Dals & legumes
The protein backbone of a vegetarian Indian diet, from a plain katori of toor dal to dal makhani. All 20 ranked by calories in a real serving — the heaviest is dal makhani at 278 kcal per katori; the lightest is moong sprouts salad at 92 kcal.
| # | Dish | Serving | Calories | Protein | kcal /100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dal Makhani | 1 katori · 150 g | 278 | 8.4 g | 185 |
| 2 | Chole (Chana Masala) | 1 katori chole · 150 g | 245 | 9.1 g | 163 |
| 3 | Kala Chana Curry | 1 katori · 150 g | 225 | 10.5 g | 150 |
| 4 | Rajma Curry | 1 katori rajma · 150 g | 216 | 9.0 g | 144 |
| 5 | Sukha Chana | 1 katori · 120 g | 210 | 9.6 g | 175 |
| 6 | Lobia (Black-eyed Peas) | 1 katori · 150 g | 195 | 9.8 g | 130 |
| 7 | Chana Dal | 1 katori cooked dal · 150 g | 180 | 8.3 g | 120 |
| 8 | Urad Dal | 1 katori cooked dal · 150 g | 173 | 7.8 g | 115 |
| 9 | Panchmel Dal | 1 katori · 150 g | 173 | 7.5 g | 115 |
| 10 | Dal Fry | 1 katori · 150 g | 165 | 6.4 g | 110 |
| 11 | Dal Tadka | 1 katori · 150 g | 158 | 6.3 g | 105 |
| 12 | Sabut Masoor Dal | 1 katori · 150 g | 158 | 8.7 g | 105 |
| 13 | Amti Dal | 1 katori · 150 g | 158 | 6.0 g | 105 |
| 14 | Punjabi Kadhi | 1 katori with 2 pakoras · 150 g | 158 | 5.4 g | 105 |
| 15 | Masoor Dal | 1 katori cooked dal · 150 g | 143 | 6.8 g | 95 |
| 16 | Dal Palak | 1 katori · 150 g | 143 | 6.8 g | 95 |
| 17 | Toor Dal (Arhar) Tadka | 1 katori cooked dal · 150 g | 137 | 5.7 g | 91 |
| 18 | Moong Dal | 1 katori cooked dal · 150 g | 128 | 6.3 g | 85 |
| 19 | Sambar | 1 katori sambar · 150 g | 93 | 3.4 g | 62 |
| 20 | Moong Sprouts Salad | 1 katori sprouts · 100 g | 92 | 7.0 g | 92 |
Calories are for the serving in the third column, not per 100 g — that is the whole point. The protein leader in this group is sukha chana at 8.0 g per 100 g.
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.