I'm afraid that I just eyeball it and so don't know the exact amount. In fact, though, I tend to go for a little soupy, and prefer to just drink the excess liquid rather than take the risk of under-hydrating my food.

But if you're using a measuring cup or the like, then indeed I think you're right that you want a little less liquid than suggested. Unless you're adding something like TVP or jerky or the like that might require a little more hydration.

Did I mention that one of the key things for me is not being too picky or requiring a lot of variety? :-)