Why You Need an Indian-Specific Calorie Chart
Generic calorie databases are useless for Indian food. They'll tell you "chapati: 104 calories" — but that's a very specific size and preparation. Your home roti might weigh 40g and have ghee applied, putting it at 150+ kcal. A restaurant paratha? 300–400 kcal.
This chart uses realistic home-cooked portions and notes where cooking method dramatically changes the numbers.
How to Use This Chart
- •1 katori = 150ml steel bowl (standard Indian kitchen measure), approximately 150g for most cooked foods
- •1 plate = a standard dinner plate portion
- •1 piece / piece = one unit (roti, idli, egg, etc.)
Roti, Rice, and Grain Products
| Food | Serving | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roti (wheat, no ghee) | 1 medium (30g raw) | 80 kcal | Increases to 115 with 1 tsp ghee |
| Roti (large, no ghee) | 1 large (45g raw) | 120 kcal | |
| Paratha (plain, with oil) | 1 medium | 180 kcal | With aloo: 280 kcal |
| Paratha (aloo) | 1 medium | 280 kcal | Restaurant versions: 350+ |
| Puri (fried) | 1 puri (25g) | 110 kcal | Oil absorption varies |
| Bhatura | 1 large | 280 kcal | Paired with chole: 500+ kcal total |
| White rice (cooked) | 1 katori (150g) | 170 kcal | |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 1 katori (150g) | 155 kcal | |
| Basmati rice (cooked) | 1 katori (150g) | 165 kcal | |
| Poha (cooked) | 1 plate (200g) | 220 kcal | With peanuts: +50 kcal |
| Upma (rava) | 1 plate (200g) | 250 kcal | With vegetables |
| Idli | 2 pieces (80g each) | 130 kcal | Plain, no chutney |
| Dosa (plain) | 1 medium | 120 kcal | Masala dosa: 250 kcal |
| Uttapam | 1 medium | 200 kcal | |
| Oats (rolled, cooked) | 1 bowl (200g) | 150 kcal | Without milk |
| Millet roti (bajra/jowar) | 1 medium | 90 kcal | Slightly higher protein |
| Bread (white) | 1 slice | 70 kcal | |
| Bread (whole wheat) | 1 slice | 65 kcal |
Dal and Legumes (Cooked)
| Food | Serving | Calories | Protein | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toor dal | 1 katori (150g) | 130 kcal | 9g | |
| Moong dal (yellow) | 1 katori (150g) | 120 kcal | 10g | |
| Masoor dal | 1 katori (150g) | 125 kcal | 10g | |
| Chana dal | 1 katori (150g) | 140 kcal | 11g | |
| Urad dal | 1 katori (150g) | 145 kcal | 10g | |
| Rajma (kidney beans) | 1 katori (150g) | 150 kcal | 11g | |
| Chana (chickpeas) | 1 katori (150g) | 180 kcal | 12g | |
| Moong sprouts | 1 katori (150g) | 90 kcal | 8g | |
| Moth beans (matki) | 1 katori (150g) | 165 kcal | 11g | |
| Dal makhani | 1 katori (150g) | 210 kcal | 9g | (restaurant: 300+ kcal) |
Vegetables and Sabzi
| Food | Serving | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aloo sabzi (dry) | 1 katori (150g) | 150 kcal | |
| Palak (cooked, plain) | 1 katori (150g) | 50 kcal | |
| Palak paneer | 1 katori (150g) | 180 kcal | Home version |
| Bhindi (okra, dry) | 1 katori (150g) | 80 kcal | |
| Baingan (brinjal) | 1 katori (150g) | 60 kcal | |
| Gobi (cauliflower) | 1 katori (150g) | 80 kcal | |
| Methi sabzi | 1 katori (150g) | 70 kcal | |
| Lauki (bottle gourd) | 1 katori (150g) | 50 kcal | |
| Tori (ridge gourd) | 1 katori (150g) | 45 kcal | |
| Karela (bitter gourd) | 1 katori (150g) | 40 kcal | |
| Aloo gobi | 1 katori (150g) | 130 kcal | |
| Paneer bhurji | 1 katori (150g) | 280 kcal | Full fat paneer |
| Matar paneer | 1 katori (150g) | 260 kcal | |
| Butter chicken | 1 katori (150g) | 280 kcal | Restaurant: 400+ |
| Dal tadka | 1 katori (150g) | 160 kcal | Extra ghee: +80 kcal |
Dairy Products
| Food | Serving | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole milk | 1 glass (250ml) | 165 kcal | 8g |
| Toned milk | 1 glass (250ml) | 120 kcal | 8g |
| Double-toned milk | 1 glass (250ml) | 95 kcal | 8g |
| Curd (full fat) | 1 katori (150g) | 90 kcal | 6g |
| Curd (low fat) | 1 katori (150g) | 55 kcal | 6g |
| Paneer (full fat) | 50g | 130 kcal | 9g |
| Paneer (low fat) | 50g | 75 kcal | 10g |
| Ghee | 1 tsp (5g) | 45 kcal | 0g |
| Butter | 1 tsp (5g) | 35 kcal | 0g |
| Buttermilk (chaas, plain) | 1 glass (250ml) | 40 kcal | 3g |
| Lassi (sweet) | 1 glass (250ml) | 230 kcal | 8g |
| Kheer | 1 katori (150g) | 250 kcal | 6g |
Fruits (Common in India)
| Fruit | Serving | Calories | GI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banana | 1 medium (120g) | 90 kcal | 62 |
| Apple | 1 medium (150g) | 78 kcal | 38 |
| Orange | 1 medium (130g) | 62 kcal | 43 |
| Mango (Alphonso) | 1 cup (150g) | 100 kcal | 60 |
| Guava | 1 medium (100g) | 68 kcal | 12 |
| Papaya | 1 cup (150g) | 65 kcal | 59 |
| Watermelon | 1 cup (150g) | 46 kcal | 72 |
| Pear | 1 medium (150g) | 85 kcal | 38 |
| Grapes | 1 small bunch (100g) | 69 kcal | 59 |
| Pomegranate | 1/2 fruit (100g) | 83 kcal | 35 |
| Chickoo (sapota) | 1 medium (100g) | 95 kcal | 55 |
Snacks and Street Food
| Food | Serving | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roasted chana | 30g (small handful) | 105 kcal | Excellent snack |
| Makhana (fox nuts, plain) | 30g | 110 kcal | Very light, filling |
| Peanuts (roasted) | 30g | 170 kcal | |
| Bhel puri | 1 plate (150g) | 200 kcal | Without sev: 150 |
| Pav bhaji | 1 serving | 450 kcal | With butter: 600+ |
| Samosa | 1 medium | 170 kcal | |
| Vada pav | 1 serving | 320 kcal | |
| Dhokla | 2 pieces (100g) | 145 kcal | |
| Sprouts chaat | 1 katori (150g) | 100 kcal | |
| Peanut chikki | 1 piece (20g) | 95 kcal |
How Cooking Method Changes Calories
The same ingredient can have vastly different calorie counts based on preparation:
| Food | Baked/Boiled | Fried | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potato (100g) | 77 kcal | 312 kcal | +235 kcal |
| Chicken (100g) | 165 kcal | 280 kcal | +115 kcal |
| Cauliflower sabzi (1 katori) | 45 kcal | 120 kcal | +75 kcal |
| Papad | 1 roasted: 25 kcal | 1 fried: 60 kcal | +35 kcal |
| Dal (1 katori base) | 120 kcal | +80 kcal with full tadka |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does adding ghee to roti significantly increase calories? Yes. 1 tsp of ghee is 45 kcal. Applied to 2 rotis (usually 1–1.5 tsp per roti), that's 90–135 extra kcal — the equivalent of an entire extra roti.
Q: Are home-cooked Indian meals healthier than restaurant versions? Almost always. Home dal has 130 kcal/katori; restaurant dal tadka typically has 200–250 kcal from extra oil and butter. Home palak paneer: ~180 kcal. Restaurant: 280–350 kcal.
Q: What's the lowest-calorie Indian snack? Cucumber + tomato salad with lemon and chaat masala is ~30 kcal. Among filling snacks: roasted makhana (110 kcal/30g) and chaas/buttermilk (40 kcal/glass) are best.