One piece of roti canai (95 g) has about 301 calories, and one roti telur (135 g) has about 356 calories, according to the Malaysian Food Composition Database (MyFCD) published by the Ministry of Health's Institute for Medical Research. Add half a cup of dhal and you are at about 359 calories for a single roti canai. Below you will find a full table (kalori roti canai, roti telur, dhal and curry), what those numbers mean for your day, and simple ways to order a lighter plate at the mamak without giving up your favourite breakfast.
How many calories are in roti canai?
All values below are calculated from the Malaysian Food Composition Database (1997), using its standard portion sizes.
Two things stand out. First, a plain roti canai is about 15% of a 2,000 kcal reference day, while giving you only about 6.6 g of protein. Second, roti telur has more calories than roti canai, but almost double the protein, which helps you stay full for longer.
Calories for common mamak orders
- 1 roti canai + dhal: about 359 kcal and 1,045 mg sodium.
- 2 roti canai + dhal: about 660 kcal, a third of a 2,000 kcal day, and 1,554 mg sodium.
- 1 roti telur + dhal: about 414 kcal and 1,065 mg sodium.
- 1 roti canai + dhal + 1 piece of chicken curry: about 554 kcal.
- 1 roti canai + dhal + 1 piece of fish curry: about 426 kcal.
Your drink matters too. A sweet teh tarik can add a lot of sugar to the meal, while teh O kosong adds almost nothing. See our guide to Malaysian drinks for weight loss for a drink-by-drink comparison.
Sodium adds up quickly. The World Health Organization recommends that adults have less than 2,000 mg of sodium a day, so two pieces with dhal already use up more than three quarters of that.
What about planta, sardin, bawang and tisu?
The Malaysian Food Composition Database only lists roti canai and roti telur, so there are no official figures for other versions. Use these as a rough guide:
- Roti kosong is simply plain roti canai: about 301 kcal per piece.
- Roti planta is cooked with extra margarine, so expect noticeably more fat and calories than plain roti canai.
- Roti sardin adds sardines (and often onion and chilli). It adds protein, but also some calories and salt.
- Roti bawang adds onion, which barely changes the calories, though some stalls also add more oil.
- Roti tisu is very thin but large, and is often served with sugar or condensed milk, which can push it well above plain roti canai.
Portion size and how much oil the cook uses make a big difference for all of these, so two "roti canai" from different stalls can be quite far apart.
Is roti canai healthy?
Roti canai is a comfort food, not a health food. Most of its calories come from refined wheat flour and fat, and it has almost no fibre. A single piece also carries around 509 mg of sodium before you add any gravy.
That does not mean you have to give it up. The issue is usually the full plate: two or three pieces, rich curry gravy and a sweet drink can easily come close to 1,000 kcal. One piece, a sensible side and an unsweetened drink is a very different meal.
How to enjoy roti canai with fewer calories
- Order one piece, not two. This alone saves about 300 kcal.
- Choose dhal over oily curry gravy. Half a cup of dhal is about 58 kcal. If you want curry, take the meat or fish and go easy on the oily gravy.
- Add protein. Roti telur, a boiled egg or a piece of fish curry adds protein that keeps you full longer than an extra roti.
- Skip the sweet drink. Swap teh tarik for teh O kosong or plain water.
- Make it a weekend treat rather than a daily breakfast, and keep weekday breakfasts simpler.
- Balance the rest of your day. If breakfast is roti canai, keep lunch lighter with vegetables and lean protein.
On busy mornings, a planned breakfast also helps. Drann's Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake has 116 kcal and 12 g of protein per sachet, and takes about 30 seconds to prepare. For more filling local options, see our list of protein foods for weight loss in Malaysia. Comparing breakfasts? See our breakdown of nasi lemak calories and chicken rice calories. Other mamak breads? See tosai and chapati calories.
A note on these numbers
The figures come from the Malaysian Food Composition Database (1997), which lists nutrients per 100 g and gives standard portion sizes. We multiplied the per-100 g values by those portions. Real servings vary with the size of the dough ball, the amount of oil or ghee, and how generous the stall is with gravy, so treat these as good estimates rather than exact counts. Online calorie apps often quote about 300 kcal for a piece of roti canai, which matches this official data.
Looking for other dishes? See our full Malaysian food calories list covering 40+ hawker dishes, kuih and drinks.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How many calories are in 1 roti canai?
About 301 kcal for one piece (95 g), based on the Malaysian Food Composition Database (317 kcal per 100 g). Size and oil vary between stalls, so treat it as an estimate.
How many calories are in roti telur?
About 356 kcal for one piece (135 g), based on the Malaysian Food Composition Database (264 kcal per 100 g). It also has about 12 g of protein, nearly double a plain roti canai.
How many calories are in 2 roti canai with dhal?
About 660 kcal: roughly 301 kcal per piece plus about 58 kcal for half a cup of dhal gravy. That is about a third of a 2,000 kcal reference day.
Is roti canai healthy?
Roti canai is mostly refined flour and fat, with little fibre or protein, and a fair amount of sodium. It is fine as an occasional meal, but having one piece with dhal and an unsweetened drink is a lighter way to enjoy it.
Can I eat roti canai while trying to lose weight?
Yes, if it fits your total calories for the day. Stick to one piece, choose dhal over oily curry, skip sweet drinks like teh tarik, and add some protein to stay full longer.
Is roti kosong the same as roti canai?
Yes. Roti kosong means plain roti canai with no filling, so it has about the same calories: around 301 kcal per 95 g piece.
References
- Roti canai — Malaysian Food Composition Database (1997), Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia
- Roti telur — Malaysian Food Composition Database (1997)
- Yellow dhal gravy (served with roti canai) — Malaysian Food Composition Database (1997)
- Chicken curry (kari ayam) — Malaysian Food Composition Database (1997)
- Indian mackerel curry (ikan kembong kari) — Malaysian Food Composition Database (1997)
- Sodium reduction — World Health Organization
