Fish and seafood · IFCT 2017
Chembali: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, chembali gives 97 kcal, 20.1 g protein and 1.8 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. For a lean snapper it carries generous omega-3, 209 mg of DHA and 100 mg of EPA. Its cholesterol, just 11 mg per 100 g, is among the lowest of the 41 fish and seafood in the tables.
About chembali
Chembali, or chempalli, is the Malayalam market word for snappers, the firm, reddish, sweet-fleshed reef fish loved along the Kerala and Karnataka coast. IFCT 2017 uses the name for the five-lined snapper, Lutjanus quinquelineatus, a small yellow fish with blue stripes, and records its common name simply as snapper. In practice, a Kochi or Mangaluru fish stall may sell several related snappers under the same word, and IFCT lists the larger red snapper separately.
In Kerala kitchens chembali is a curry fish: cooked in a red, sour gravy with kudampuli in an earthen chatti, or in a mild coconut milk moilee. Restaurants serve it as a masala fry or as pollichathu, wrapped in banana leaf with a thick onion and chilli masala and roasted on a griddle until the leaf chars.
What chembali brings to a meal
- 01
Omega-3 in a lean fish
Chembali carries 209 mg of DHA and 100 mg of EPA per 100 g, while its total fat is only 1.8 g. Those long-chain omega-3 fats support the brain, eyes and heart.
- 02
Lean, complete protein
It supplies 20.1 g of protein per 100 g, ranking 40th of 257 foods and meeting 37 per cent of a sedentary man's daily requirement and 44 per cent of a woman's.
- 03
Very low cholesterol
At 11 mg per 100 g, chembali ranks 39th of 41 fish and seafood for cholesterol, one of the lowest values in the group.
- 04
Vitamin E and potassium
It gives 1.2 mg of vitamin E per 100 g, 15th of 41 in its group, and 323 mg of potassium, along with 1.8 mg of niacin.
Chembali nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 97 kcal | 5% | 6% |
| Protein | 20.1 g | 37% | 44% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.8 g | ||
| Water | 77.5 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.7 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.37 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.44 g | ||
| Omega-3 (EPA) | 100 mg | ||
| Omega-3 (DHA) | 209 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 11 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 24 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.31 mg | 2% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.32 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 31 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Phosphorus | 211 mg | ||
| Potassium | 323 mg | ||
| Sodium | 39 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.03 mg | ||
| Selenium | 15.7 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 2 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.06 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.8 mg | 10% | 13% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.15 mg | 6% | 8% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.2 mg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Chembali: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fish-and-seafood/chembali/
Where chembali sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 40 fish and seafood and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In fish and seafood | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20.1 g | 17th of 41 | 40th of 243 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.2 mg | 15th of 41 | 40th of 242 |
| Energy | 97 kcal | 17th of 41 | 115th of 257 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.06 mg | 15th of 39 | 119th of 241 |
| Potassium | 323 mg | 16th of 41 | 126th of 243 |
How chembali is eaten
- Chembali curry: Kerala red fish curry with kudampuli, chilli, fenugreek and coconut oil, best a day after cooking.
- Chembali pollichathu: fish smeared with shallot and chilli masala, wrapped in banana leaf and roasted on a tawa.
- Fish moilee: chembali simmered in coconut milk with green chilli, ginger and curry leaves, mild enough for children.
- Masala fry with a crisp rice-flour coating, finished with fried curry leaves.
Before you plan around it
Chembali's iron and zinc are low, 0.31 mg and 0.32 mg per 100 g, so pair it with greens, dal or a red rice meal. Snappers have sharp spines and fine bones near the fins, so take care with small children. As with any reef fish, buy from a seller who knows the source, and keep the fish iced until cooking.
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.
What people ask about chembali
What fish is chembali in English?
Chembali, or chempalli, is the Malayalam name for snappers. IFCT 2017 uses it for the five-lined snapper, Lutjanus quinquelineatus. Markets may use the same word for several related snappers, including red snapper.
Is chembali fish good for health?
Yes. Per 100 g it gives 20.1 g protein, only 1.8 g fat and 11 mg cholesterol, with 209 mg DHA and 100 mg EPA. Cooked as a curry or pollichathu, it is a lean, flavourful choice.
Is chembali the same as red snapper?
Not quite. Both are snappers, but IFCT 2017 lists chembali as the five-lined snapper and red snapper as Lutjanus argentimaculatus. IFCT even records chembali as the Kannada name for red snapper, which shows how loosely the word is used.
Related foods and tables
Red snapper
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Black snapper
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Kalava
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Karimeen (pearl spot)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Seer fish (vanjaram)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Vitamin E content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin e per 100 g.
Calories (energy) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calories (energy) per 100 g.
All fish and seafood
41 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.