The three layers of an Indian recipe cost
Layer 1; Sub recipes
Gravies (makhani, korma, kadhai), masala mixes (garam masala, biryani masala, chaat masala), and marinades (tikka, tandoori, malai). Cost each sub recipe once per batch, then treat it as a single ‘ingredient’ in your main recipes. A 5 litre batch of makhani gravy that uses ₹420 of ingredients costs ₹84/litre; one butter chicken plate uses 180ml → ₹15 of gravy.
Layer 2; Main recipe ingredients
Ingredients used directly in the dish, beyond the sub recipes. Cost using yield adjusted weight not as purchased weight. 1 kg of mutton on the bone yields 550-650g of cooked meat; cost the plate using the cooked yield, not the raw kg.
Layer 3; Overheads
Gas, oil for tarka or shallow frying, packaging (for delivery dishes), garnish (mint, lemon, onion rings), disposable cutlery. These typically run ₹6-15 per plate for dine in, ₹18-40 for aggregator delivery.
Yield ratios for Indian cooking
| Ingredient | Yield (cooked / raw) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basmati rice (boiled) | 1 : 2.5 | 1 kg raw → 2.5 kg cooked |
| Toor / chana / moong dal | 1 : 3.0 | Soaked + cooked |
| Mutton on the bone | 0.55; 0.65 | Lose 35-45% to bone + shrinkage |
| Chicken curry cut (with bone) | 0.70; 0.78 | Lose 22-30% to bone + shrinkage |
| Boneless chicken (curry) | 0.85; 0.90 | Lose 10-15% to fat trim + shrinkage |
| Paneer | 0.98; 1.00 | Negligible loss |
| Onion (peeled, sliced) | 0.88; 0.92 | Skin loss |
| Tomato (peeled, blanched) | 0.92; 0.95 | Skin + seed loss |
| Tandoor marinated meat | 0.78; 0.85 | Cooks down 15-22% |
Worked example: Butter chicken half plate
Sub recipes used: makhani gravy (180ml). Main ingredients: boneless chicken 180g raw, butter 15g, fresh cream 20ml, kasuri methi 1g. Overheads: gas + tarka oil ₹4, packaging ₹12 (for delivery).
| Item | Quantity (yield adj) | Rate (₹) | Plate cost (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makhani gravy | 180ml | ₹84/L | 15.1 |
| Boneless chicken (yield adj 0.88) | 204g raw → 180g cooked | ₹260/kg | 53.0 |
| Butter | 15g | ₹480/kg | 7.2 |
| Fresh cream | 20ml | ₹240/L | 4.8 |
| Kasuri methi + garnish | 1g + mint | - | 2.0 |
| Gas + tarka oil | - | - | 4.0 |
| Packaging (delivery) | - | - | 12.0 |
| Plate cost (dine in) | - | - | ₹86.1 |
| Plate cost (delivery) | - | - | ₹98.1 |
At a 30% food cost target, dine in menu price should be ₹287. For delivery (where commission + packaging hit), the recommended menu price needs to be ₹342-355 to maintain the same plate level margin. This is why dine in and aggregator menus should be priced differently.
Recipe costing a thali
Thalis are 4-8 components (dal, sabzi, rice, roti, raita, salad, sweet, pickle). The trick is consistent portioning; a 60 cover restaurant serving 30 thalis a day will over portion by 20-30% in week 1 if not measured. Standardise ladle sizes and visual portion guides. A ₹240 thali with ₹52 plate cost (22%) is healthy; ₹74 plate cost (31%) is signal of trouble.
Recipe costing a biryani
Biryani has high yield uncertainty; mutton biryani's per plate cost can swing ₹15-25 depending on which cuts go where. Standardise: kid mutton goes to biryani, mature mutton to gravies. Rice : meat ratio for chicken biryani is typically 1.2 : 0.4 (raw weights); for mutton 1.0 : 0.5.
The three mistakes that fake your food cost number
- Skipping sub recipes; costing only the protein and ignoring gravy/masala loss. Under counts by ₹25-65 per plate on gravy heavy dishes.
- As purchased vs yield adjusted; using raw weights for shrinking ingredients (rice, dal, meat). Under counts by 15-30% on staples.
- Ignoring waste + spillage; adding 0-2% waste vs the real 4-7%. Realistic waste in an Indian kitchen during scaling is 5-8%; budget it.