Vegetables & Sides

How Many Calories in Daun Ubi Tumbuk?

Pounded young cassava leaves slow-cooked with thick coconut milk, lemongrass, and ikan bilis, a staple side dish in Sarawak and Sabah that tastes humble but hits harder than it looks.

270kcal / 1 hawker/warung side-dish serving
A standard hawker or warung serving of daun ubi tumbuk (about 170g) comes in at roughly 270 calories, with 9g protein, 9g carbs, and 20g fat. The leaves themselves are almost nothing calorie-wise. It is the santan that carries the bulk of the calories, contributing around 135 calories out of the 270 on its own.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 hawker/warung side-dish serving (170g)AmountPer 100g
Calories270 kcal159 kcal
Protein12 g7 g
Carbs9 g5 g
Fat20 g12 g

Where the calories come from

Pounded cassava leaves, cooked80g
30 kcal
Thick coconut milk (santan) absorbed45g
135 kcal
Ikan bilis / anchovies15g
45 kcal
Aromatics (shallots, lemongrass, turmeric, chili)20g
20 kcal
Cooking oil5g
45 kcal

The real talk

Daun ubi tumbuk is basically pounded cassava leaves cooked down in coconut milk with aromatics and usually ikan bilis or anchovies. If you have never had it, think of it as Sarawak and Sabah's answer to a braised greens side dish, except the gravy is rich, slightly fatty, and really good with rice. At 270 calories for a side dish, it is not exactly a free food, but it is not crazy either. The cassava leaves themselves only contribute about 30 calories. The santan is doing 135 calories of work all by itself. Be honest with yourself about how much gravy you are ladling over your rice. Fair warning on the numbers: this is a genuine ballpark estimate because there is basically no hard nutritional data published for this specific dish, and every warung makes it differently.

What actually moves the maths is simple: how much santan and how much oil. The tanpa santan version (just oil, garlic, anchovies) drops to around 120 calories for the same-sized serving, saving you 150 calories. The light coconut milk version sits at 180 calories. Go full masak santan pekat with generous coconut milk and maybe some udang or offal thrown in and you are looking at 400 calories from a side dish alone. The ikan bilis adds about 45 calories but also gives you a protein hit for the size. If you are eating this at a nasi campur counter, watch the portion size because the serving spoon will give you whatever it gives you, and the gravy tends to be generous.

Daun Ubi Tumbuk variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Tanpa santan (stir-fried with oil only)120 kcalNo coconut milk, just oil, garlic, anchovies; much lower fat
Santan nipis (light coconut milk)180 kcalDiluted coconut milk gravy, common in lighter home cooking
Santan pekat biasa (standard hawker)270 kcalTypical warung/kopitiam version with moderate thick coconut milk and ikan bilis
Masak santan pekat / gulai style400 kcalGenerous thick coconut milk, oil, and protein additions like udang or perut; common in Sabah and Sarawak home cooking

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Daun Ubi Tumbuk?
A typical hawker or warung serving of daun ubi tumbuk (170g) is around 270 calories, with 9g protein, 9g carbs, and 20g fat. The coconut milk accounts for the majority of those calories.
What exactly is daun ubi tumbuk?
It is young cassava leaves that get pounded, then cooked slowly in coconut milk with lemongrass, shallots, turmeric, chili, and usually ikan bilis or salted fish. It is a classic side dish in Sarawak and Sabah, commonly eaten with rice at warung and nasi campur stalls.
Is daun ubi tumbuk a healthy vegetable dish?
The cassava leaves themselves are high in fibre and protein for a leafy green, and the ikan bilis contributes some protein too. The catch is the thick santan, which pushes the fat to 20g and the total to 270 calories for a side dish. It is fine in context, just do not assume it is calorie-free because it is listed under vegetables.

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See all Vegetables & Sides 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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