Meat, Grills & Lauk

How Many Calories in Asam Rebus?

Asam rebus is a clear, sour tamarind-based fish dish, lighter than asam pedas because there is no thick sambal base, just a simple broth with belacan, aromatics and whole fish boiled until tender.

180kcal / 1 serving (1 medium fish with broth)
One serving of asam rebus, which is one medium ikan kembung with broth, comes in at around 180 calories. That covers 330g of food total, with 23g protein, 7g fat and only 4g carbs. It is one of the leaner ways you can eat fish in a Malaysian spread, mainly because there is no frying and no thick coconut gravy involved. The fish does the heavy lifting, the tamarind broth adds almost nothing to the calorie count.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 serving (1 medium fish with broth) (330g)AmountPer 100g
Calories180 kcal55 kcal
Protein23 g7 g
Carbs4 g1 g
Fat7 g2 g

Where the calories come from

Ikan kembung boiled (100g edible flesh)100g
150 kcal
Tamarind broth (water, tamarind paste, aromatics)200g
20 kcal
Belacan, anchovies, shallot, chili in broth30g
10 kcal

The real talk

Asam rebus is basically fish boiled in a tangy tamarind broth with belacan, shallots, chili and a few aromatics. No oil, no thick base, no coconut milk. If you are not familiar with it, think of it as the cleaner, more sour cousin of asam pedas, the kind of thing your grandma makes when she wants something quick and not too heavy. At 180 calories for a full fish with broth, the numbers are genuinely good for a lauk, and that 23g of protein is doing real work. Fair warning though, these numbers are a ballpark estimate because detailed lab data for asam rebus is basically nonexistent. The figure is built from the fish flesh calories plus a very light broth, so treat it as a reasonable guide rather than a hard fact.

What actually changes the maths here is the fish size and whether anyone adds extra oil at the end, because some versions do get a small drizzle before serving. Swap ikan kembung for ikan merah and you are looking at roughly 190 calories, mainly because the fillet tends to be a bit bigger. Go with ayam kampung instead and that jumps to around 240 calories, though you get more protein from the larger meat portion, roughly 150g of chicken versus 100g of fish. The broth itself is basically free calories, around 20 calories for 200g, so drinking the kuah is fine. Where people quietly wreck this dish is by pouring it over a mountain of white rice without accounting for that extra 400 to 500 calories sitting underneath.

Asam Rebus variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Asam rebus ikan kembung (mackerel)180 kcalBaseline; medium-fat oily fish, boiled, no added oil
Asam rebus ikan merah (red snapper)190 kcalSlightly larger fillet portion typically served; similar macro profile to kembung
Asam rebus ayam kampung (kampung chicken)240 kcalLeaner kampung chicken but larger meat portion (~150g); slightly more protein, similar fat

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Asam Rebus?
One serving of asam rebus, which is one medium fish with broth, is around 180 calories. That is based on a 330g serving with ikan kembung. The ikan merah version is about 190 calories and the ayam kampung version is around 240 calories.
What exactly is asam rebus?
Asam rebus is a sour fish or chicken dish cooked in a light tamarind broth with belacan, shallots, chili and aromatics. Unlike asam pedas, there is no thick fried sambal base, so the result is a clearer, thinner soup with a sharp tangy taste. Very common in Malay home cooking.
Is asam rebus a good option if I am watching my calories?
Yes, it is one of the better lauk choices out there. Low in carbs, solid on protein at 23g per serving, and no added oil in the cooking process. The main thing to watch is portion of rice you eat it with, not the dish itself.

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See all Meat, Grills & Lauk calories, ranked →

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

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