Nutrition for Apollo-style fish ranges from ~150–260 kcal per 100 g, with 15–26 g protein depending on fish and frying.
Light (Air-Fried)
Standard (Fried)
Heavy (Batter+Sauce)
Murrel / Snakehead
- Firm bite; stays juicy.
- Very lean base profile.
- Great with light toss.
Lean Pick
Tilapia / Basa
- Mild flavor; common choice.
- Coating absorbs oil.
- Crunchy, saucy finish.
Restaurant Default
Cod / Bhetki
- Flaky texture.
- High protein per gram.
- Best baked or air-fried.
Flaky & Light
Apollo-Style Fish Nutrition Facts: What Shifts The Numbers
Apollo-style fish is a Hyderabadi bar snack built from boneless fillets tossed hot with spices and a tangy, garlicky finish. Chefs reach for firm white fish that fries up crisp yet stays moist. In many kitchens that means murrel (snakehead), tilapia, basa, cod, or bhetki. Recipes vary, but a pattern holds: a light coating, a quick fry, then a chilli-forward toss. Because the base fish is lean, most of the energy comes from the coating, oil pickup, and any sweet or starchy sauce. Swap the technique and the nutrition swings fast.
What Kind Of Fish Goes Into The Dish
Home cooks in Hyderabad often use murrel, prized for firm flakes that hold shape in a wok. Many restaurants use tilapia or basa for availability and price. Cod and bhetki give a flakier bite with similar protein density. The choice matters for texture and trace minerals, yet the big calorie swing still comes from batter and oil. That’s why a pan-seared or air-fried batch lands far leaner than a deep-fried version with a thicker crust.
Benchmark Numbers You Can Use
To place the range, it helps to look at reliable nutrient databases for common white fish and for a fried, coated fillet. Lean white fish cooked with dry heat sits close to 111–128 kcal per 100 g with ~23–26 g protein. A coated, fried fillet sits around 200–260 kcal per 100 g with ~20–23 g protein and extra sodium from seasoning. Snakehead as a lean baseline is about 76 kcal and 15 g protein per 100 g in raw form, before cooking drives off water. Those references frame the dish’s typical window.
Nutrition Snapshot Per 100 g (Database Benchmarks)
| Preparation Or Fish | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Tilapia, Cooked (Dry Heat) | ~128 | ~26.2 |
| Tilapia, Coated & Fried (With Oil) | ~255 | ~22.8 |
| Snakehead / Murrel (Raw Fillet) | ~76 | ~15 |
Those figures come from structured datasets built from lab analyses. See the linked entries for fried tilapia and snakehead 100 g to compare cuts and cooking styles. The lean, cooked white-fish line sits in the same ballpark as cod or bhetki, so the overall picture holds across the common choices.
Calories In A Plate: What Your Order Likely Delivers
Portions vary. A bar plate often lands around 150–200 g cooked fish. With a lean, pan-seared batch you might see something near 170–260 kcal for the fish meat itself. With a coated, fried pile the same weight can push 300–520 kcal once oil and starch join the party. Saucy finishes can add a small carb lift and some sodium. That’s why two plates that look similar can land miles apart on energy and salt.
Protein, Fat, And Carbs At A Glance
Lean white fish brings dense protein and almost no carbohydrate. The carb number mainly comes from coating and any sugar in the sauce. Fat jumps when oil soaks into the crust. Protein stays strong in most versions, which is a win if you’re aiming for satiety with fewer side dishes. Mineral wise, expect selenium and B12 to check in at meaningful levels when the base fish is tilapia or cod. Fried versions can carry more sodium due to seasoned batters and sauces.
How Cooking Method Changes Energy
Switching from deep-frying to air-frying or baking cuts surface oil. A light dusting with rice flour or cornstarch can crisp up in a hot oven or air fryer with a fraction of the uptake. Tossing with aromatics off heat also helps—garlic, curry leaves, chillies, and pepper don’t need extra oil to pop. If you’re pan-searing, preheat well and work in batches so the fish browns fast without stewing.
Ingredient Choices That Nudge Nutrition
Base fish selection sets texture. Oil choice and the thickness of the coating swing energy. Sauces can be bright and light or sticky and sweet. Small edits add up across a plate. Here’s how each lever moves the numbers in simple terms, without changing the dish’s spirit.
Coating And Oil
Thin coatings soak less. Rice flour tends to drink less oil than all-purpose flour batters. A cornstarch-heavy mix gives glassy crisp edges with less mass per cube. Neutral oils with higher smoke points handle hot pans better, which means less re-dosing mid-batch. If you’re watching calories, a cooking-spray pass in an air fryer gets you a satisfying crust with far less oil uptake than a soak.
Sauce And Seasoning
Apollo-style tosses often use a hint of soy, vinegar or lemon, chilli powder, and pepper. Sweet chilli sauces or tomato-ketchup blends push sugar and sodium. Stick with fresh chilli, ginger-garlic, and a splash of lemon to keep the profile bright. Salt hits hardest when the crust is thin, so taste the aromatics first, then salt sparingly at the end.
Is The Dish A Good Protein Pick
Yes, if you keep the crust light. A 150–200 g portion of lean white fish supplies roughly 30–50 g protein before frying. Even in coated versions, protein remains solid. That makes the dish a handy way to anchor a meal built around vegetables and a small starch. If you want to trim energy, pair it with achar-spiked cucumbers or a raw onion-lemon salad instead of a creamy dip.
Common Fish Choices And Why They’re Used
Murrel holds together and takes seasoning well. Tilapia and basa are mild and budget-friendly, which is why many kitchens reach for them. Cod and bhetki flake beautifully after a quick sear. All deliver complete protein. Fatty fish like salmon can work too, but the flavor profile shifts and the oil content rises. For the classic bar bite, a firm, mild white fish stays closest to the norm.
Smart Ordering Tips At Restaurants
If you love the spice and crunch, ask for a thinner coating and a quick toss, not a long simmer in sauce. Request lemon on the side and skip extra ketchup. Share one plate and add a veg side. These tweaks keep the flavor you want while trimming salt and energy. If the menu lists fish type, choosing cod or bhetki over a thicker, oil-soaking cut can help keep the portion lighter.
Home Cooking Tweaks That Keep Flavor High
Use paper-towel-dried fillets. Dust lightly with rice flour and cornstarch. Air-fry hot, then toss in a bowl with sautéed aromatics made with a teaspoon of oil. Finish with lemon juice and cracked pepper. You’ll keep a crisp edge without the oil load of a deep fry. This setup also reheats better, staying crisp longer than a heavy batter.
Why The Numbers Differ Across Databases
Databases present specific foods and cooking styles, not every recipe variation. A generic “coated, fried” entry will reflect oil uptake and batter, while a “cooked, dry heat” entry shows a lean fillet with water loss boosting the protein number per 100 g. To compare like with like, match fish type and method. The FoodData Central search lets you filter by both, so you’re not comparing a dry-heat fillet with a saucy fried cube.
Portion Math: Simple Ranges You Can Apply
Think in 100-g blocks. A lean, cooked white-fish block is ~120 kcal with ~26 g protein. A coated, fried block is ~200–260 kcal with ~20–23 g protein. A typical plate is 1.5–2 blocks. Sauces and garnishes add small extras, usually in the 20–80 kcal range unless they’re sweet. Those ranges keep planning easy without a scale on the table.
Method Impact Table (Per 100 g Cooked)
| Method Change | What It Does | Typical Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Heat / Air-Fry | Minimal oil pickup; water loss concentrates protein. | ~110–150 kcal; ~23–26 g protein |
| Coated & Fried | Batter adds starch; crust absorbs oil and salt. | ~200–260 kcal; ~20–23 g protein |
| Fried + Sticky Sauce | Sugar and extra oil cling to crust. | ~260–320 kcal; sodium higher |
Micros And Omega-3s
White fish isn’t just protein. Expect B12, niacin, phosphorus, and selenium to show up in useful amounts. Omega-3s vary by species; tilapia is modest, while fatty fish run higher. If you want more long-chain omega-3s in this format, swap in salmon for a home batch. The spice profile works well, though the texture is softer. Keep the coating thin to avoid masking the fish’s own richness.
Sodium: Where It Creeps In
Sodium can climb with marinades, seasoned flour, and bottled sauces. Restaurant versions often season at multiple steps. At home, salt the aromatics, not the fish, and finish with lemon. That trick hits perceived saltiness with less actual salt. In a kitchen that uses premixed batters or bottled sauces, the number will rise. If you’re tracking sodium, ask for the toss with fresh aromatics only.
Buying And Storing Fish For This Dish
Choose firm, boneless cuts. Fresh or well-frozen works. Thaw gently in the fridge and pat dry. Small, evenly sized cubes cook fast and stay juicy. Use high heat and avoid crowding the pan or basket. Leftovers can be crisped in an air fryer, though the crust softens a touch. Eat within a day for best texture.
Quick Prep Template You Can Riff On
Cube 500 g white fish. Toss with a teaspoon of oil, a tablespoon of rice flour, and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Air-fry hot until browned. In a pan, warm a teaspoon of oil with chopped garlic, green chilli, curry leaves, and crushed pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or lemon, then toss the fish off heat. Finish with spring onions. That workflow gives the signature spice and aroma with a lighter footprint.
Frequently Confused: Is Apollo A Species
No. It’s a style and a name on menus, not a single fish. Menus rotate through murrel, tilapia, basa, cod, or bhetki based on price and availability. That’s why nutrition shifts across restaurants and even across nights at the same place.
How To Read Menu Clues
Look for the fish name first. If it says basa or tilapia and mentions “crispy” or “double-fried,” expect a higher energy number. If it says cod or bhetki and “pan-tossed,” you’re probably closer to the lean range. Ask for a “light toss” and lemon on the side to keep the profile in check without changing the dish.
Cross-Checking With Trusted Data
When comparing recipes, pull numbers from a consistent base. Fried, coated tilapia entries capture oil and starch, while dry-heat entries show the lean baseline. Both are useful when paired with the fish you plan to use. If you need an official listing hub, start with USDA FoodData Central and then map your cooking method to the closest entry.
Bottom Line For Everyday Choices
If you like the dish’s bold spice, keep it on the menu with a lighter hand on coating and oil. Choose firm, mild white fish, cook hot and fast, and finish with aromatics and lemon. That keeps protein high and energy reasonable while delivering the signature flavor that made the dish a favorite in the first place.