Apollo fish delivers about 16–20 g protein per 100 g cooked pieces, with recipe and fish choice nudging the number up or down.
Ordering a plate of Apollo fish and trying to figure out the protein per 100 g can be tricky. The dish is a Hyderabadi starter made with boneless chunks that are battered, fried, then tossed in a spicy tempering. Chefs use different fish: tilapia or basa in many homes; murrel (korameenu) in Hyderabad restaurants; catfish in some kitchens. That mix of choices, plus batter and oil, changes the protein density on the plate.
Protein In Apollo Fish Per 100 Grams — Realistic Ranges
Here is a grounded range that reflects how the dish is actually made. Plain cooked fillets are dense in protein; once you add batter and oil, grams per 100 g drop. A plate built from lean, boneless pieces will land near the top of the range, while a thicker batter or heavier oil uptake will sit lower.
| Item | Protein (g/100 g) | Notes / Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tilapia, cooked (dry heat) | ~26 | USDA data via MyFoodData lists ~26.2 g per 100 g cooked tilapia. |
| Fried fish, battered/breaded | ~17 | Restaurant fried fillet entries cluster near ~17 g per 100 g finished food. |
| Murrel/snakehead, raw muscle | ~22–25 | Indian lab reports place raw muscle protein around 20–25% by weight. |
Put those pieces together and you get this practical range for the dish: 16–20 g protein per 100 g of fried Apollo-style pieces. If the cook uses lean tilapia with a light coat, you will be close to 20 g. If the fillets carry a thick batter, 16–18 g is more typical for the same weight.
What Drives The Number Up Or Down
Fish Choice
Lean white fish like tilapia stay protein-dense after cooking, so 100 g of plain cooked tilapia lands near 26 g protein (MyFoodData). Basa and some catfish sit a bit lower. Murrel has raw muscle protein near 22–25% by weight in Indian waters; once cooked and sauced, the dish lands in the same 16–20 g window per 100 g of finished pieces.
Batter And Oil Uptake
Batter adds starch and draws in oil. That extra weight dilutes protein per 100 g, even if total protein in the fish portion stays similar. Restaurant fried fillets commonly land near 17 g protein per 100 g of finished food (USDA-based listing), which matches what you see with a generous coating.
Moisture Loss And Tossing Sauce
As the fish fries, water leaves the fillet and some oil takes its place. Then the pieces get tossed with chillies, curry leaves, and a spice mix. The toss adds flavour and a bit of weight. Net effect: grams of protein per 100 g shift down from plain cooked fish to a lower number for battered pieces.
Quick Method To Estimate Your Plate
Use this three-step method to estimate protein per 100 g of Apollo-style bites at home or in a restaurant.
Step 1: Identify The Fish
If it is tilapia or a lean river fish, start high. If it is basa, start mid. If it is a fatty cut, trim a little off the estimate.
Step 2: Judge The Coating
Light dusting or air-fried batch: push toward 19–20 g per 100 g. Thick batter with deep fry: use 16–18 g per 100 g.
Step 3: Adjust For Sauce
Heavy glaze pulls the number down slightly. Dry toss keeps you closer to the high end.
Common Fish Used For This Dish
Home cooks often reach for tilapia or basa because they are boneless and budget-friendly. In Hyderabad, many restaurants favour murrel (korameenu) pieces for a meatier bite. Any fresh, firm, boneless fillet works.
How The Estimate Was Built
Two bodies of data anchor the range. First, nutrient facts for specific fish show what 100 g of cooked, unbattered fillet delivers. Second, generic entries for fried, battered fish capture how coating and oil change the macro split. Food composition teams apply cooking yields and retention methods to turn lab data into cooked values used by diet trackers and menu databases. This range mirrors those cooking effects and the typical Apollo fish method.
Practical Ways To Raise Protein
Pick The Right Cut
Use boneless, thicker center cuts. Thinner tail pieces dry out faster and take on more oil.
Keep The Batter Light
Use a light rice-flour or corn-starch dusting instead of a heavy slurry. Air-fry or shallow-fry in small batches.
Go Easy On The Sauce
Toss fast over high heat, just to coat. Skip sugar in the pan; finish with lemon and pepper.
Variations That Change Macros
Air-Fried Version
Skip deep frying and mist pieces with oil, then air-fry. Protein per 100 g creeps closer to plain cooked fish because oil uptake drops.
Oat-Flour Dusting
A fine oat-flour dusting clings well and soaks less oil than a wet batter. The result is a crisper bite with more protein density per 100 g.
Corn-Starch Toss
A quick corn-starch toss yields a thin shell. Pair that with high-heat shallow frying and you retain more protein density per 100 g.
Weighing And Logging Tips
- Weigh finished pieces, not raw. Protein per 100 g is based on cooked weight.
- Shake off extra oil on a rack before weighing to keep entries consistent.
- If the coating is thick, use the lower end of the range; if it looks thin and dry, use the upper end.
Menu Clues That Hint Protein
- Words like “tossed” or “dry fry” usually mean a lighter coat and a higher protein number per 100 g.
- “Crispy batter” or “double fry” often signals more oil and a lower protein number for the same weight.
- Asking for center-cut pieces helps keep fish-to-batter ratio high.
Home Version: Macro Example
Simple Pan Batch
Dice 500 g boneless tilapia, pat dry, toss with 20 g corn-starch, salt, chilli, and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan. Fry in two batches to a gold crust. Toss each batch in a pan with chilli, garlic, curry leaves, and lemon. Yield is about 600 g cooked pieces (oil adds weight).
Estimated Macros
Tilapia brings ~26 g protein per 100 g when plain cooked. With a thin coat and pan fry, count ~19–20 g per 100 g of finished bites. A 150 g portion lands near ~28–30 g protein, which suits a high-protein target without pushing calories too high.
| Serving | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g fried pieces | ~190–230 | ~16–20 |
| 150 g plate | ~285–345 | ~24–30 |
Calorie Context And Meal Pairings
If you track calories with your macros, the range in this dish is friendly. Fried, battered fish tends to land near 190–230 kcal per 100 g finished weight. That leaves room for a fibre-rich side without blowing the meal. Try a kachumber salad, steamed greens, or a cup of lemon rice split across the table. When you build the plate with volume foods, you get a satisfying meal while holding the macro target.
Allergen And Diet Notes
Wheat in the batter can be swapped for rice-flour or corn-starch if you avoid gluten. Many cooks add egg to the marinade; if you skip egg, a little yoghurt or a splash of soda water keeps the crust light. For dairy-free needs, season with lemon and pepper at the end and skip yoghurt in the marinade. Spice heat is easy to tune up or down.
Source Notes You Can Trust
MyFoodData’s tilapia page compiles USDA figures for cooked tilapia. The fried fish fillet entry shows how coating lowers protein density per 100 g. Together these sources explain why a fried, sauced plate lands below a plain fillet per 100 g.
Clear Takeaway
For Apollo-style fried fish, use 16–20 g protein per 100 g of finished pieces. Pick lean fillets, keep the coating light, and you will land near the top of that range without losing the crisp bite that makes the dish a crowd-pleaser.