Calories in mandi: what the published data says
We found no lab analysis of mandi. One Saudi study calculated lamb mandi from household recipes at about 104 kcal per 100 g, give or take 27, with 5.4 g of protein [1].
Rice dishes that were analysed in a lab, such as kabsa and Bukhari rice, came to 129 to 187 kcal per 100 g in the Saudi Food and Drug Authority's table [2]. For example, 400 g of mandi is about 310–520 kcal using the calculated range (calculated).
Calories per 100 g
| Dish | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb mandi, calculated from household recipes [1] | 104 | 5.4 g | 3.9 g | 11.2 g |
| Lamb kabsa, lab analysis [2] | 158 | 4.7 g | 6.1 g | 20.0 g |
| Chicken kabsa, lab analysis [2] | 187 | 8.4 g | 5.6 g | 25.0 g |
| Bukhari rice with meat, lab analysis [2] | 163 | 5.1 g | 8.1 g | 17.3 g |
| Bukhari rice with chicken, lab analysis [2] | 129 | 5.7 g | 5.6 g | 14.0 g |
Per 100 g as served, rice and meat together. The mandi figure was calculated with nutrition software from recipes of lamb, rice and olive oil, and varied by ±27 kcal per 100 g between recipes [1]; it is not a lab measurement. The other rows are lab analyses; their carbohydrate is available carbohydrate [2].
A plate of mandi
With no lab figure, weigh your plate and use the calculated range, or the lab-analysed rice dishes as a guide:
| Amount | Mandi (calculated) | Kabsa and Bukhari (lab) |
|---|---|---|
| 250 g | 190–330 kcal | 320–470 kcal |
| 400 g | 310–520 kcal | 520–750 kcal |
| 600 g | 460–790 kcal | 770–1120 kcal |
The mandi column uses 104 ± 27 kcal per 100 g [1]; the other column the lowest and highest lab figures above [2]. Calculated.
What changes the number
- Fat. Mandi's meat is cooked over the rice, and the fat that drips into it varies with the cut. In the lab-analysed rice dishes, fat ran from 5.6 to 8.1 g per 100 g [2].
- Rice and water. Chicken kabsa came out higher than lamb kabsa in the lab, 187 against 158 kcal per 100 g, because its rice was cooked with less water: 58 g of water per 100 g against 66 g [2].
- Portion. On a shared tray, the amount you take matters more than any of the above.
How to log it in Voltra
- On the Eat tab, tap Scan a meal and photograph it, or tap Describe and type it, for example "lamb mandi, one plate".
- Add a note about anything on top or cooked in, such as ghee, sugar or date syrup.
- Check the grams, then tap Log. If you weighed it, use that weight.
Frequently asked
How many calories are in a plate of mandi?
We found no lab analysis. Using a recipe study's 104 ± 27 kcal per 100 g, a 400 g plate is about 310–520 kcal (calculated). Lab-analysed kabsa and Bukhari rice come out higher per 100 g.
Mandi or kabsa: which has fewer calories?
We can't say for sure: mandi has only a calculated figure (about 104 kcal per 100 g), while kabsa was measured in a lab (158 to 187). The two numbers come from different methods.
Sources
- Basaqr R, et al. (2025). Comprehensive nutritional compositions of traditional dishes from five Saudi regions using ESHA. Frontiers in Nutrition 12:1658078. Table 3, row 23: mandi, calculated with ESHA software, not analysed.
- National Nutrition Committee, Saudi Food and Drug Authority (2025). Saudi Food Composition Tables, 1st edition. Kabsa pp. 220–225; Bukhari rice pp. 36–39.
Sources checked on 30 September 2026. Values are rounded to one decimal place.
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