💡 Quick Answer
One steamed veg momo (about 25 g) has roughly 45 kcal and 1.2 g protein; a steamed chicken momo about 58 kcal and 3.3 g protein; a paneer momo about 71 kcal and 3 g protein. A plate of 6 steamed veg momos is about 270 kcal, and 6 steamed chicken momos about 350 kcal with 20 g protein. Deep-frying adds about 27 kcal per momo, and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise adds about 95 kcal.
- Steamed chicken momos are one of the better street-food choices for protein.
- Fried momos are about 40–60% higher in calories than steamed.
- The mayo dip can add as many calories as two extra momos.
- Red momo chutney is light: about 20 kcal per tablespoon.
Portion calculator
6 × steamed veg momo ≈ 7.2 g protein · 270 kcal
Scaled from the figures on this page. Brands and recipes vary.
Counting calories? Snap a photo of your plate of momos and the UltraFit360 app logs the momos and the dips against your daily target. Get UltraFit360 on the App Store or Google Play.
Momos have gone from a Himalayan and North-East speciality to the most common evening snack in Indian cities. A plate of steamed momos is actually one of the lighter street-food orders. The trouble starts with the variations: fried, "kurkure", tandoori, pan-fried in butter and the bowl of mayonnaise that now comes with almost every plate. Here is what each version costs, piece by piece and plate by plate.
How These Numbers Were Calculated
Momos have no official nutrition value, so every figure here is calculated from a stated recipe. Base values per 100 g come from USDA FoodData Central: all-purpose flour (maida) 364 kcal and 10.3 g protein, raw ground chicken 143 kcal and 17.4 g protein, cabbage 25 kcal, carrot 41 kcal, onion 40 kcal, vegetable oil 884 kcal and mayonnaise 680 kcal. Paneer is taken as 18.9 g protein per 100 g (IFCT 2017) and about 305 kcal, typical of full-fat packaged paneer.
Each reference momo uses a wrapper made from 10 g of maida and about 15 g of filling:
- Veg: 8 g cabbage, 3 g carrot, 3 g onion, with 0.5 g of oil in the filling.
- Chicken: 13 g raw chicken mince, 2 g onion, 0.3 g oil.
- Paneer: 10 g paneer, 5 g mixed vegetables, 0.3 g oil.
That gives a steamed momo of about 25–28 g. Ginger, garlic, soy sauce and spices add very few calories and are ignored.
Calories in One Momo: Veg, Chicken and Paneer
| Momo (1 piece) | Steamed | Pan-fried | Tandoori | Deep-fried | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veg momo | ~45 kcal | ~54 kcal | ~56 kcal | ~72 kcal | ~1.2 g |
| Chicken momo | ~58 kcal | ~67 kcal | ~69 kcal | ~85 kcal | ~3.3 g |
| Paneer momo | ~71 kcal | ~80 kcal | ~82 kcal | ~98 kcal | ~3.0 g |
Basis: USDA FoodData Central ingredient values and the recipe above; paneer protein from IFCT 2017. Pan-fried momos are assumed to take 1 g of oil each, tandoori momos about 4 g of curd and 1 g of oil in the marinade, and deep-fried momos about 3 g of absorbed oil each (roughly 10% of the finished weight). Absorption is an assumption, not a measurement.
Per steamed piece, the macros look like this: a veg momo is about 9 g carbs and under 1 g fat; a chicken momo about 8 g carbs and 1.5 g fat; a paneer momo about 8 g carbs and 3 g fat. The wrapper supplies most of the calories in a veg momo, which is why veg momos have so little protein.
Calories in a Plate of 6 or 8 Momos
| Plate | 6 momos | 8 momos | Protein (6 / 8) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veg, steamed | ~270 kcal | ~360 kcal | ~7 g / ~10 g |
| Chicken, steamed | ~350 kcal | ~465 kcal | ~20 g / ~26 g |
| Paneer, steamed | ~425 kcal | ~570 kcal | ~18 g / ~24 g |
| Veg, pan-fried | ~325 kcal | ~430 kcal | ~7 g / ~10 g |
| Chicken, pan-fried | ~400 kcal | ~535 kcal | ~20 g / ~26 g |
| Veg, deep-fried | ~430 kcal | ~575 kcal | ~7 g / ~10 g |
| Chicken, deep-fried | ~510 kcal | ~680 kcal | ~20 g / ~26 g |
| Paneer, deep-fried | ~590 kcal | ~785 kcal | ~18 g / ~24 g |
Plates are the per-piece values above multiplied out, before dips. Street momos are often a little bigger than the reference momo; see below.
Dips: Mayo, Red Chutney and Soup
| Side | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Mayonnaise | 1 tbsp (14 g) | ~95 kcal |
| Red momo chutney (tomato, garlic, chilli) | 1 tbsp | ~20 kcal |
| Clear momo soup | 1 small bowl | ~20–30 kcal |
Mayonnaise from USDA (regular mayonnaise, 680 kcal per 100 g). Chutney and soup are recipe estimates; chutney made with more oil is higher.
The mayo dip is the easy one to miss. One tablespoon is about 95 kcal, roughly the same as two steamed veg momos, and many stalls serve two or three tablespoons. Switching to red chutney saves 75 kcal per tablespoon without changing the plate much.
Street, Kurkure and Restaurant Momos
Street momos are commonly 30–40 g each with a thicker wrapper, so treat a steamed veg momo from a stall as about 50–60 kcal. A typical street plate of 6 steamed veg momos with a tablespoon of mayo and red chutney is therefore about 400–500 kcal, as an estimate. Kurkure momos are coated in a cornflake or breadcrumb crust and deep-fried; budget roughly 100–120 kcal per piece. Restaurant tandoori momos are marinated in a creamy or mayo-based masala and often finished with butter, so a plate of 6 is usually 450–650 kcal rather than the 340–490 kcal of a home version. Momos made with an atta (whole-wheat) wrapper have about the same calories as maida ones, but a little more fibre.
How It Fits Your Goal
Fat loss: steamed momos are a good pick when you are eating out. Six steamed chicken momos with red chutney come to about 370 kcal and 20 g protein. Skip the mayo, avoid fried and kurkure versions, and do not finish the plate with a second order of fried momos. A bowl of clear soup on the side helps you feel full for very few calories.
Muscle gain: chicken momos are the clear winner, with about 3.3 g protein per piece. Eight steamed chicken momos give about 26 g protein for 465 kcal. Paneer momos have similar protein but more fat. Veg momos are mostly wrapper and only work as extra carbs. Compare momos with samosa, vada pav and Maggi in the Indian food calories and protein chart, and set your daily target with the calorie calculator. For more street-food swaps, see high-protein street food remixes.
Which Plate of Momos to Order
| Order | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| 6 steamed veg momos + red chutney | ~290 kcal | ~7 g |
| 6 steamed chicken momos + red chutney | ~370 kcal | ~20 g |
| 8 steamed chicken momos + red chutney | ~485 kcal | ~26 g |
| 6 fried veg momos + 1 tbsp mayo | ~525 kcal | ~7 g |
The first and last rows look like the same snack, but the fried plate with mayo is almost double the calories for the same protein.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in 1 momo?
A steamed veg momo of about 25 g has roughly 45 kcal, a steamed chicken momo about 58 kcal and a steamed paneer momo about 71 kcal. Bigger street momos are a little higher.
How many calories are in a plate of 6 momos?
About 270 kcal for 6 steamed veg momos, 350 kcal for 6 steamed chicken momos and 425 kcal for 6 steamed paneer momos, before dips. Deep-fried, a plate of 6 veg momos is about 430 kcal.
Are steamed momos good for weight loss?
Steamed momos, especially chicken, are one of the lighter street-food choices. Six steamed chicken momos with red chutney are about 370 kcal with 20 g protein. Skip the mayonnaise and fried versions.
How many calories do fried momos have?
A deep-fried veg momo is about 72 kcal and a deep-fried chicken momo about 85 kcal, about 27 kcal more than steamed because of the absorbed oil. Kurkure momos are roughly 100 to 120 kcal each.
How much protein is in chicken momos?
About 3.3 g per steamed chicken momo, so a plate of 6 has about 20 g protein and a plate of 8 about 26 g.
How many calories are in momo mayonnaise?
About 95 kcal per tablespoon of regular mayonnaise. Red momo chutney is about 20 kcal per tablespoon.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central for all-purpose flour, ground chicken, cabbage, carrot, onion, vegetable oil and mayonnaise; IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) for paneer protein. All momo values are calculated from the stated recipe with assumed oil absorption; chutney, soup, kurkure, street and restaurant values are estimates only.
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