Calories in sambar
1 bowl of sambar (257 g) has 249 calories, with 8.7 g of protein, 27.2 g of carbs and 11.3 g of fat. That's 97 calories per 100 g.
| Nutrition | 1 bowl (257 g) | 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 249 kcal | 97 kcal |
| Protein | 8.7 g | 3.4 g |
| Carbs | 27.2 g | 10.6 g |
| Fat | 11.3 g | 4.4 g |
| Fibre | 9 g | 3.5 g |
Figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB). INDB works from home-cooked recipes, so a restaurant version will usually have more calories.
Is sambar good for a gym diet?
It has some protein (3.5 g per 100 calories), but not enough to lean on. Pair it with dal, tofu or soya chunks to fill the gap.
The biggest share of its calories come from carbs (44%), then fat (41%) and protein (14%).
A gym meal usually aims for 25 g of protein or more, depending on your daily target. From this alone, that's 3 bowls (about 720 calories). The same 25 g from soya chunks is about 170 calories.
What's in it
Made with toor dal, brinjal (eggplant), drumsticks (moringa), okra (bhindi), tomatoes, sauces and stock, onions and fresh coconut, plus spices and cooking oil or ghee. Each extra teaspoon of oil or ghee adds about 44 calories, which is where home and restaurant versions differ most.
How to make it
Takes about 40 minutes.
- Cook toor dal with turmeric until soft and mash it.
- Boil chopped vegetables with tamarind water, sambar powder and salt.
- Add the dal and simmer 10 minutes.
- Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chilli in oil, then pour it in.
Logging sambar in GymSensei
Type or say “1 bowl of sambar” and it's logged with the numbers above, no searching through lists. It also understands “sambhar”.
Similar foods
| Food | Portion | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arhar dal | 1 bowl (403 g) | 213 | 8.5 g |
| Mixed dal | 1 bowl (298 g) | 184 | 7.5 g |
| Urad dal | 1 bowl (296 g) | 181 | 7.4 g |
| Lobia | 1 bowl (120 g) | 179 | 7.3 g |
| Whole moong | 1 bowl (342 g) | 184 | 7.5 g |
Updated . General fitness and nutrition guidance, not medical advice.
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