How Many Calories in Cucur Badak?

A deep-fried sweet potato fritter stuffed with spiced grated coconut and dried shrimp, a classic Malaysian kuih found at pasar malam and hawker stalls.

140kcal / 1 piece (medium, hawker-stall size)

One piece of Cucur Badak (medium, hawker-stall size, about 55g) comes in at 140 calories. That number breaks down as 3g protein, 20g carbs, and 5g fat. The bulk of the calories come from the sweet potato dough and the spiced coconut filling, with the absorbed frying oil quietly adding another 19 calories you probably never think about.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 piece (medium, hawker-stall size) (55g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	140 kcal	255 kcal
Protein	3 g	5 g
Carbs	20 g	36 g
Fat	5 g	9 g

Where the calories come from

Sweet potato dough (sweet potato + flour)30g

77 kcal

Spiced coconut filling10g

35 kcal

Dried shrimp in filling3g

9 kcal

Absorbed frying oil4g

19 kcal

The real talk

One Cucur Badak sits at around 140 calories, which sounds reasonable until you realise the absorbed frying oil alone is 19 of those calories and most people eat two or three pieces without thinking. The sweet potato dough is the biggest chunk at 77 calories for 30g, and the spiced coconut filling adds another 35. To be honest, hard calorie data for this dish is pretty thin out there, so treat this as a solid ballpark estimate rather than a lab-certified number. The protein is only 3g, so it is not going to keep you full for long. If you are trying to lose weight, Cucur Badak is fine as an occasional snack, but it is basically a refined carb and fat bomb dressed up as a traditional kuih.

What actually moves the number up or down is how much oil the dough absorbed during frying and how generous the filling is. A stingy filling piece might be closer to 120 calories. A big fat one, freshly fried and sitting in a pool of oil, can easily hit 160. At pasar malam, where the pieces tend to be larger, you could be looking at 180 calories per piece without even knowing it. The protein is too low to count for satiety, so if you are trying to eat smart, pair it with something that has actual protein rather than grabbing four pieces lah and calling it a balanced snack.

How to eat it lighter

Eat one, not three. At 140 calories a piece, the damage is the quantity, not the dish itself.
If you are buying from a stall, pick pieces that were fried recently and are not sitting in oil. Older pieces that have been reheated tend to be greasier.
Eat it as a snack on its own, not alongside nasi lemak or roti canai. It is 140 calories of carbs, so stack it with other carbs and the total adds up fast.
If you make it at home, use an air fryer. You can cut the absorbed oil contribution down significantly.
Drink plain water or teh-o ais kosong alongside, not a sugared drink. That one swap saves you 100-plus calories every time.

Common questions

How many calories in Cucur Badak?

One medium piece from a hawker stall is about 140 calories. That covers roughly 55g of food: sweet potato dough, spiced coconut and dried shrimp filling, and some absorbed frying oil.

Is Cucur Badak fattening?

140 calories per piece is not outrageous on its own. The problem is that nobody eats just one. Three pieces is already 420 calories as a snack, before you even think about your main meal. If you keep it to one or two, it fits fine.

Why is there coconut in the filling and how much does it add?

The classic filling is spiced grated coconut mixed with dried shrimp. That 10g of coconut filling alone contributes around 35 calories, mostly from fat. It is what makes Cucur Badak taste different from a plain sweet potato fritter.

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.

New to all this? Read how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting rice →