Fish and seafood · IFCT 2017
Silan: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, silan gives 151 kcal, 22.7 g protein and 6.7 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. Its protein ranks 4th of 41 fish and seafood and 13th of 257 foods, and it is the 5th richest fish in the group for both energy and fat. Its omega-3 is low, though, at 47 mg of DHA.
About silan
Silan, Silonia silondia, is a large, silvery, long-bodied catfish of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi river systems, sometimes growing longer than a man's arm. Bengalis call it silond or shilon, and in Assam it is dhain or silan, as IFCT 2017 records, with schilbid catfish as its English group name. It is a fierce predator that follows smaller fish upriver, and it is caught by river fishermen rather than farmed.
Big river fish like silan are sold in thick steaks, and the meat is rich, firm and mostly free of fine bones. In Bengal it goes into a kalia, the festive gravy of onion, ginger, curd and garam masala used for large fish, or a mustard jhal; Assamese homes cook it in a light tenga, sour with tomato or elephant apple, or with greens.
What silan brings to a meal
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Fourth-highest protein among fish
Silan supplies 22.7 g of protein per 100 g, ranking 4th of 41 fish and seafood and 13th of all 257 foods. For a sedentary adult, 100 g covers 42 per cent of a man's daily protein need and 50 per cent of a woman's.
- 02
A richer river fish
At 151 kcal and 6.7 g fat per 100 g, silan ranks 5th of 41 in its group for both energy and fat. IFCT lists 3.62 g of that fat as saturated.
- 03
Low in omega-3
Despite its fat, silan has only 47 mg of DHA and 22 mg of EPA per 100 g, far below sea fish such as hilsa, sardine or pomfret.
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Low sodium
Silan has just 29 mg of sodium per 100 g and 223 mg of potassium, a favourable balance for people watching blood pressure.
Silan 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 | 151 kcal | 7% | 9% |
| Protein | 22.7 g | 42% | 50% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 6.7 g | ||
| Water | 70.1 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 3.62 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 3.2 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.14 g | ||
| Omega-3 (EPA) | 22 mg | ||
| Omega-3 (DHA) | 47 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 59 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 29 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 0.56 mg | 3% | 2% |
| Zinc | 0.58 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Magnesium | 23 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 163 mg | ||
| Potassium | 223 mg | ||
| Sodium | 29 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.08 mg | ||
| Selenium | 20.2 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 3 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.27 mg | 7% | 9% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.48 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. Silan: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fish-and-seafood/silan/
Where silan 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 | 22.7 g | 4th of 41 | 13th of 243 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.48 mg | 31st of 41 | 88th of 242 |
| Energy | 151 kcal | 5th of 41 | 89th of 257 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 13th of 39 | 115th of 241 |
| Zinc | 0.58 mg | 25th of 41 | 124th of 243 |
How silan is eaten
- Silan kalia: steaks fried lightly in mustard oil, then simmered in an onion, ginger, curd and garam masala gravy.
- Silan shorshe jhal: in a sharp mustard paste with green chillies and turmeric.
- Assamese silan tenga: a light sour curry with tomato or elephant apple.
- Fried silan steaks with turmeric and salt, eaten with dal and rice.
Before you plan around it
Silan is caught from rivers, so its quality depends on the water it came from; buy from fishmongers who know the source and keep it on ice. Kalia and fried versions add a good deal of mustard oil to an already richer fish, so a jhal or tenga is the lighter everyday choice. Iron is low at 0.56 mg per 100 g. People eating fish mainly for omega-3 should rotate silan with sea fish.
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 silan
What is silan fish?
Silan is the silond catfish, Silonia silondia, a large predatory catfish of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi. It is silond or shilon in Bengali and dhain or silan in Assamese.
Is silan fish high in protein?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 22.7 g of protein per 100 g of silan, the 4th highest among fish and seafood and 13th of 257 foods.
Does silan have omega-3?
Only a little: 47 mg of DHA and 22 mg of EPA per 100 g. Its 6.7 g of fat is mostly other fats, so it is not an omega-3 fish.
Related foods and tables
Catfish
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Pangas
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Rohu
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Catla
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Hilsa (ilish)
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.