Toor Dal (Arhar) Tadka vs Chole (Chana Masala)

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

Toor Dal (Arhar) Tadka

137

kcal per 1 katori cooked dal (150 g) · 91 kcal/100 g

Chole (Chana Masala)

245

kcal per 1 katori chole (150 g) · 163 kcal/100 g

More energy-dense

The short answer

Which one is heavier

Per 100 g, chole (chana masala) is heavier — 163 kcal against 91 kcal for toor dal (arhar) tadka, about 79% more. Per real serving the picture changes: 1 katori cooked dal of toor dal (arhar) tadka is 137 kcal, while 1 katori chole of chole (chana masala) is 245 kcal, because the portions are not the same size. On protein, chole (chana masala) wins with 6.1 g per 100 g.

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

Side by side

	Toor Dal (Arhar) Tadka	Chole (Chana Masala)
Serving assumed	1 katori cooked dal · 150 g	1 katori chole · 150 g
Calories per serving	137	245
Calories per 100 g	91	163
Protein per 100 g	3.8 g	6.1 g
Carbs per 100 g	10.2 g	20.0 g
Fat per 100 g	3.6 g	6.8 g
Fibre per 100 g	1.9 g	4.7 g
Walking to burn one serving	32 min	57 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 toor dal (arhar) tadka and chole (chana masala) 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 katori cooked dal at 150 g, 1 katori chole at 150 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.

Toor Dal (Arhar)    91 kcal/100 g × 150 g ÷ 100 = 137 kcal
Chole (Chana Mas   163 kcal/100 g × 150 g ÷ 100 = 245 kcal

The full method, and where it is weakest →

How to read this

Per-100 g comparisons flatter whatever is eaten in small portions. Chole (Chana Masala) is denser per gram, but people do not eat by the gram — toor dal (arhar) tadka arrives as 1 katori cooked dal and chole (chana masala) as 1 katori chole, and that is where the real difference shows up.

Chole (Chana Masala) carries more protein, which matters more than the calorie gap if you are trying to stay full. Fibre also favours chole (chana masala) here. 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, toor dal (arhar) tadka or chole (chana masala)?

Which has more protein, toor dal (arhar) tadka or chole (chana masala)?

Chole (Chana Masala) — 6.1 g per 100 g against 3.8 g. Per real serving that becomes 9.1 g in 1 katori chole against 5.7 g in 1 katori cooked dal.

Why do the two comparisons disagree?

Because a per-100 g comparison flatters whatever is eaten in small portions. 1 katori cooked dal of toor dal (arhar) tadka weighs 150 g and 1 katori chole of chole (chana masala) weighs 150 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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Toor Dal (Arhar) Tadka vs Chole (Chana Masala)