Fish and seafood · IFCT 2017
Kalava: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, kalava gives 89 kcal, 19.4 g protein and 1.2 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. This firm grouper carries 129 mg of DHA and 40 mg of EPA, and it ranks 5th of 37 fish and seafood for thiamine. Its iron, 0.26 mg, is the lowest of the 41 fish in the tables.
About kalava
Kalava is the Malayalam and Tamil name for groupers, the thick-bodied, big-mouthed reef fish that IFCT 2017 identifies as the orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Gulf returnees know it as hammour. It is caught around rocky reefs off Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and is now raised in cage farms in Kerala's backwaters and along the Tamil Nadu coast.
Its dense, white, almost boneless flesh makes kalava a premium fish in Kerala, served whole as kalava pollichathu at toddy shops and restaurants, fried as thick masala steaks, or cooked in a raw mango and coconut curry. Because the flesh stays firm, it suits grilling and tandoori-style cooking better than most local fish.
What kalava brings to a meal
- 01
Lean, firm protein
Kalava supplies 19.4 g of protein per 100 g with only 89 kcal and 1.2 g fat. Eaten as a 100 g portion, it provides about 36 per cent of a sedentary man's protein for the day and 42 per cent of a woman's.
- 02
Omega-3 fats
It carries 129 mg of DHA and 40 mg of EPA per 100 g, a fair amount for so lean a fish, though well behind oily fish such as sardine or mackerel.
- 03
Thiamine and zinc
With 0.06 mg of thiamine, kalava ranks 5th of 37 fish and seafood, and its 0.82 mg of zinc ranks 14th of 41. Copper is notable for a white fish at 0.72 mg per 100 g.
- 04
Lowest iron among fish
At 0.26 mg per 100 g, kalava ranks 41st of 41 in its group for iron, so a kalava meal needs greens, dal or another iron source alongside.
Kalava 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 | 89 kcal | 4% | 5% |
| Protein | 19.4 g | 36% | 42% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.2 g | ||
| Water | 80 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.46 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.25 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.28 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 4 mg | ||
| Omega-3 (EPA) | 40 mg | ||
| Omega-3 (DHA) | 129 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 21 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 11 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Iron | 0.26 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.82 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Magnesium | 23 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 177 mg | ||
| Potassium | 279 mg | ||
| Sodium | 40 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.72 mg | ||
| Selenium | 12.3 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 1 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.06 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.05 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.24 mg | 12% | 16% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.14 mg | 6% | 7% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.33 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. Kalava: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fish-and-seafood/kalava/
Where kalava 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 | 19.4 g | 22nd of 41 | 51st of 243 |
| Zinc | 0.82 mg | 14th of 41 | 101st of 243 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.06 mg | 6th of 37 | 105th of 239 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.33 mg | 38th of 41 | 114th of 242 |
| Energy | 89 kcal | 28th of 41 | 128th of 257 |
How kalava is eaten
- Kalava pollichathu: whole fish or thick steaks in a shallot, tomato and chilli masala, wrapped in banana leaf and roasted on a tawa.
- Kalava fry: steaks rubbed with Kashmiri chilli, pepper and ginger-garlic paste and pan-fried in coconut oil.
- Pacha manga kalava curry: grouper simmered with raw mango, coconut paste and green chillies.
- Tandoori kalava: curd and spice marinade, grilled; the firm flesh does not flake apart.
Before you plan around it
Very large wild groupers are long-lived reef predators, so they can occasionally carry ciguatera toxin or more mercury; smaller, farmed fish and varied fish choices are sensible, especially in pregnancy. Restaurant pollichathu and fries use plenty of coconut oil, which adds most of the fat in the dish. Kalava is pricey, and other groupers or lesser fish are sometimes sold under the name, so buy from a trusted fishmonger.
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 kalava
What is kalava fish in English?
Kalava is grouper. IFCT 2017 lists it as the orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides, known in the Gulf as hammour. Kerala and Tamil Nadu markets use kalava for several grouper species.
Is kalava fish healthy?
Yes. Per 100 g it gives 19.4 g protein, 1.2 g fat and 129 mg DHA for 89 kcal. It is lean and firm; the cooking oil in pollichathu or fry adds more fat than the fish itself.
Does kalava have many bones?
No. Grouper has thick flakes and few small bones, which is one reason it is popular for children and for steaks and fillets.
Related foods and tables
Chembali
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Red snapper
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.
Black snapper
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by thiamine (vitamin b1) 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.