Masala Chai vs South Indian Filter Coffee

Both sides computed from the same table, at the serving each is actually eaten in.

South Indian Filter Coffee

kcal per 1 tumbler (120 g) · 55 kcal/100 g

More energy-dense

The short answer

Which one is heavier

Per 100 g, south indian filter coffee is heavier — 55 kcal against 41 kcal for masala chai, about 34% more. Per real serving the picture changes: 1 cup of masala chai is 62 kcal, while 1 tumbler of south indian filter coffee is 66 kcal, because the portions are not the same size. On protein, south indian filter coffee wins with 1.6 g per 100 g.

SOURCE·ICMR–NIN dietary guidance for Indians + weighed portions·1 cup entered at 150 g·REVIEWED JUL 2026

Side by side

	Masala Chai	South Indian Filter Coffee
Serving assumed	1 cup · 150 g	1 tumbler · 120 g
Calories per serving	62	66
Calories per 100 g	41	55
Protein per 100 g	1.3 g	1.6 g
Carbs per 100 g	5.8 g	7.0 g
Fat per 100 g	1.4 g	2.2 g
Fibre per 100 g	0.0 g	0.0 g
Walking to burn one serving	14 min	15 min

SOURCE·IFCT 2017 + published recipe weights·REVIEWED JUL 2026

How two dishes are made comparable

Both columns start from the same source — the per-100 g rows for masala chai and south indian filter coffee in the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. Neither side is taken from a different database to win an argument.
Each dish keeps its own serving weight: 1 cup at 150 g, 1 tumbler at 120 g. Forcing both onto a shared 100 g is what makes most food comparisons useless.
Both rows are then scaled the same way and printed side by side, so the per-gram ranking and the per-plate ranking can visibly disagree — which, on Indian food, they routinely do.

Masala Chai         41 kcal/100 g × 150 g ÷ 100 = 62 kcal
South Indian Fil    55 kcal/100 g × 120 g ÷ 100 = 66 kcal

The full method, and where it is weakest →

How to read this

Per-100 g comparisons flatter whatever is eaten in small portions. South Indian Filter Coffee is denser per gram, but people do not eat by the gram — masala chai arrives as 1 cup and south indian filter coffee as 1 tumbler, and that is where the real difference shows up.

South Indian Filter Coffee carries more protein, which matters more than the calorie gap if you are trying to stay full. Both figures assume home cooking with a measured amount of oil; a restaurant plate of either can run 30 to 60% higher.

Questions

Which has more calories, masala chai or south indian filter coffee?

Which has more protein, masala chai or south indian filter coffee?

South Indian Filter Coffee — 1.6 g per 100 g against 1.3 g. Per real serving that becomes 1.9 g in 1 tumbler against 2.0 g in 1 cup.

Why do the two comparisons disagree?

Because a per-100 g comparison flatters whatever is eaten in small portions. 1 cup of masala chai weighs 150 g and 1 tumbler of south indian filter coffee weighs 120 g, so the per-gram ranking and the per-plate ranking are answering different questions. The serving row is the one that decides what you ate.

Nutrient values are averages for the stated preparation, based on the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR–NIN) and standard recipe analysis. Energy is reconciled against the macronutrients with Atwater factors on every build. General information only — not medical or nutrition advice. Home-cooked Indian food varies enormously with oil, ghee and portion size; every value here is an average for a stated serving, with the assumption shown.

SOURCE·IFCT 2017 + published recipe weights·REVIEWED JUL 2026

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