Chicken, mutton, fish and egg dishes
Calories in Egg Curry
One bowl of egg curry has about 178 kcal, with 8.2 g of protein, 6.1 g of carbohydrate and 13.4 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and describes a one-egg serving: 50 g of egg in a gravy of 50 g of tomato and 30 g of onion cooked with 2 teaspoons of oil.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of egg curry
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of egg curry | 2 bowls of egg curry |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 178 kcal | 356 kcal |
| Protein | 8.2 g | 16.4 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 6.1 g | 12.2 g |
| Total fat | 13.4 g | 26.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3.2 g | 6.4 g |
| Sugars | 2.9 g | 5.8 g |
Of this energy, about 14% comes from carbohydrate, 68% from fat and 18% from protein.
1 bowl of egg curry is about 8% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 11% 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
The recipe is for a single bowl with 50 g of egg, which is one egg, in an onion and tomato gravy made with 2 teaspoons of oil. Most people eat two eggs in a curry, and for that the figure to use is the one for two bowls, about 356 kcal, which doubles the gravy and oil along with the egg. If you cook two eggs in the same small amount of gravy, your bowl will be lower than that. The usual method boils the egg and simmers it in the masala; eggs that are fried after boiling, as in some dhaba and Bengali versions, take up more oil.
Fat supplies 68% of the energy, protein 18% and carbohydrate 14%. That balance looks odd for an egg dish until the oil is counted: 2 teaspoons of oil, at about 44 kcal each, account for a large part of the 178 kcal. The egg supplies nearly all of the 8.2 g of protein and some of the fat; the tomato and onion supply the small amount of carbohydrate. The gravy is the part of the bowl the cook controls, and the oil in it is where calories can be saved.
What changes the number
- 01
Number of eggs
One bowl here means one egg. Two eggs with their share of gravy are about 356 kcal and 16.4 g of protein; three are about 534 kcal. Decide which figure applies by counting the eggs first.
- 02
Oil in the gravy
Two teaspoons of oil for a one-egg serving is generous. One more teaspoon takes the bowl to about 222 kcal. Making the masala with a single teaspoon is the easiest way to bring the count down without touching the egg.
- 03
Fried or plain boiled eggs
Many recipes shallow-fry or deep-fry the boiled eggs until the surface blisters before adding them to the gravy. The eggs take up oil as they fry, which this figure does not include.
- 04
Coconut, cream or cashew bases
The recipe is a plain onion and tomato gravy. Kerala-style curries with coconut milk, or restaurant gravies enriched with cream or cashew, add fat on top of the cooking oil.
How egg curry 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Tikka | 1 piece of fish tikka | 42 | 5.7 |
| Mutton Seekh Kebab | 1 mutton seekh kebab | 60 | 5.1 |
| Boti Kebab | 1 boti kebab | 73 | 5 |
| Egg Curry | 1 bowl of egg curry | 178 | 8.2 |
| Tandoori Fish | 1 piece of tandoori fish | 224 | 26.1 |
| Fish Curry | 1 bowl of fish curry | 282 | 22.3 |
| Afghani Chicken | 1 plate of Afghani chicken | 287 | 29.7 |
| Prawn Curry | 1 bowl of prawn curry | 313 | 24.4 |
| Chicken Curry | 1 bowl of chicken curry | 320 | 29.2 |
| Rogan Josh | 1 bowl of rogan josh | 329 | 22.6 |
| Bengali Fish Curry | 1 bowl of Bengali fish curry | 340 | 22.5 |
| Butter Chicken | 1 serving of butter chicken | 377 | 30.1 |
| Keema Matar | 1 bowl of keema matar | 457 | 29 |
| Chicken Korma | 1 bowl of chicken korma | 513 | 34.1 |
In a meal and in a day
A one-egg bowl is about 8% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 11% of a woman's, and its 8.2 g of protein is modest for a main dish. With two eggs the protein reaches 16.4 g, a better anchor for a meal with rice or roti, at about 356 kcal. A bowl of chicken curry in the same set of recipes is 320 kcal and gives far more protein, so egg curry is the lighter choice only when it is a one-egg helping. A vegetable side completes the plate.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Make the masala with one teaspoon of oil, softening the onions with a splash of water.
- Add the eggs boiled and halved, without frying them first.
- Use more tomato and onion for a thicker gravy instead of cream or coconut milk.
- Have two eggs with a little gravy and a smaller helping of rice, so the plate leans towards protein.
Before you rely on the number
Egg yolk is rich in cholesterol, so a curry carries more of it with each egg added. Eggs are a normal part of many balanced diets. Those who have diabetes, heart disease or high cholesterol are sometimes given a specific limit on eggs, and should follow the advice of their doctor or dietitian on how many to eat in a week.
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.
Egg Curry: common questions
How many calories are in egg curry with 2 eggs?
About 356 kcal, with 16.4 g of protein, 12.2 g of carbohydrate and 26.8 g of fat, if the gravy and oil are doubled along with the eggs as the recipe assumes. Two eggs in a single egg's worth of gravy will be somewhat less.
How much protein is in egg curry?
About 8.2 g in a one-egg bowl, 16.4 g with two eggs and 24.6 g with three. Protein supplies 18% of the energy, a smaller share than a plain boiled egg would give, because the oil in the gravy adds calories without adding protein.
Is egg curry lighter than chicken curry?
Per bowl in these recipes, yes: 178 kcal with one egg against 320 kcal for chicken curry. But the chicken bowl has 29.2 g of protein and the one-egg bowl has 8.2 g. Two eggs bring the curry to 356 kcal, a little above the chicken, for 16.4 g of protein.
Is egg curry good for weight loss?
Eggs are filling for their calories, so egg curry can work well, provided the gravy is not swimming in oil: 68% of this bowl's energy is fat, most of it added in cooking. Use less oil and pair it with vegetables. Results on the scale come from the whole diet, not from the curry.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Egg Curry
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Tomato: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Egg: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Protein and Calories in One Egg: Boiled, Fried, White and Yolk
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
High-Protein Indian Diet: Veg & Non-Veg Food List + Plan
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.