Calories in Sambar: per serving and per 100 g
By The DietGhar Team. Nutrition values checked 13 October 2026.
A serving of sambar (1 katori, about 150 g) has 129 kcal, with 6.5 g protein, 17.7 g carbohydrate and 4.1 g fat. Per 100 g it comes to 86 kcal. That is 5 g of protein for every 100 kcal you eat.
Nutrition table
| Nutrient | Per serving (150 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 129 kcal | 86 kcal |
| Protein | 6.5 g | 4.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 17.7 g | 11.8 g |
| Fat | 4.1 g | 2.7 g |
| Fibre | 6 g | 4 g |
Serving: 1 katori, about 150 g. Source below, checked 13 October 2026.
What one serving looks like
One katori of about 150 ml of sambar is a thin, tangy, vegetable-filled lentil stew, usually poured over idli, dosa or rice.
Where it fits in a 1,200 to 1,600 kcal day
At 129 kcal, one serving is about 8 percent of a 1,600 kcal day and about 11 percent of a 1,200 kcal day. Sambar is a rare case of a side that does real work. It adds protein and fibre to South Indian breakfast plates that are otherwise mostly rice and urad batter.
Your own number depends on your height, weight, age and activity, so use the calorie calculator to find it, or read our guide to the calories in popular Indian foods.
See how protein-rich foods fit a full day in the high protein Indian diet chart. Similar foods: Masoor dal, Punjabi kadhi and Moong dal.
How cooking changes the number
It is cooked with little oil, so the number stays low. Restaurant sambar can be thinner or oilier than a home pot.
A swap to try
Try Toor dal tadka. A plain dal is a decent substitute if you do not have sambar powder at home. Toor dal tadka (1 katori, about 150 g) comes to 128 kcal, which is 1 kcal less than 129 for sambar.
Who might want to watch it
Watch the salt in restaurant sambar if you are watching sodium.
This page is general nutrition information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, your doctor decides what you eat and how much.
Compare with similar foods
| Food | Serving | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toor dal tadka | 1 katori, about 150 g | 128 | 5.7 g |
| Masoor dal | 1 katori, about 150 g | 132 | 6.2 g |
| Punjabi kadhi | 1 katori, about 150 g | 126 | 4.7 g |
| Moong dal | 1 katori, about 150 g | 125 | 6.1 g |
| Chana dal | 1 katori, about 150 g | 158 | 6 g |
| Rajma masala | 1 katori, about 150 g | 160 | 6.7 g |
Keep going
Sources and last checked
Last checked 13 October 2026. Values are taken straight from the source record below, then scaled to the serving.
- Sambar, vegetable stew, USDA FoodData Central, FNDDS 2021-2023 (Oct 2024 release), FDC ID 2707430
These are averages. Packaged and restaurant versions differ, and the USDA tables describe foods as sold and cooked in the United States, so Indian home cooking can vary.
