Snacks & Kuih · Singapore

How Many Calories in Soon Kueh?

Also known as Soon Kway, Bamboo Shoot Kueh, 笋粿, Turnip Kueh, Teochew Soon Kueh.

Soon kueh is the Teochew steamed dumpling with a translucent rice and tapioca flour skin, filled with shredded turnip, bamboo shoot, dried shrimp and mushroom, brushed with oil and eaten with sweet dark soy and chilli.

89kcal / 1 piece
One soon kueh is about 89 calories for a 60g piece, with around 3g of fat. The skin is about 45 calories, the vegetable filling about 25, and the oil brushed on top after steaming makes up the rest. Three pieces with sauce is about 280.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 piece (60g)AmountPer 100g
Calories89 kcal148 kcal
Protein2 g3 g
Carbs15 g25 g
Fat3 g5 g

Where the calories come from

Rice and tapioca flour skin30g
45 kcal
Turnip, bamboo shoot and dried shrimp filling27g
26 kcal
Oil brushed on skin2g
18 kcal

The real talk

The filling is turnip and bamboo shoot, which are nearly free. 25g of stir fried filling with a little dried shrimp is about 25 calories. The skin is where the number lives, 30g of rice and tapioca flour at about 45. The stall brushes each kueh with oil so they do not stick, which is about 18 calories per piece. That is 89 for one, and the sweet soy on top adds around 10 more.

This is the kueh to pick at a stall that also sells png kueh, ku chai kueh and fried yam. Png kueh is glutinous rice inside, about 150 per piece. The fried version of soon kueh, pan fried until the skin is crisp, is about 120 because it takes on more oil. Steamed soon kueh at 89 is the lowest calorie savoury kueh on most trays.

The problem is that they are small and the sauce is good. Three is a normal order, at about 280 with sauce, and that is a reasonable breakfast. Five with extra sweet soy is close to 500, which is a full meal from something that looks like a snack. Two pieces and a kopi o is about 240 and holds you until lunch.

How many calories in 2, 3 or 4 pieces?

How manyCaloriesProtein
1 piece89 kcal2 g
2 pieces178 kcal4 g
3 pieces267 kcal6 g
4 pieces356 kcal8 g
5 pieces445 kcal10 g
6 pieces534 kcal12 g

How the portions compare

89 kcal
1 piece
178 kcal
2 pieces
280 kcal
3 pieces with sauce

Soon Kueh variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Steamed soon kueh89 kcalHPB figure
Ku chai kueh (chive)95 kcalSame skin, chive filling
Pan fried soon kueh120 kcalCrisp skin, more oil
Png kueh150 kcalGlutinous rice filling

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

Is soon kueh healthy?
It is one of the lighter hawker kueh at about 89 calories each with 3g of fat. The filling is mostly vegetable. It is low in protein, so it works as a snack or a light breakfast rather than a full meal.
How many calories in 3 soon kueh?
About 267 for the kueh and around 280 with the sweet soy and chilli. That is a reasonable breakfast portion.
Is soon kueh fried or steamed?
Steamed, then brushed with oil. Some stalls also pan fry them on request, which takes each piece from 89 to about 120 calories.
What is the difference between soon kueh and png kueh?
The filling. Soon kueh has turnip and bamboo shoot, png kueh has glutinous rice with dried shrimp and peanuts. Png kueh is about 150 calories each, soon kueh about 89.
Berapa kalori dalam Soon Kueh?
Soon Kueh ada kira-kira 89 kalori untuk 1 keping (60g), dengan 2g protein, 15g karbohidrat dan 3g lemak. Angka ini anggaran untuk hidangan gerai biasa, jadi ia berbeza ikut kedai dan saiz hidangan.

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See all Snacks & Kuih calories, ranked ›

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker centre or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on HPB iDAT via danielfooddiary.com 2015. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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