greatly depends on the restaurant and how many sides you have. Even from the same restaurant portion sizes differ. Sometimes it would be enough for two, other times it wouldn't. Typically, I'll have one main, one rice and a naan.

[chriswg]

For me a whole main, half a rice, half a naan, 2 poppadums and a couple of bhajis is about right. I can never share a main as no one has them as hot as I do. My wife will usually only eat half of her CTM so if we are out with friends she will share.

Eating in always feels like you get less then you do in a takeaway container. I doubt that is actually true, but it certainly looks that way.

[Malc.]

Eating in always feels like you get less then you do in a takeaway container. I doubt that is actually true, but it certainly looks that way.

That's an interesting observation, I wonder if you do indeed get more sauce in the TA container than you do on the open dishes they serve in the restaurant.

When we dine in, we always have a starter which follows the popadums and chutney and then usually have onion bhaji as a side with the main and either bread or rice and possibly sag aloo or mushroom bhaji. Between two of us, this is normally more than we need.

I wonder if portion sizes vary across the country just the same as the recipe variations. It would be interesting to map this.

[bamble1976]

Im with chris, i have a main, half rice, half nan, half starter.  Thats prob cause I am greedy

Barry

[Cory Ander]

Are BIR/TA portion sizes meant to be a single portion or a double?

BIR portions are clearly meant to be single servings (sit down, takeway, or whatever).  Unless it says otherwise (e.g. "Thali for two").

How it's apportioned is obviously up to the individual (and their appetite)...

[natterjak]

It would be interesting to know the volume of a standard takeaway foil tray, trouble is since I started cooking at home I haven't been ordering TAs!

[peterandjen]

There are 2 sizes of foil container, i have just measured the smaller of the two and it holds 400ml of liquid.
One of these full of base is what i use at home to make 2 meals.
This small container is the one you would receive a single portion of ta rice in.
Hope this helps.

[Tomdip]

My local takeaway portions were always good for 2 full meals - curry for tea then another plateful for breakfast