Rice Meals

How Many Calories in Lemang?

Lemang is glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk inside bamboo lined with banana leaf, roasted over open fire until fragrant and sticky, eaten almost exclusively at Raya alongside rendang or serunding.

290kcal / 2 slices (typical hawker/Raya serving)
Two slices of lemang (about 180g, a normal Raya serving) comes in at roughly 290 calories, with 45g carbs, 12g fat, and only 4g protein. That 12g of fat is all from the santan soaked up during roasting, which is what makes lemang taste so good and also why it is not exactly a diet food. On its own it is not catastrophic, but nobody eats lemang on its own, kan.

Nutrition facts

Per 2 slices (typical hawker/Raya serving) (180g)AmountPer 100g
Calories290 kcal161 kcal
Protein4 g2 g
Carbs45 g25 g
Fat12 g7 g

Where the calories come from

Cooked glutinous rice115g
196 kcal
Coconut milk (absorbed)55g
90 kcal
Banana leaf / salt (trace)10g
4 kcal

The real talk

Lemang is basically glutinous rice that has been sitting in coconut milk inside a bamboo tube over a fire, so the santan gets fully absorbed into every grain. The result is dense, sticky, slightly fatty rice that is genuinely delicious. At 290 calories for 2 slices, the rice itself is not outrageous, but the carb count is high (glutinous rice hits harder than regular rice gram for gram) and there is almost no protein to speak of. If you are tracking, note that these numbers are a ballpark estimate as there is very little hard nutritional data published for lemang specifically, and fat absorption from coconut milk varies depending on how long it is roasted and the ratio used.

The number that actually matters is what you put next to it. Two slices of plain lemang at 290 cal is fine. Add 2 tablespoons of serunding kelapa and you are at 380. Add a full piece of beef rendang and you are at 490 calories in one plate. The rendang is worth it calorie-wise because it adds real protein, but the serunding is basically just fat and coconut with very little upside. Portion is everything here: one slice of lemang (roughly 90g) cuts you to about 145 calories, which leaves way more room for rendang.

Lemang variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Plain lemang only (no accompaniment)290 kcalJust the glutinous rice cylinder, 2 slices, no rendang or serunding
Lemang with serunding kelapa380 kcalAdd ~2 tbsp dry coconut serunding (~90 cal); common pairing at Raya
Lemang with beef rendang (1 piece)490 kcalAdd 1 piece beef rendang (~200 cal); the classic full Raya combo

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Lemang?
Two slices of lemang (180g, a typical Raya serving) is approximately 290 calories, with 45g carbs, 12g fat, and 4g protein. These are estimates as published data for lemang is limited.
What exactly is lemang?
Lemang is glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk inside bamboo tubes lined with banana leaf, then roasted over an open fire. It is a traditional Malay dish eaten mainly during Hari Raya, almost always paired with beef rendang or dry coconut serunding.
Is lemang healthy for someone trying to lose weight?
Not the easiest choice, bro. It is high in simple carbs from glutinous rice and has decent fat from coconut milk, with almost no protein. It is a once-a-year Raya food, so enjoy it, but keep the portion to one or two slices and make sure your protein for that meal comes from the rendang, not a second helping of lemang.

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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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