Raita, chutney and salad
Calories in Peanut Chutney
One tablespoon of peanut chutney has about 54 kcal, with 2.5 g of protein, 2.1 g of carbohydrate and 4 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank's recipe makes 2 tablespoons from 20 g of peanuts and 15 g of lemon juice, so each spoonful holds 10 g of peanuts. No oil is counted in it.
Nutrition in 1 tablespoon of peanut chutney
| Nutrient | 1 tablespoon of peanut chutney | 2 tablespoons of peanut chutney |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 54 kcal | 108 kcal |
| Protein | 2.5 g | 5 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 2.1 g | 4.2 g |
| Total fat | 4 g | 8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 1.2 g | 2.4 g |
| Sugars | 0.6 g | 1.2 g |
Of this energy, about 15% comes from carbohydrate, 66% from fat and 18% from protein.
1 tablespoon of peanut chutney is about 3% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 3% 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 small and plain: 20 g of roasted peanuts ground with 15 g of lemon juice, chillies and salt, giving 2 tablespoons. One tablespoon is 10 g of peanuts and 7.5 g of lemon juice. There is no oil, coconut or dal in it, so it is a leaner chutney than the tempered groundnut chutney of Andhra and Telangana tiffin stalls. With idli, dosa or pesarattu, people take more than one spoonful. Two tablespoons are 108 kcal and three are 162 kcal, and a home helping usually falls somewhere in that range.
Fat supplies 66% of the energy, protein 18% and carbohydrate 15%. All of it is the peanuts: lemon juice and chillies add sharpness, not energy. Peanuts are an oilseed, so the fat share is high, but they are also a legume with a fair amount of protein, and that shows. A tablespoon has 2.5 g of protein, against 0.9 g in coconut chutney and 0.7 g in green chutney from the same set. Its fat is also mostly unsaturated, unlike the fat of coconut chutney.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 2 tablespoons. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 tablespoon of peanut chutney |
|---|---|---|
| Peanuts (groundnut) | 20 g | 10 g |
| Lemon juice | 15 g | 7.5 g |
What changes the number
- 01
Roasted dry or fried in oil
The recipe uses peanuts with no added fat. Frying them in oil before grinding, or finishing the chutney with a tadka, adds about 44 kcal for each teaspoon of oil used. One teaspoon over a single tablespoon would make it 98 kcal.
- 02
Thick paste or thin chutney
Ground with little liquid, this is close to a paste, and each tablespoon holds 10 g of peanuts. Thinned with water or curd to a pouring consistency, the same peanuts make more spoonfuls and each one carries less.
- 03
Coconut, sesame or chana dal added
Regional recipes mix peanuts with coconut, sesame seeds or roasted chana dal. Coconut and sesame keep the fat high; chana dal lowers it a little and keeps the protein. The figure covers only the peanut-and-lemon version.
- 04
The number of spoonfuls
As with any chutney, the serving is whatever lands on the plate. Half a tablespoon is 27 kcal and three tablespoons are 162 kcal, so the same chutney can be a trace or a real part of breakfast.
How peanut chutney 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Chutney | 1 tablespoon of green chutney | 27 | 0.7 |
| Peanut Chutney | 1 tablespoon of peanut chutney | 54 | 2.5 |
| Coconut Chutney | 1 tablespoon of coconut chutney | 67 | 0.9 |
| Sprouts Salad | 1 bowl of sprouts salad | 77 | 4.7 |
| Mint Raita | 1 bowl of mint raita | 81 | 5.9 |
| Sprouts Chaat | 1 plate of sprouts chaat | 83 | 3.5 |
| Lauki Raita | 1 bowl of lauki raita | 86 | 6.1 |
| Cucumber Raita | 1 bowl of cucumber raita | 90 | 6.2 |
| Onion Tomato Raita | 1 bowl of onion tomato raita | 105 | 6.6 |
In a meal and in a day
One tablespoon is about 3% of a sedentary adult's daily energy requirement, for men and women alike. Its use in a meal is to add flavour, some fat and a little protein to idli, dosa or upma, which are mostly starch. Three tablespoons give 7.5 g of protein along with 162 kcal, which is a meaningful addition to a vegetarian breakfast. It still does not replace sambar or a bowl of curd, which bring protein with far less fat.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Dry-roast the peanuts and skip the oil tempering.
- Thin the chutney with water or a spoon of curd so each spoonful has fewer peanuts.
- Grind in roasted chana dal to keep the protein while easing the fat.
- Serve two tablespoons a person and put the rest away.
Before you rely on the number
Peanuts are a common cause of food allergy, and a ground chutney hides them completely, so tell guests what is in it. A reaction to peanuts can be serious and needs medical attention; anyone with a known allergy should follow their doctor's advice and avoid it. As for salt and oil, versions sold outside are often saltier and oilier than this recipe.
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.
Peanut Chutney: common questions
How many calories are in one idli with peanut chutney?
The chutney part is about 54 kcal for one tablespoon and 108 kcal for two. The idli has to be counted separately, because this figure covers only the chutney, and the total depends on the size of the idli and how much chutney goes with it.
How much protein is in peanut chutney?
About 2.5 g in a tablespoon, 18% of its energy. Two tablespoons give 5 g and three give 7.5 g. That is more than coconut or green chutney provide, though the fat that comes with it is higher than in dal or curd.
Is peanut chutney good for weight loss?
In small amounts, yes: it adds protein and flavour to a starchy breakfast for 54 kcal a spoon. Fat supplies 66% of that energy, so several spoonfuls add up quickly. Measure it, skip the oil tempering, and judge progress by the whole day's intake instead of by any one item.
Peanut chutney or coconut chutney: which has fewer calories?
Peanut chutney is a little lower, 54 kcal a tablespoon against 67 kcal, and it has more protein. Both are fat-rich condiments, so the amount eaten matters more than which one is chosen.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Peanut Chutney
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Peanuts (groundnut): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Is Peanut Butter Healthy? Protein, Weight Loss and Reading the Jar
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.