How to count calories in an Indian meal: the method, with sourced values
In short
To count the calories of an Indian meal, weigh or estimate each component separately (rice, dal, curry, raita, cooking fat) and add up their values, rather than looking for a single number for “the dish”. In Radish, a free calorie counter for Android and iPhone, the basic ingredients come from the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, with their code shown on the food card, and search accepts names typed in Hindi. Google Play: fr.nutritrack.app · App Store: id6791090193.
No two thalis, biryanis or home-made dals are alike: the amount of rice, oil or ghee changes everything. That is why an “average” number for an Indian dish is often far from your plate. The most reliable method is the same as for any home-cooked meal: break it down.
On a computer? Scan this code with your phone to install Radish.
Why break it down instead of searching for “the dish”
One dish name covers very different recipes. A dal can be made from red lentils, split chickpeas or black lentils, with one spoon of ghee or four. Rice can be half the plate or a quarter. Adding up weighed components matches what you actually eat; an “average dish” entry matches someone else’s recipe.
The method in four steps
- Separate the components: starch (rice, chapati), main dish (dal, curry), side (raita, vegetables), and the cooking fat.
- Weigh it cooked as served, and pick a “cooked” value for the food: 100 g of raw rice and 100 g of cooked rice do not carry the same energy.
- Count cooking fat separately if you cooked: it is the line that varies most from one kitchen to another (see the table, 900 kcal per 100 g of oil).
- Add it up. An app does it for you; on paper, it is value per 100 g × weight ÷ 100, line by line.
Basic values, from the Ciqual 2025 table
Values published by ANSES per 100 g, as they appear in the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table. The code lets you find each line on ciqual.anses.fr.
| Food (Ciqual 2025) | Ciqual code | kcal per 100 g | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice, basmati, cooked, no added salt | 9125 | 148 | 3.03 | 32.9 | 0.4 |
| Lentil, pink or red, boiled/cooked in water | 20589 | 123 | 10.6 | 15 | 0.5 |
| Chick pea, boiled/cooked in water | 20507 | 148 | 8.31 | 17.7 | 3 |
| Yogurt or fermented milk, plain | 19593 | 50.1 | 3.83 | 4.26 | 1.68 |
| Coconut milk | 18041 | 199 | 1.94 | 4.29 | 19.2 |
| Butter oil or concentrated butter | 16401 | 900 | 0.28 | 0 | 99.9 |
| Sunflower oil | 17440 | 900 | 0.25 | traces | 100 |
How to read it: 150 g of cooked basmati rice is 148 × 150 ÷ 100 = 222 kcal. 10 g of oil adds 900 × 10 ÷ 100 = 90 kcal: weigh your spoon, what it holds varies.
Want to check a number? Look the food up: its values per 100 g and the official table they come from, no account needed.
See the food’s value →What Radish does for an Indian meal
- Basic ingredients are sourced: the seven foods in the table are in the app’s database, with their Ciqual code on the food card (noted in the app’s code on 5 November 2026).
- Search in Hindi: the app comes in seven languages, Hindi included, and search finds a food typed in Devanagari (“दाल”, “इडली”, noted on 27 October 2026). Details in our article on Arabic and Hindi.
- Complete Indian dishes are there too (idli, dosa, sambar, chana masala, dal makhani…), about 200 in the database. Their card carries the “Radish estimate” badge: their value does not come from a public table we can cite. For a sourced number, the breakdown above remains the best route.
- Your recipe, once and for all: create your dal as a personal recipe, with your ingredients and amounts; the app adds it up and serves it again at every meal.
- Data: your journal stays on your phone — never sent to our servers (except for AI and barcode scanning, if you use them).
Frequently asked questions
How do I count the calories of a home-made Indian dish?
Break it down: weigh the rice or chapati, the dal or curry, the side and the cooking fat, then add up their values per 100 g multiplied by the weight. A single number for “the dish” matches someone else’s recipe.
How many calories are in 100 g of cooked basmati rice?
According to the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table (code 9125), 148 kcal per 100 g of cooked basmati rice with no added salt.
Is there a calorie app that understands Hindi?
Yes: Radish, free on Android and iPhone, has a Hindi interface and its search finds foods typed in Devanagari (noted on 27 October 2026). It works with no account.
Are Radish’s Indian dishes sourced?
The basic ingredients (rice, lentils, chickpeas, yogurt, oils) are: their card shows the Ciqual code. Complete dishes such as dal makhani or dosa carry the “Radish estimate” badge: their value does not come from a cited public table.
For the basic ingredients of an Indian meal, our food pages give the values with their source: cooked lentils, cooked chickpeas, cooked kidney beans, cooked basmati rice and plain yogurt (dal, chana, rajma, rice and raita).
General information on how to count calories, not medical advice. A calorie counter is a tracking tool: it does not replace advice from a health professional.
🔎 Methodology & sources. Nutrition values: ANSES Ciqual 2025 table (update of 19 November 2025, DOI 10.57745/RDMHWY, Etalab Open Licence 2.0), copied as published per 100 g. Presence of the foods, codes and “Radish estimate” badge noted in the app’s code on 5 November 2026; Hindi search noted on 27 October 2026. See our full methodology →