Country chicken (desi): nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   Good zinc for a bird

   Country chicken leg gives 2.71 mg of zinc per 100 g, ranking 41st of 243 foods and 6th of 14 in its group. That covers 16 per cent of a sedentary man's daily zinc requirement and 21 per cent of a woman's. Zinc supports growth, wound repair and the sense of taste.

2. 02

   Rich in potassium

   At 357 mg of potassium per 100 g, the leg ranks 2nd of 14 in the meat, poultry and egg group, behind only rabbit. Potassium works against sodium in keeping blood pressure in range.

3. 03

   Solid protein, with skin

   The leg supplies 17.0 g of protein per 100 g, about 31 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 37 per cent of a woman's. Because IFCT measured it with skin, fat is 11.7 g; taking the skin off before cooking trims that.

4. 04

   Some B vitamins

   Country chicken leg meets 15 per cent of a man's vitamin B6 requirement, 14 per cent of his niacin and 9 per cent of his thiamine per 100 g, a steady contribution rather than a standout.

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.

• Natu kodi pulusu: Andhra-style country chicken in a tangy tamarind and red chilli gravy, cooked slowly until the meat gives.
• Naatu kozhi rasam: a thin, peppery Tamil soup of country chicken bones and meat with garlic, cumin and black pepper.
• Pressure-cook the pieces for a few whistles before adding them to a masala; the older bird stays tough otherwise.
• Kerala naadan kozhi curry: roasted coconut, coriander and pepper with country chicken, eaten with rice or appam.

Country chicken is not a leaner bird than broiler on these figures. The IFCT cuts were measured with skin, and fat sits between 10.2 g and 12.8 g per 100 g across them, so removing the skin is the simplest way to cut fat. The price premium buys flavour and texture more than extra protein. Birds sold as desi are sometimes crossbreeds, and backyard birds are slaughtered and handled in less controlled conditions, so buy from a trusted seller, keep the meat cold and cook it thoroughly.

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.

• Chicken (broiler)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Egg

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Duck

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Guinea fowl

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Goat meat (mutton)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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