Calories in common Indian foods
Every dish in the calculator, per 100 g. The last column tells you whether the figure is a direct USDA lookup or a Calora estimate computed from a recipe, because you should know which you are reading.
| Dish | Type | Per 100 g | Protein | Fat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puri | Breads | 409 kcal | 6.84 g | 24.94 g | USDA |
| Papad (grilled) | Breads | 371 kcal | 25.56 g | 3.25 g | USDA |
| Paratha | Breads | 326 kcal | 6.36 g | 13.2 g | USDA |
| Naan | Breads | 311 kcal | 11.09 g | 7.28 g | USDA |
| Chapati / Roti | Breads | 299 kcal | 7.85 g | 9.2 g | USDA |
| Ghee | Dairy and fats | 876 kcal | 0.28 g | 99.48 g | USDA |
| Paneer | Dairy and fats | 299 kcal | 15.86 g | 15.52 g | USDA |
| Sweet lassi | Dairy and fats | 88.2 kcal | 3.1 g | 2.98 g | Estimated |
| Raita | Dairy and fats | 53.3 kcal | 2.98 g | 2.71 g | Estimated |
| Chicken korma | Dals and curries | 185.7 kcal | 11.33 g | 13.63 g | Estimated |
| Dal | Dals and curries | 145 kcal | 8.6 g | 4.31 g | USDA |
| Butter chicken (murgh makhani) | Dals and curries | 139.8 kcal | 9.99 g | 9.22 g | Estimated |
| Chicken tikka masala | Dals and curries | 123.4 kcal | 10.77 g | 7.03 g | Estimated |
| Lentil curry with rice | Dals and curries | 118 kcal | 3.27 g | 3.48 g | USDA |
| Chicken curry with rice | Dals and curries | 116 kcal | 4.95 g | 3.98 g | USDA |
| Beef curry | Dals and curries | 112 kcal | 7.56 g | 6.53 g | USDA |
| Chole (chickpea curry) | Dals and curries | 110.5 kcal | 4.24 g | 4.25 g | Estimated |
| Lentil curry | Dals and curries | 110 kcal | 3.67 g | 5.61 g | USDA |
| Chicken curry | Dals and curries | 106 kcal | 6.47 g | 6.45 g | USDA |
| Rajma (kidney bean curry) | Dals and curries | 102.7 kcal | 4.73 g | 3.35 g | Estimated |
| Vegetable curry with rice | Dals and curries | 102 kcal | 2.02 g | 3.25 g | USDA |
| Saag aloo | Dals and curries | 101.2 kcal | 3.26 g | 4.62 g | Estimated |
| Palak paneer | Dals and curries | 100 kcal | 5.24 g | 7.06 g | USDA |
| Curry sauce | Dals and curries | 94 kcal | 1.36 g | 8.14 g | USDA |
| Fish curry | Dals and curries | 92 kcal | 4.93 g | 5.38 g | USDA |
| Aloo gobi | Dals and curries | 90.3 kcal | 1.9 g | 4.77 g | Estimated |
| Channa saag | Dals and curries | 89 kcal | 4.1 g | 4.33 g | USDA |
| Sambar | Dals and curries | 86 kcal | 4.32 g | 2.71 g | USDA |
| Vegetable curry | Dals and curries | 84 kcal | 1.59 g | 5.23 g | USDA |
| Biryani with meat | Rice | 145 kcal | 8.5 g | 6.79 g | USDA |
| Rice pilaf / pulao | Rice | 137 kcal | 3.29 g | 3.03 g | USDA |
| Biryani with vegetables | Rice | 109 kcal | 1.93 g | 3.2 g | USDA |
| Biryani with chicken | Rice | 104 kcal | 7.15 g | 2.38 g | USDA |
| Besan (gram flour) | Snacks | 387 kcal | 22.39 g | 6.69 g | Estimated |
| Samosa | Snacks | 309 kcal | 5.11 g | 17.35 g | USDA |
| Chutney | Snacks | 246 kcal | 0.33 g | 0.06 g | USDA |
| Pakora | Snacks | 125 kcal | 4.92 g | 4.77 g | USDA |
| Vada | South Indian | 266 kcal | 12.75 g | 9.73 g | USDA |
| Dosa (plain) | South Indian | 210 kcal | 5.7 g | 4.05 g | USDA |
| Dosa (with filling) | South Indian | 184 kcal | 5.46 g | 4.27 g | USDA |
| Idli | South Indian | 128 kcal | 6.36 g | 0.35 g | USDA |
| Upma | South Indian | 87 kcal | 1.98 g | 2.64 g | USDA |
| Gulab jamun | Sweets | 443.8 kcal | 9.51 g | 23.83 g | Estimated |
| Jalebi | Sweets | 428.4 kcal | 3.35 g | 17.79 g | Estimated |
| Barfi | Sweets | 283 kcal | 5.41 g | 11.34 g | USDA |
| Firni (rice pudding / kheer) | Sweets | 144 kcal | 3.58 g | 3.1 g | USDA |
Where these numbers come from
34 of the 46 dishes here are in USDA FoodData Central, in the survey food set that the US uses to study what people actually eat. Chapati, naan, paratha, puri, dal, sambar, samosa, pakora, idli, dosa, vada, upma, paneer, palak paneer, biryani, and more are all real USDA records. Each one stores its record id, so you can check any figure at the source.
Those are lookups. Nothing about them is estimated by us.
The dishes USDA does not have
Here is the awkward part, and most Indian calorie tools quietly skip it. USDA has no butter chicken. No tikka masala, no korma, no rajma, no chole, no gulab jamun, no jalebi. Several of the most-searched Indian dishes in the world are simply not in the reference database.
We could have typed a number in from memory. That is what a lot of calorie sites do, and it is fabrication however it is dressed up.
Instead, each of these 12 dishes is computed from a recipe, where every ingredient is a USDA lookup. The recipe is published below. You can check the working, and if you cook it differently, you can see exactly which assumption to change.
Raita
53.3 kcal / 100 g
Made with whole-milk yoghurt. Low-fat yoghurt roughly halves it.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Yoghurt, whole milk USDA #171284 | 400 g | 244 |
| Cucumber USDA #168409 | 100 g | 15 |
| Cumin USDA #170923 | 2 g | 8 |
266 kcal in total, making 500 g of finished dish, which is 53.3 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Sweet lassi
88.2 kcal / 100 g
The sugar is roughly a third of the calories.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Yoghurt, whole milk USDA #171284 | 400 g | 244 |
| Sugar USDA #169655 | 50 g | 194 |
| Milk, whole USDA #171265 | 150 g | 92 |
529 kcal in total, making 600 g of finished dish, which is 88.2 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Aloo gobi
90.3 kcal / 100 g
A dry vegetable curry. The oil is most of the calories.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable oil USDA #171413 | 40 g | 354 |
| Potato USDA #170028 | 400 g | 276 |
| Cauliflower USDA #169986 | 400 g | 100 |
| Onion USDA #170000 | 100 g | 40 |
| Curry powder USDA #170924 | 8 g | 26 |
| Turmeric, ground USDA #172231 | 3 g | 9 |
| Ginger USDA #169231 | 10 g | 8 |
813 kcal in total, making 900 g of finished dish, which is 90.3 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Butter chicken (murgh makhani)
139.8 kcal / 100 g
A home version. Restaurant butter chicken is usually richer and can be considerably higher.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken thigh, boneless USDA #173627 | 600 g | 726 |
| Double cream USDA #170859 | 150 g | 510 |
| Butter USDA #173410 | 50 g | 358 |
| Tomato purée USDA #170546 | 300 g | 114 |
| Yoghurt, whole milk USDA #171284 | 100 g | 61 |
| Onion USDA #170000 | 150 g | 60 |
| Garlic USDA #169230 | 15 g | 22 |
| Chilli powder USDA #171319 | 5 g | 14 |
| Ginger USDA #169231 | 15 g | 12 |
| Turmeric, ground USDA #172231 | 3 g | 9 |
1,887 kcal in total, making 1350 g of finished dish, which is 139.8 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Chicken korma
185.7 kcal / 100 g
Nuts and cream make korma one of the densest curries on this list.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken thigh, boneless USDA #173627 | 600 g | 726 |
| Double cream USDA #170859 | 200 g | 680 |
| Cashews USDA #170162 | 80 g | 442 |
| Ghee USDA #173412 | 40 g | 350 |
| Yoghurt, whole milk USDA #171284 | 150 g | 92 |
| Onion USDA #170000 | 200 g | 80 |
| Garlic USDA #169230 | 15 g | 22 |
| Ginger USDA #169231 | 15 g | 12 |
| Cardamom USDA #170919 | 3 g | 9 |
2,414 kcal in total, making 1300 g of finished dish, which is 185.7 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Chicken tikka masala
123.4 kcal / 100 g
Leaner than butter chicken: more tomato, less cream and butter.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, skinless USDA #171509 | 600 g | 648 |
| Double cream USDA #170859 | 100 g | 340 |
| Vegetable oil USDA #171413 | 30 g | 265 |
| Tomato purée USDA #170546 | 350 g | 133 |
| Yoghurt, whole milk USDA #171284 | 150 g | 92 |
| Onion USDA #170000 | 150 g | 60 |
| Curry powder USDA #170924 | 10 g | 32 |
| Garlic USDA #169230 | 15 g | 22 |
| Ginger USDA #169231 | 15 g | 12 |
1,605 kcal in total, making 1300 g of finished dish, which is 123.4 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Chole (chickpea curry)
110.5 kcal / 100 g
Cooked from canned chickpeas, drained.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas, canned USDA #173800 | 600 g | 834 |
| Vegetable oil USDA #171413 | 30 g | 265 |
| Onion USDA #170000 | 150 g | 60 |
| Tomato, fresh USDA #170457 | 250 g | 45 |
| Curry powder USDA #170924 | 10 g | 32 |
| Garlic USDA #169230 | 15 g | 22 |
| Ginger USDA #169231 | 15 g | 12 |
1,271 kcal in total, making 1150 g of finished dish, which is 110.5 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Rajma (kidney bean curry)
102.7 kcal / 100 g
Cooked from canned kidney beans, drained.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Kidney beans, canned USDA #174285 | 600 g | 744 |
| Vegetable oil USDA #171413 | 30 g | 265 |
| Onion USDA #170000 | 150 g | 60 |
| Tomato, fresh USDA #170457 | 250 g | 45 |
| Curry powder USDA #170924 | 10 g | 32 |
| Garlic USDA #169230 | 15 g | 22 |
| Ginger USDA #169231 | 15 g | 12 |
1,181 kcal in total, making 1150 g of finished dish, which is 102.7 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Saag aloo
101.2 kcal / 100 g
Spinach cooks down enormously, which is why the yield is far below the raw weight.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato USDA #170028 | 400 g | 276 |
| Ghee USDA #173412 | 30 g | 263 |
| Spinach USDA #168462 | 500 g | 115 |
| Onion USDA #170000 | 100 g | 40 |
| Garlic USDA #169230 | 10 g | 15 |
709 kcal in total, making 700 g of finished dish, which is 101.2 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Besan (gram flour)
387 kcal / 100 g
The flour itself, uncooked. The base of pakora and many batters.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpea flour (besan) USDA #174288 | 100 g | 387 |
387 kcal in total, making 100 g of finished dish, which is 387 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Gulab jamun
443.8 kcal / 100 g
Fried in ghee and soaked in sugar syrup. Both are counted.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk powder, whole USDA #173454 | 250 g | 1240 |
| Ghee USDA #173412 | 120 g | 1051 |
| Sugar USDA #169655 | 250 g | 968 |
| Flour, plain USDA #168936 | 60 g | 218 |
| Milk, whole USDA #171265 | 120 g | 73 |
3,550 kcal in total, making 800 g of finished dish, which is 443.8 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
Jalebi
428.4 kcal / 100 g
Deep-fried batter soaked in syrup. Essentially oil plus sugar.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar USDA #169655 | 300 g | 1161 |
| Vegetable oil USDA #171411 | 120 g | 1061 |
| Flour, plain USDA #168936 | 200 g | 728 |
| Yoghurt, whole milk USDA #171284 | 80 g | 49 |
2,999 kcal in total, making 700 g of finished dish, which is 428.4 kcal per 100 g. The finished weight is the one assumption here: water boils off as it cooks, and USDA cannot tell us how much.
A typical Indian thali
Two rotis, a bowl of dal, a chicken curry, some pulao, and a spoon of raita. A completely ordinary plate.
| Dish | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Chapati / Roti | 120 g | 359 |
| Dal | 200 g | 290 |
| Chicken curry | 200 g | 212 |
| Rice pilaf / pulao | 150 g | 206 |
| Raita | 80 g | 43 |
| Total | 1109 |
1109 calories. For most adults that is a reasonable dinner, and it is nowhere near the disaster Indian food gets accused of being.
Swap the pulao for plain rice and the curry for dal and it drops sharply. Add two puris and a gulab jamun and it climbs by several hundred. The dishes are not the problem. The frying and the ghee are.
What actually drives the calories in Indian food
Indian food has a reputation for being heavy. The ingredients say otherwise. Dal, chana, rajma, vegetables, and roti are all modest.
It is the fat, and it is not close. Ghee is 876 calories per 100 g and oil is 884. They are the densest things in any kitchen, and they are the single biggest variable between one household's dal and another's.
Frying is the same fact in a different form. Puri is 409 calories per 100 g and samosa is 309, while idli, which is steamed, is 128. The filling barely changes. The oil does.
The sweets are sugar and ghee together. Gulab jamun works out at roughly 444 calories per 100 g and jalebi at 428, which is what happens when you deep-fry something and then soak it in syrup.
This is good news, because it means the lever is small and specific. You do not have to give up dal. You have to measure the ghee.
Now you know what is on the plate. To find out how much of it you should be eating, the free calorie calculator gives you a daily target, the calorie deficit calculator sets it for losing weight, and the macro calculator splits it into protein, carbs, and fat. For non-Indian foods, the food calorie calculator covers another 202, and to cost a dish you cooked yourself, use the recipe calorie calculator.
Frequently asked questions
A chapati or roti is 299 calories per 100 g according to USDA. A typical home-made roti weighs about 40 to 50 g, so one roti is roughly 120 to 150 calories. Two rotis with a meal is around 250 to 300.
Dal is 145 calories per 100 g in USDA's data. A 200 g serving, which is a normal bowl, is about 290 calories. The figure moves a lot with the tarka: dal cooked with a generous amount of ghee can be considerably higher, because ghee is 876 calories per 100 g.
About 140 calories per 100 g for a home version, which makes a 250 g serving roughly 350 calories. That figure is Calora's estimate, computed from a standard recipe using USDA ingredient values, because USDA does not list butter chicken. The recipe is published on this page so you can check it. Restaurant butter chicken is usually richer and can be considerably higher.
The ingredients are not, the cooking is. Dal, chana, vegetables, and roti are all modest. What moves the number is the fat they are cooked in: ghee at 876 calories per 100 g and oil at 884 are the densest things in the kitchen, and a fried snack like puri at 409 or samosa at 309 is mostly the oil it absorbed.
Chicken biryani is 104 calories per 100 g in USDA's data, so a 350 g plate is around 365 calories. Biryani with meat is denser at 145 per 100 g, which puts the same plate closer to 510.
Samosa is 309 calories per 100 g. A typical samosa weighs 60 to 100 g, so one is roughly 185 to 310 calories. Nearly all of the difference between a samosa and the same filling in a bowl is the oil the pastry absorbed while frying.
Accurate enough to be useful, and imprecise for a reason worth knowing. Indian dishes vary enormously between households, and the amount of oil or ghee is the biggest single variable. Every figure here is either a direct USDA lookup or is computed from a published recipe you can inspect, so you can see exactly what has been assumed and adjust it.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, FNDDS survey foods. Source of 34 of the 46 dishes here.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central, SR Legacy. Source of every ingredient used in the estimated recipes above.
- National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus: Carbohydrates, protein and fat.
These figures are estimates for general educational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Indian home cooking varies enormously, and the amount of oil or ghee used will move these numbers more than anything else. Consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet.