Vegetable and paneer dishes
Calories in Dahi Aloo
A bowl of dahi aloo has about 227 kcal, with 5.9 g of protein, 27.1 g of carbohydrate and 10.3 g of fat. The figure, from the Indian Nutrient Databank, is for 120 g of potato simmered with 50 g of curd, tomato, onion and 2 teaspoons of oil. It is a full bowl; a small katori has less.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of dahi aloo
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of dahi aloo | 2 bowls of dahi aloo |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 227 kcal | 454 kcal |
| Protein | 5.9 g | 11.8 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 27.1 g | 54.2 g |
| Total fat | 10.3 g | 20.6 g |
| Dietary fibre | 4.5 g | 9 g |
| Sugars | 6.9 g | 13.8 g |
Of this energy, about 48% comes from carbohydrate, 41% from fat and 11% from protein.
1 bowl of dahi aloo is about 11% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 14% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
Dahi aloo here means potatoes in a thin curd gravy. The recipe behind the number uses 120 g of potato, 50 g of curd, 40 g of tomato, 30 g of onion and 2 teaspoons of oil, and counts the whole lot as one bowl. That is more potato than any other potato sabzi in this comparison puts into a serving, which is the main reason the bowl reaches 227 kcal. A katori at home, particularly one served during a fast with kuttu puri or samak rice, may hold a good deal less.
Carbohydrate supplies 48% of the energy, fat 41% and protein 11%. The potato is the source of most of the carbohydrate; the 2 teaspoons of oil are the source of most of the fat, with a little from the curd. The curd is part of why this bowl has 5.9 g of protein, more than a plain aloo ki sabzi manages. So dahi aloo is a starch-led dish, unlike aloo gobi or aloo methi, where the oil leads.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 1 bowl. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
What changes the number
- 01
The amount of potato
At 120 g, potato is the heart of this bowl and of its 27.1 g of carbohydrate. A katori with fewer pieces and more gravy is lighter; a thick version with potato mashed into the curd is denser.
- 02
Which curd goes in
The recipe uses 50 g of curd. Curd set from full-cream milk, or hung curd, carries more fat than curd from toned milk, and a gravy enriched with cream or malai is richer again. Sour curd changes the taste, not the calories.
- 03
Oil or ghee for the tadka
Two teaspoons of oil are counted. A third makes the bowl 271 kcal. Cooked in ghee, as is common for fasting food, the energy is about the same spoon for spoon: a teaspoon of ghee is about 45 kcal against 44 kcal for oil.
- 04
Sugar and besan
Some cooks add a pinch of sugar, or a spoon of besan to stop the curd splitting. A teaspoon of sugar is about 16 kcal and takes the bowl of dahi aloo to 243 kcal.
How dahi aloo compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharwa Bhindi | 1 bowl of bharwa bhindi | 104 | 2.3 |
| Cabbage Matar | 1 bowl of cabbage matar | 106 | 5.4 |
| Sookhe Aloo | 1 bowl of sookhe aloo | 109 | 1.7 |
| Sarson ka Saag | 1 bowl of sarson ka saag | 124 | 4.3 |
| Aloo ki Sabzi | 1 bowl of aloo ki sabzi | 181 | 3.1 |
| Bhindi Sabzi | 1 bowl of bhindi sabzi | 184 | 3 |
| Soya Chunks Curry | 1 bowl of soya chunks curry | 184 | 6.8 |
| Aloo Gobi | 1 bowl of aloo gobi | 187 | 3.3 |
| Aloo Palak | 1 bowl of aloo palak | 192 | 5.5 |
| Beans Thoran | 1 bowl of beans thoran | 197 | 3.9 |
| Baingan Bharta | 1 bowl of baingan bharta | 212 | 4.5 |
| Masala Arbi | 1 bowl of masala arbi | 215 | 3.5 |
| Dahi Aloo | 1 bowl of dahi aloo | 227 | 5.9 |
| Paneer Butter Masala | 1 bowl of paneer butter masala | 228 | 11 |
| Palak Paneer | 1 bowl of palak paneer | 230 | 11.9 |
| Bharwa Karela | 1 bowl of bharwa karela | 231 | 1.4 |
| Matar Mushroom | 1 bowl of matar mushroom | 259 | 10.7 |
| Aloo Methi | 1 bowl of aloo methi | 276 | 4.6 |
| Aloo Matar | 1 bowl of aloo matar | 280 | 9.7 |
| Kadai Paneer | 1 bowl of kadai paneer | 344 | 13.8 |
| Matar Paneer | 1 bowl of matar paneer | 374 | 18.3 |
| Paneer Tikka | 1 plate of paneer tikka | 412 | 22.4 |
In a meal and in a day
One bowl of dahi aloo provides about 11% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 14% of a woman's. Two bowls are 454 kcal with 54.2 g of carbohydrate, which is already a meal's worth of starch before roti, puri or rice. With 5.9 g of protein it is not a protein dish, though it does better than most potato sabzis. A dal, or a larger serving of plain curd on the side, rounds it out better than more potato.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Use fewer potato pieces and more curd gravy in each bowl.
- Set or buy curd made from toned milk, and skip any cream.
- Whisk the curd well and add it off the heat so it does not split, which avoids the need for extra oil or besan.
- Eat dahi aloo with one roti fewer than usual, since the bowl is already rich in starch.
Before you rely on the number
With 27.1 g of carbohydrate in a bowl, dahi aloo counts as part of the meal's starch. On fasting days it is often eaten with fried kuttu puri or sabudana, which piles starch and fat on top. Anyone managing diabetes, or fasting while on medication, should follow their doctor or dietitian's advice on portions and timing.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Dahi Aloo: common questions
How many calories are in 2 bowls of dahi aloo?
Two bowls of this recipe come to about 454 kcal, with 11.8 g of protein, 54.2 g of carbohydrate and 20.6 g of fat. Three bowls are 681 kcal. Half a bowl, about 114 kcal, is the better guide if the sabzi is one of several dishes on the plate.
Is dahi aloo good for weight loss?
It is mid-table: 227 kcal a bowl, ranked 13 of 22 sabzis from the lightest. The curd gives it a little more protein than other aloo dishes, but it remains mostly potato starch and oil. A smaller bowl with dal fits a weight-loss day more easily than a full bowl with puri. How the day's meals add up decides the outcome, not dahi aloo alone.
Does dahi aloo have more protein than other aloo sabzis?
More than most. One bowl has 5.9 g, compared with 5.5 g in aloo palak, 4.6 g in aloo methi, 3.3 g in aloo gobi, 3.1 g in aloo ki sabzi and 1.7 g in sookhe aloo. Only aloo matar, at 9.7 g, is higher, because peas carry more protein than curd in these amounts.
Dahi aloo or aloo ki sabzi: which is lighter?
Aloo ki sabzi, at 181 kcal a bowl against 227 kcal for dahi aloo. The dahi aloo recipe uses more potato and adds curd; in return it has 5.9 g of protein against 3.1 g. Sookhe aloo is lighter than both at 109 kcal.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Tomato: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Potato: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Indian food calorie chart: household portions, not per 100 g
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Is Sabudana Good for Weight Loss? Calories, Carbs and How to Eat It on a Fast
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.