Best and Worst Singapore Hawker Indian Breads: Prata, Mutton Murtabak and More
Get the nutritional content of popular Singapore hawker Indian bread from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at KK Women's and Children's Hospital.
Want to make healthier and better informed choices when you eat out?
Are you watching your calories? Are you especially concerned about your saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium intake?
To help you along, Health Xchange, in collaboration with the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at
KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), a member of the
SingHealth group, has developed an easy colour-code guide for quick reference. Colours are based on the following legend.
|
Colour Legend |
Amount Per Serving |
| Healthy |
| Moderate |
| High |
Roti Prata - Plain/Kosong (70g) - Thick, flat, round dough of wheat flour, sugar, salt, water, fried with ghee
| Kcal | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) |
| 209 | 5 |
7 |
2.9 |
| Dietary fibre (g) | Carbs (g) | Cholesterol (mg) | Sodium (mg) |
| 1.7 | 32 |
1 |
386 |
Comment: Whilst a plain prata may seem to be a healthy meal option as it low in energy, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, these values will be affected by the choice of curry accompanying the prata. Best curry options are dahl or fish curry without coconut milk.
Chapati (60g) - Pancake made of whole wheat flour or atta flour, ghee and water, pan-fried
| Kcal | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) |
| 187 | 4 |
7 |
3.1 |
| Dietary fibre (g) | Carbs (g) | Cholesterol (mg) | Sodium (mg) |
| 4.1 | 28 |
0 |
155 |
Comment : Chappati is often eaten as an alternative to rice in a meal. A suitable meal combination would be chappati with chicken tandoori and lightly-seasoned stir-fried vegetables.
Roti John (252.5g) - Bread wrapped with meat in beaten egg, topped with onions, fried in ghee
| Kcal | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) |
| 721 | 25 |
35 |
18.1 |
| Dietary fibre (g) | Carbs (g) | Cholesterol (mg) | Sodium (mg) |
| 11.3 | 77 |
242 |
2011 |
Comment : Although this meal is high in protein and fibre, it is much too high in energy, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium to be eaten regularly, so limit to 1 - 2 times a month, and have it as a shared meal with other healthier options.
Naan Bread (131g) - Indian leavened bread, made of flour, yoghurt, eggs, ghee/butter, pan-fried
| Kcal | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) |
| 357 | 11 |
9 |
4.2 |
| Dietary fibre (g) | Carbs (g) | Cholesterol (mg) | Sodium (mg) |
| 3.3 | 57 |
21 |
430 |
Comment : Like chappati, Naan is often eaten as an alternative to rice in a meal. As Naan already contains a significant amount of energy, saturated fat and sodium, have it with dahl curry and steamed or lightly-seasoned stir-fried vegetables to balance out the sodium and saturated fat contents of the entire meal.
Mutton Murtabak (211g) - Indian pancake with mutton, fried in ghee and served with curry gravy
| Kcal | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) |
| 373 | 15 |
17 |
7 |
| Dietary fibre (g) | Carbs (g) | Cholesterol (mg) | Sodium (mg) |
| 9.3 | 39 |
131 |
1365 |
Comment : This dish can be consumed occasionally if you do not have high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol as even though it is low in energy, it is high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
Read on to learn about the
nutritional content of the meat dishes in Indian food in Singapore.
Ref: S13
Other articles to help you make better food choices when eating out:
Chinese Hawker Food: Ranking the Healthiest to Most Unhealthy Dishes
Malay Hawker Food: Ranking the Healthiest to Most Unhealthy Dishes
Eating at the Food Court: Tips to Make Healthier Choices
