Meat, Grills & Lauk

How Many Calories in Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak?

Patin fish cooked in fermented durian and coconut gravy, a Pahang classic that tastes incredible but comes with a fat bill you should know about.

380kcal / 1 piece patin with gravy (hawker/restaurant portion)
Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak comes in at around 380 calories for a standard hawker or restaurant portion, which is one piece of patin fish (about 150g cooked) with gravy, weighing roughly 280g total. That calorie count is spread across 23g protein, 10g carbs, and 20g fat. Not a light dish by any means, but also not a disaster if you eat it with plain rice and skip the extra ladle of gravy.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 piece patin with gravy (hawker/restaurant portion) (280g)AmountPer 100g
Calories380 kcal136 kcal
Protein23 g8 g
Carbs10 g4 g
Fat20 g7 g

Where the calories come from

Patin fish piece (steak, ~150g cooked)150g
175 kcal
Tempoyak (fermented durian paste, ~45g)45g
68 kcal
Coconut milk in gravy (~60ml)60g
90 kcal
Cooking oil and aromatics (shallots, chilli, turmeric)25g
47 kcal

The real talk

380 calories for one piece of fish sounds reasonable until you remember that patin is a naturally fatty river fish, and then you pile on tempoyak (fermented durian, which is basically concentrated durian fat and sugar) plus coconut milk in the gravy. The 90 calories from coconut milk alone and 68 from the tempoyak paste add up fast. To be honest, the numbers here are a ballpark estimate because solid nutritional data for this dish is basically nonexistent. Patin's fat content varies depending on the fish size and season, and every mak cik recipes the tempoyak ratio differently. Treat 380 calories as a reasonable middle-ground guess, not a lab result.

What actually moves the number is how much gravy ends up on your plate. That thick, lemak gravy is where most of the calories hide. If you ask for less gravy, or go with the tanpa santan version (broth-based, no coconut milk), you can bring it down to around 250 calories. The heavy gulai-style version with a thick coconut curry base goes up to about 460 calories for the same size piece. The fish itself is only around 175 calories for 150g, so the protein is actually decent, bro. If you pair one piece with a smaller portion of rice and load up on vegetables instead, the full meal can stay under 600 calories without feeling like punishment.

Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Tanpa santan (without coconut milk)250 kcalSimpler broth-based version; tempoyak, water, chilli, turmeric only
Dengan santan (with coconut milk, standard restaurant)380 kcalRicher lemak version typical at Pahang kopitiams and restaurants
Gulai tempoyak (heavy coconut curry)460 kcalThicker gulai-style with more coconut milk and richer gravy

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak?
A standard restaurant portion of one piece of patin fish with tempoyak and coconut gravy is around 380 calories (280g total). The version without coconut milk drops to about 250 calories, while a heavier gulai-style version can hit 460 calories.
Is patin fish high in fat?
Yes, patin (pangasius) is a naturally fatty river fish compared to leaner options like tilapia or siakap. That fat is part of why it tastes so good in tempoyak gravy, but it does mean the calories add up faster than you might expect for a fish dish.
Can I eat Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak while on a diet?
Yes, one piece is manageable at 380 calories as long as you watch the rest of your meal. Keep the rice portion small, go easy on extra gravy, and load up on vegetables on the side. The 23g of protein is actually solid for staying full.

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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.

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

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