One Apollo-style fried fish portion (~150 g) lands around 300–380 calories with 20–25 g protein, shaped by batter, oil, and sauce.
Calories
Calories
Calories
Light Coat
- Tilapia or swai chunks
- Quick fry, rack drain
- Sauce brushed, not soaked
Leanest
Classic Toss
- Medium batter
- Pan toss with aromatics
- 150–170 g plate
Balanced
Heavier Batter
- Thick crust sticks oil
- Extra glaze
- Bigger portion
Richer
What Is Apollo-Style Fish?
This Hyderabad favorite is bite-size boneless fish tossed in spices, shallow-fried, then flash-sautéed with curry leaves, garlic, and a tangy-chili sauce. Restaurants rotate the fish: tilapia in many chains, swai/basa in value menus, and catfish or reef fish in some regional kitchens. The cooking method stays fairly steady: a light starch coat, hot oil, then a saucy finish.
With that method in mind, nutrition swings with three levers: the base fish, the batter thickness, and the amount of oil held after frying. You’ll see how each lever shifts calories, protein, fat, and sodium in the sections below.
Apollo Fish Nutrition Guide: What Changes The Numbers
Protein mostly comes from the fish itself. Calories climb when more batter and oil cling to the surface. Sauces add sodium and a touch of carbs. To ground the numbers, the table below shows per-100-gram values drawn from lab databases for common choices used for this dish. These aren’t the only fish used, but they map well to typical menus.
Item (per 100 g) | Calories | Protein (g) |
---|---|---|
Tilapia, raw | 111 | 23.4 |
Swai/Basa, raw | 60–90 | 12–19 |
Catfish, breaded & fried | 229 | 18.1 |
Crispy battered fish, generic | 230 | 10 |
Those rows show the baseline spread. Lean white fish like tilapia or swai are low-calorie before cooking, then the crust and oil raise energy density. Fried catfish and generic battered fish entries illustrate what a coating does when you scale to restaurant prep. You can cross-check values for battered fish fillets and tilapia nutrition in widely used lab summaries.
Portion Reality Check
A plate of this starter often weighs 140–180 g once cooked and sauced. If your plate looks heaped, assume closer to 200 g. A 150 g serve of lightly battered tilapia pieces that were fried, drained well, and tossed in a thick pan sauce tends to land near 330 calories with about 24 g protein. A heavier batter or poor draining can push that closer to 380–420.
Why Oil Choice Matters
Neutral oils with high smoke points work well here. The oil itself doesn’t change calories per gram, yet retention does change the total. A quick rest on a rack beats paper towels at letting steam drive oil off the crust. That small tweak trims a surprising amount of fat from bite-size pieces.
Macro Profile You Can Expect
Across menus, this dish trends moderate-protein, moderate-fat, and low-carb. The starch coat supplies most of the carbs. Sauces add a little more from chili pastes or ketchup blends. If you’re tracking macros, the spread below fits most plates that use a lean white fish and a light to medium batter.
Typical Macro Range Per 150 g Cooked
Calories: 300–380 • Protein: 20–25 g • Carbs: 15–24 g • Fat: 14–22 g • Sodium varies by sauce, often 450–700 mg. The upper end shows up when the crust is thick and the sauce is salty.
Micros Worth Calling Out
White fish delivers B12, phosphorus, selenium, and potassium. Omega-3 content depends on species. Tilapia and swai are mild on EPA and DHA; oily fish like mackerel or sardine carry more, though they’re rarely used for this dish. If you want more EPA/DHA from a similar starter, ask a chef to use a richer species and skip the heavy batter.
How We Estimated The Numbers
Ranges come from lab-tested entries for fried fish and raw fillets, then scaled to common portions. Per-100-gram numbers were mapped to 150–200 g plates and adjusted for batter and sauce. The linked datasets above show the underlying nutrient lists and make the math repeatable across kitchens.
What Drives Variability
- Base fish: Tilapia or swai keep energy lower; catfish and reef fish can be a bit richer.
- Coating thickness: More starch holds more oil. A light dredge beats a full batter.
- Oil retention: Hotter oil and proper draining leave less behind.
- Sauce salt: Ketchup-based glazes boost sodium fast; fresh lime keeps flavor high with less salt.
Ways To Order Lighter Without Losing Flavor
You don’t need to skip this classic to keep calories in check. Small tweaks hit the plate hard while preserving that signature aroma of curry leaves and garlic.
Ask For A Thinner Coat
Request a plain starch dredge instead of a full batter. Rice flour or fine cornstarch gives a delicate crust and sheds more oil. A thinner coat also lets heat reach the center faster, which keeps moisture in the fish.
Mind The Sauce
Ask the kitchen to toss with less sauce or serve it on the side. That trims sodium and sugars from ketchup-style glazes. A squeeze of lime and extra chilies bring punch without a big calorie bump.
Pick A Smarter Portion
Share a plate and fill the rest of your meal with fiber-rich sides. Steamed vegetables and a simple dal balance the salt and the fat from fried bites.
Home Cook Method For A Leaner Plate
Cooking at home gives control over oil retention and salt. Use boneless chunks of a lean white fish, pat very dry, and toss in a teaspoon of cornstarch with spices. Fry quickly in a well-heated pan with just enough oil to crisp the surface, flip once, then rest pieces on a rack before a short toss with a reduced sauce.
Pan Steps That Trim Calories
- Heat oil until it shimmers; test with one piece.
- Cook in small batches so the oil stays hot.
- Move cooked pieces to a wire rack to vent steam.
- Toss with a concentrated sauce or brush it on to keep the layer thin.
Sodium And Spice Notes
Sauces vary from dry tempering to sticky glazes. Ketchup-forward styles add sugar and salt; green chili and lime lean more on aromatics. Ask for less sauce or a side cup if you’re watching sodium. If a kitchen pre-salts the dredge, you can still cut back by skipping an extra sprinkle at the pass. Fresh herbs, cracked pepper, and a hit of lime deliver plenty of flavor without loading the plate with salt.
If you’re pairing with bread or fried snacks, the total sodium can stack up fast. A bowl of plain steamed rice or a tangle of sautéed greens brings balance. That mix also stretches the aromatic sauce so each bite still tastes bold while the plate stays closer to your target.
Restaurant Menu Clues
Words like “crispy cornflour batter,” “double-fried,” or “chef’s glaze” hint at a richer plate. Lines like “tossed, not drenched” or “light coat” usually flag a leaner prep. If a spot lists the fish by species, tilapia and swai point to lower energy; catfish or reef fish trend higher. Ask a quick question at order time and you’ll get a good steer on portion size and sauce style.
Quick Estimates For Common Plates
Use these ballpark ranges. They’re built from the same datasets and scale neatly to restaurant plates. Round to the nearest 25 calories when logging.
Plate Style | What’s On It | Likely Range |
---|---|---|
Light coat, well drained | 150 g tilapia pieces, thin sauce | ~300–340 kcal, 22–24 g protein |
Classic prep | 150–170 g fish, medium batter, standard sauce | ~330–380 kcal, 20–25 g protein |
Heavy batter, extra sauce | 180–200 g fish, thick crust, salty glaze | ~400–520 kcal, 18–24 g protein |
Mercury And Omega-3 Angle
Swai and tilapia sit in low-mercury groups on many public lists, and they’re common picks for quick-fry dishes. They carry modest EPA and DHA compared with salmon or mackerel. If omega-3s are a priority, plan the rest of the week with richer seafood choices. For a sense of how fish types vary, nutrition tools list fried catfish near 229 calories with 18.1 g protein per 100 g, while a crispy battered generic entry shows about 230 calories with 10 g protein per 100 g; both values reflect lab datasets similar to the links above.
Calorie Logging Tips For This Dish
- Weigh your plate if you’re at home; log cooked weight, not raw.
- In restaurants, count pieces: five or six bite-size chunks often weigh about 140–170 g once sauced.
- Pick a base in your tracker that matches the prep: “breaded fried fish” aligns better than plain fillet for this dish.
- Add a line for sauce if the glaze is heavy; 1–2 tablespoons can add 20–40 calories and a fair bit of salt.
- Round to the nearest 25 calories; the cooking method adds small swings you won’t see on paper.
Practical Take
Keep the dish in rotation by nudging your order: lighter dredge, quick drain, sauce on the side, and share the plate. You get the fragrance, the sizzle, and a macro profile that still fits a balanced meal.