How Many Calories in Rendang?

Slow cooked dry coconut and spice curry. The toasted coconut and santan are the calorie engine, not the meat.

200kcal / 1 lauk portion (100g)

Rendang is around 200 calories per 100g serving (the lauk only, no rice). The calories come from the coconut milk and kerisik (toasted coconut) it is slow cooked in, not so much the meat. The drier it is, like rendang tok, the higher the calories per gram.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 lauk portion (100g) (100g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	200 kcal	200 kcal
Protein	17 g	17 g
Carbs	5 g	5 g
Fat	13 g	13 g

Where the calories come from

Stewing meat (cooked)70g

130 kcal

Coconut milk (santan)20g

50 kcal

Kerisik, oil, spice paste10g

20 kcal

The real talk

Everyone assumes rendang is heavy because of the beef. Wrong. It is the coconut bro. Rendang is meat slow cooked in santan and kerisik (toasted ground coconut) until the gravy dries into the meat. That dried coconut fat is the calorie engine. A 100g lauk portion is around 200 calories, and most of the fat is coconut, not beef.

Because it is concentrated, the drier versions hit harder per gram. Rendang tok, cooked down longest with the most kerisik, is the richest at around 250 to 270 per 100g. The seafood and organ versions like rendang kerang are leaner. A normal kenduri scoop of about 150g puts you near 300 calories, so portion is everything with rendang.

How the portions compare

140 kcal

Small scoop (~70g)

200 kcal

Standard lauk (100g)

300 kcal

Kenduri portion (~150g)

Rendang variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Rendang kerang (cockles)	150 kcal	Leaner protein, same sauce
Rendang hati (liver)	180 kcal	Lean organ meat
Rendang daging (beef)	200 kcal	The classic, per 100g
Rendang telur (egg)	210 kcal	Eggs in rendang sauce
Rendang ayam (chicken)	225 kcal	Per 100g
Rendang paru (lung)	230 kcal	Fried lung, richer
Rendang tok	260 kcal	Driest, most kerisik, densest

How to eat it lighter

Watch the portion. Rendang is calorie dense per gram, so a moderate scoop goes a long way.
Leaner versions like rendang kerang (cockles) sit lower than the dry beef rendang tok.
Do not also drench your rice in extra kerisik and gravy. That is pure coconut fat.

Common questions

How many calories in rendang?

Around 200 calories per 100g for beef rendang (lauk only). The coconut milk and toasted coconut (kerisik) are the main calorie source, not the meat.

Why is rendang so calorie dense?

It is slow cooked in coconut milk and kerisik until the gravy dries into the meat, concentrating coconut fat. The drier the rendang, like rendang tok, the higher the calories per gram.

Which rendang is lowest in calories?

Rendang kerang (cockles) at around 150 per 100g is among the leanest. Rendang tok is the highest near 260 because it is the driest and uses the most kerisik.

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 →