How Many Calories in Masak Lemak Cili Api?

Negeri Sembilan turmeric coconut curry. Rich and yellow. The santan gravy carries the calories whatever sits in it.

360kcal / 1 serving with chicken

A serving of masak lemak cili api with chicken is around 360 calories (lauk only, no rice). The coconut milk gravy is the heavy part, around 180 calories on its own, regardless of which protein or vegetable is in it.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 serving with chicken (230g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	360 kcal	157 kcal
Protein	22 g	10 g
Carbs	8 g	3 g
Fat	27 g	12 g

Where the calories come from

Coconut milk gravy120g

180 kcal

Chicken piece with skin110g

150 kcal

Oil, turmeric, cili api base10g

30 kcal

The real talk

Masak lemak cili api is the heavyweight of the everyday lauk, and it is the coconut milk doing it. That rich yellow gravy is santan plus turmeric plus cili api, and the gravy alone is around 180 to 200 calories per serving before you add anything. So whether it is ayam, telur itik or pucuk ubi sitting in it, the gravy sets the floor.

It is delicious and very Malaysian, I am not telling you to skip it. Just know it is in a different calorie league from asam pedas. The vegetable versions like pucuk ubi and nangka are a bit lighter because the veg itself is low calorie, but the santan still soaks in. Spoon the gravy with a bit of restraint and you are fine.

Masak Lemak Cili Api variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Nangka muda (young jackfruit)	210 kcal	Veg version, lighter
Pucuk ubi (tapioca leaves)	230 kcal	Veg, soaks up santan
Siput sedut (sea snails)	230 kcal	Lean protein, gravy dominates
Telur itik (duck egg)	340 kcal	Two eggs in gravy
Ayam (chicken)	360 kcal	The classic, chicken with skin

How to eat it lighter

Take the protein or veg and go light on spooning extra gravy. The santan is the calorie source.
Pick a vegetable version (pucuk ubi, nangka) for a lighter plate than the chicken one.
Skip the chicken skin if you can, it sits in fat the whole cook.

Common questions

How many calories in masak lemak cili api?

Around 360 calories for a serving with chicken (lauk only). The coconut milk gravy is the heavy part at roughly 180 calories on its own.

Why is masak lemak so high in calories?

The gravy is built on coconut milk (santan), which is calorie and fat dense. The gravy alone is around 180 to 200 calories per serving, whatever protein or vegetable sits in it.

Which masak lemak is lightest?

The vegetable versions like nangka muda (around 210) and pucuk ubi (around 230) are lighter than the chicken one (around 360), because the vegetable itself is low calorie even though it soaks up the santan.

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 →