How many calories are in a plate of rice and curry in Sri Lanka?

A common lunch of one cup of cooked rice (205 kcal), a chicken curry (240 kcal), dhal (120 kcal), a gotukola sambol (70 kcal) and two papadam (70 kcal) comes to about 705 kcal — roughly a third of a 2,000-kcal day. Vegetarian rice-and-curry plates typically land between 500 and 650 kcal. Build your exact plate above for a precise figure.

How many calories are in chicken kottu?

One regular restaurant serving of chicken kottu (about 350 g) is roughly 718 kcal, with 38.5 g protein, 80.5 g carbohydrate and 29.4 g fat. A large or cheese kottu can exceed 850 kcal. The exact number depends on the oil used and portion size, so treat it as a close estimate.

How many calories should a Sri Lankan adult eat per day?

As a reference, the MRI uses around 2,000 kcal per day for an average adult, but real needs range from about 1,600 kcal for a small, sedentary person to over 2,800 kcal for an active one. This tool uses 2,000 kcal by default and lets you change it. For a personalised figure, use a TDEE or macro calculator.

How many calories are in an egg hopper?

One egg hopper (biththara appa) is about 155 kcal — roughly 90 kcal for the hopper cup plus 65 kcal for the egg — with 8 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate and 6 g fat. A plain hopper without the egg is around 90 kcal. A milk hopper (kiri appa) is higher, near 150 kcal, because of the coconut milk.

Are string hoppers good for weight loss?

String hoppers (idiyappam) are naturally low in fat — five of them are about 160 kcal — so a small set with a light dhal can suit a calorie-controlled meal. What raises the total is the accompaniment: pol sambol, seeni sambol and coconut-heavy curries add fat quickly. Watch the whole plate, not just the hoppers.

Where do these calorie numbers come from?

Every per-serving figure is drawn from the MRI Sri Lanka Food Composition Tables, 2021 edition and cross-checked against the official Sri Lankan Food Composition Database (foodcompositiondb.lk), with standardised portion sizes from the CoTaSS-3 ready-to-eat database. That is why a "rice and curry" here reflects how food is cooked in Sri Lanka, not a generic Western equivalent.

Why does the macro split not add up to the exact total calories?

The total kcal shown is the food-composition-database value for each serving. The protein/carb/fat percentages are computed separately using the FAO/WHO Atwater factors (protein 4, carbohydrate 4, fat 9 kcal per gram). Because published totals also account for fibre, rounding and other components, the Atwater re-sum can differ from the shown total by a few percent. The displayed total is always the database value.

Does the counter include restaurant-brand items like KFC?

No. Version 1 uses generic Sri Lankan home and standard portions from the MRI dataset only — brand-specific menu items are proprietary and change often. It also does not yet cover vitamins, minerals, sodium or fibre; it counts calories plus protein, carbohydrate and fat. Those are on the roadmap.

Sri Lanka · Health

Sri Lankan Food Calorie Counter

Build a real Sri Lankan meal — rice & curry, kottu, string hoppers, pol sambol — and see the total calories with a protein, carbohydrate and fat breakdown. Numbers come from the MRI Food Composition Tables, so they match how food is cooked and served here. Free, no signup.

By Induwara Ashinsana— Executive Director, Ryzera TechnologiesUpdated Jul 1, 2026

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Search a Sri Lankan dish above and tap it to add — or load a Quick meal to see the calories, protein, carbs and fat break down instantly.

Total calories

0kcal

Protein

Carbohydrate

Fat

Macro energy split—

ProteinCarbohydrateFat

% of daily target0%

0 of 2,000 kcal

Daily calorie target

800–5,000 kcal. Default 2,000 (MRI reference). Not personalised advice.

Energy and macros per serving are from the MRI Sri Lanka Food Composition Tables, 2021 edition and foodcompositiondb.lk. Totals are exact sums of the servings you pick. Macro percentages use FAO/WHO Atwater factors (protein 4, carb 4, fat 9 kcal/g); this Atwater re-sum can differ by a few percent from the shown total. Values are representative home portions — not medical advice.

How it works

This counter is deterministic arithmetic on trusted data: it never estimates. Each food carries a standard serving size and, for that serving, the energy in kilocalories and grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat — taken from the MRI Sri Lanka Food Composition Tables, 2021 edition and cross-checked against the official Sri Lankan Food Composition Database (foodcompositiondb.lk). Ready-to-eat portion sizes (one string hopper, one plate of kottu) follow the CoTaSS-3 Sri Lankan food database.

Per-item energy= the serving's kcal × the number of servings you pick. Half-servings are allowed.
Total energy= the sum of every row's per-item energy across all four meals.
Macro grams — protein, carbohydrate and fat are each summed independently across every row, the same way as energy.
Macro energy share uses the FAO/WHO Atwater general factors: protein 4, carbohydrate 4, fat 9 kcal/g. Each macro's percentage is its Atwater kcal divided by the sum of the three. Because published database totals also include fibre and rounding, this Atwater re-sum can differ from the shown total by a few percent — so the total you see is always the database value, never the re-sum.
Share of daily target = total energy ÷ your daily target (default 2,000 kcal, the MRI reference figure; adjustable from 800 to 5,000).

The only variables are which items you pick and how many servings — every per-item value traces back to a cited source. Version 1 covers roughly 90 of the most-searched Sri Lankan staples and dishes rather than all 324 MRI commodities; coverage grows over time. It counts calories plus protein, carbohydrate and fat, and does not yet include micronutrients such as sodium or fibre.

Worked examples

Traditional string-hopper breakfast

370 kcal · P 9 g · C 52 g · F 14 g

String hoppers × 5 (110 g): 160 kcal · P 3 · C 34 · F 1
Dhal curry × 1 (100 g): 120 kcal · P 5 · C 14 · F 5
Pol sambol × 1 (30 g): 90 kcal · P 1 · C 4 · F 8
Total: 160 + 120 + 90 = 370 kcal
Atwater: P 9×4=36, C 52×4=208, F 14×9=126 → 10% P / 56% C / 34% F
Share of a 2,000-kcal day: 370 ÷ 2000 = 18.5%

Rice & curry lunch

705 kcal · P 33 g · C 79 g · F 29.5 g

Cooked rice × 1 cup (150 g): 205 kcal · P 4 · C 45 · F 0.5
Chicken curry × 1 (100 g): 240 kcal · P 20 · C 5 · F 16
Dhal curry × 1 (100 g): 120 kcal · P 5 · C 14 · F 5
Gotukola sambol × 1 (50 g): 70 kcal · P 2 · C 5 · F 5
Papadam × 2 (10 g each): 70 kcal · P 2 · C 10 · F 3
Total: 205 + 240 + 120 + 70 + 70 = 705 kcal
Share of a 2,000-kcal day: 705 ÷ 2000 = 35.3%

Single-item cross-check — chicken kottu

718 kcal · P 38.5 g · C 80.5 g · F 29.4 g

Chicken kottu × 1 regular serving (350 g): 718 kcal
Macros: P 38.5 · C 80.5 · F 29.4 g
Atwater re-sum: 38.5×4 + 80.5×4 + 29.4×9 = 741 kcal-equiv
That is within ~3% of the 718 kcal database total (fibre, rounding)
Share of a 2,000-kcal day: 718 ÷ 2000 = 35.9%

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references

Per-serving values were last cross-checked against the MRI Food Composition Tables and foodcompositiondb.lk on 2026-07-01. Figures are representative home and standard portions and are for general information, not medical or dietary advice. If a value looks off for a dish you know well, email me and I'll review the source entry.

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Comments & feedback

Spotted a bug or want an improvement? Tell us — our team reviews every comment, and good ideas get built. Comments are public and anonymous.

Know a dish we're missing, or spotted a value that looks off?

Email me at [email protected] — I add new foods and fixes regularly.