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Hilsa Fish

Hilsa is a fatty river fish commonly cooked in curries, fried, or steamed.

Hilsa Fish — illustrative ingredient image

About Hilsa Fish

Hilsa is a silvery, oily fish associated with riverine and coastal waters of South Asia. It has a slender, laterally compressed body, tender fatty flesh, and many fine bones, so preparation and careful eating are important characteristics of the ingredient. It is sold whole, in steaks, or as cleaned portions.

Hilsa is commonly fried, steamed, or cooked in a spiced gravy or curry, where its rich flavour and soft flesh are retained. It may also be prepared with mustard-based or other regional seasonings, though recipes vary. Fresh or chilled fish is typical, while frozen, salted, or otherwise preserved portions may have different texture and flavour.

The fish is recognizable by its silvery exterior and soft, fatty flesh. It may be sold whole, as steaks, or as cleaned portions; frozen, salted, or otherwise preserved forms can become firmer or more intense. Cooking by frying, steaming, or simmering in gravy changes the surface and texture while retaining its rich character.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where hilsa fish appears

5 linked foods

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Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for hilsa fish

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

hilsa

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Hilsa Fish nutrition & diet

Hilsa Fish nutritional value

Hilsa, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the stated food form.

Calories
262kcal
Protein
21.8g
Carbs
0.0g
Fat
19.4g

Reference values apply to the named food form, not every preparation, variety or brand. CoFID 2021 food code 16-184. Carbohydrate follows the dataset’s available-carbohydrate convention. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/.

Portions & preparation

Use the edible cooked flesh of the identified hilsa fish, distinguishing cleaned fillet from bone-in pieces. Steaming, currying, frying, and oil-based preparations produce different reference matches. Record skin, bones, batter, gravy, and cooking oil, since the served portion may include substantial non-fish ingredients.

Compare the right form: Match references to hilsa fish species, edible flesh or bone-in portion, and raw, steamed, curried, fried, or other preparation.

Diet considerations

Hilsa is animal-derived fish. Plain cooked flesh differs from curry, fried, or steamed preparations containing oil, dairy, stock, or sauces. Batter and coatings may introduce cereal ingredients, while rice or other accompaniments shape carbohydrate patterns. Compatibility depends on the recipe, added ingredients, cooking method, and edible portion served.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    May be compatible
  • Paleo
    May be compatible
  • Low-carb
    May be compatible
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
Seafood fits this pescatarian definition. Added meat-based stock or other ingredients would need checking separately.
Keto · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Paleo · May be compatible
May fit a paleo pattern, depending on the cut or form, processing and added ingredients.
Low-carb · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: UK Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021 — Hilsa, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .