Snacks & Kuih

How Many Calories in Kuih Kasturi?

A fried glutinous rice ball stuffed with sweetened grated coconut and rolled in sesame seeds, sold at pasar malam stalls across Malaysia.

110kcal / 1 piece
One piece of Kuih Kasturi (about 45g) comes in at 110 calories. The glutinous rice shell is the main contributor at 50 calories, the sweet coconut filling adds 20, and the sesame coating brings another 25. The frying oil soaks up the remaining 15 calories. For a small kuih you can knock back in two bites, 110 calories is not terrible, but they are easy to stack up fast.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 piece (45g)AmountPer 100g
Calories110 kcal244 kcal
Protein2 g4 g
Carbs17 g38 g
Fat3 g7 g

Where the calories come from

Glutinous rice flour dough shell22g
50 kcal
Sweet grated coconut filling12g
20 kcal
Sesame seed coating5g
25 kcal
Oil absorbed during frying2g
15 kcal

The real talk

Honestly, 110 calories for one piece is pretty reasonable. The problem with Kuih Kasturi is not the calorie count per piece, it is the fact that nobody eats just one piece. The sesame-coated shell is chewy, the coconut filling is warm and sweet, and before you know it you have cleared five pieces at a pasar malam and spent 550 calories on snacks before dinner even started. The calories here come mostly from the glutinous rice dough (50 calories) and the fried sesame coating (25 calories), with oil absorption adding another 15. Worth flagging upfront: hard nutrition data for traditional kuih like this is basically nonexistent, so these are ballpark estimates based on ingredients and cooking method. Treat the numbers as a reasonable guide, not a lab result.

What actually changes the maths is how many you eat and how much oil the kuih soaks up during frying. A well-fried batch at the right temperature absorbs less oil than a greasy, soggy one. At three pieces you are already at 330 calories for 135g of food that will not keep you full for long. If you are tracking calories, the safest move is to log one to two pieces and leave it there lah. There is no protein story here to speak of, only 2g per piece, so it does not contribute anything meaningful to satiety. Pair it with a proper meal rather than treating a bag of kuih as a meal replacement.

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Kuih Kasturi?
One piece of Kuih Kasturi is around 110 calories for a 45g ball. That accounts for the glutinous rice shell, sweet grated coconut filling, sesame coating, and oil absorbed from frying.
Is Kuih Kasturi fattening?
A single piece at 110 calories is not going to ruin your day. The problem is portion control. At a pasar malam stall you will likely eat three or four pieces without thinking, which puts you at 330 to 440 calories from a snack. Eat one or two and move on.
What is Kuih Kasturi made of?
Kuih Kasturi is a fried glutinous rice ball filled with sweetened grated coconut and coated in sesame seeds. The dough is made from glutinous rice flour (tepung pulut), which gives it that chewy, stretchy texture when you bite in.

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See all Snacks & Kuih 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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