Besan (gram flour) contains about 21.6 g of protein per 100 g, according to India's official food composition tables (IFCT 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition). That is roughly twice the protein of wheat atta (10.6 g) and three times that of ragi (7.2 g).
- 30 g besan (one small chilla) gives about 6.5 g protein; 50 g gives about 10.8 g.
- Besan is made from split Bengal gram (chana dal), so its protein matches chana dal. Roasted chana and sattu carry slightly more per 100 g, mainly because roasting removes water.
- Chickpea protein is rich in lysine but low in methionine, so besan works best alongside a cereal, the way Indian kitchens already use it.
Updated 30 September 2026 · Data: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and ICMR-NIN Nutrient Requirements 2020
In this article
- Besan nutrition per 100 g (full table)
- Protein in 10 g, 30 g, 50 g and 150 g of besan
- Besan vs sattu vs roasted chana vs chana dal
- Besan vs other Indian flours and dals
- How much of your daily protein does besan cover?
- Is besan a complete protein?
- Does sprouting change besan's protein?
- Frequently asked questions
"Besan protein" is one of the most searched nutrition questions in Indian kitchens, and the answers online range from 15 g to 25 g per 100 g. The spread comes from mixing up raw and cooked weights, whole and split chickpeas, and Indian and American data. This guide uses one consistent source, the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 published by ICMR's National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad, which analysed Indian-grown pulses from six regions of the country.
Besan nutrition per 100 g
Besan is flour ground from chana dal, the split and dehusked Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum). IFCT 2017 does not list besan separately, but because milling does not change composition, the values for Bengal gram dal apply directly to plain besan [1].
| Nutrient | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 329 kcal (1,377 kJ) |
| Protein | 21.6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 46.7 g |
| Total dietary fibre | 15.2 g |
| Total fat | 5.3 g |
| Iron | 6.1 mg |
| Magnesium | 118 mg |
| Calcium | 46 mg |
| Zinc | 3.7 mg |
| Phosphorus | 325 mg |
| Potassium | 957 mg |
| Moisture | 9.2 g |
Source: IFCT 2017, food code B001 (Bengal gram, dal), mean of samples from six regions. Energy converted from kJ at 4.184 kJ/kcal.
Two things stand out. First, besan is a protein-and-fibre flour: 100 g delivers about 22 g protein and 15 g fibre, a combination no cereal flour comes close to. Second, it is genuinely high in iron and magnesium for a plant food, although, as with all pulses, phytic acid limits how much iron is absorbed.
Protein in 10 g, 30 g, 50 g and 150 g of besan
Nobody eats 100 g of besan at a sitting, so here is the same figure scaled to real portions. A typical besan chilla uses 30–40 g of flour; a tablespoon of besan weighs roughly 8–10 g.
| Amount of besan | Protein | Energy | Roughly equals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g | 2.2 g | 33 kcal | 1 tablespoon, as a binder |
| 30 g | 6.5 g | 99 kcal | 1 small chilla |
| 50 g | 10.8 g | 165 kcal | 1 large chilla or a bowl of kadhi |
| 100 g | 21.6 g | 329 kcal | A family batch of dhokla |
| 150 g | 32.3 g | 494 kcal | Besan for 4–5 chillas |
Calculated from IFCT 2017 values (21.55 g protein and 329 kcal per 100 g). Cooking adds water and oil but does not add or remove protein; what you add to the batter (curd, paneer, vegetables) changes the final total.
Besan vs sattu vs roasted chana vs chana dal
These four foods all come from the same plant, so their protein is close. The differences come from two things: whether the husk (seed coat) is kept, and whether the grain is roasted, which removes water and so concentrates everything else.
| Food | What it is | Protein | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chana dal | Split, dehusked Bengal gram | 21.6 g | 15.2 g |
| Besan | Chana dal ground to flour | 21.6 g | 15.2 g |
| Whole kala chana | Whole Bengal gram with husk | 18.8 g | 25.2 g |
| Roasted chana dal (fried gram, hurigadale, pottukadalai) | Bengal gram roasted and split | ≈ 22.5–23 g* | ≈ 16 g* |
| Sattu | Roasted Bengal gram ground to flour | ≈ 22.5–23 g* | varies with husk |
Chana dal and whole chana: IFCT 2017 codes B001 and B002 [1]. *IFCT 2017 does not analyse roasted chana or sattu. These are Bhāvi's estimates, calculated by adjusting the chana dal values from 9.2% moisture to the 3–5% typical of roasted pulses; treat them as approximate.
What this means in practice: per spoonful, sattu and roasted chana give you marginally more protein than besan, and they need no cooking. Besan's advantage is versatility: batters, kadhi, dhokla, laddoos and gluten-free baking. Whole kala chana trades a little protein for far more fibre.
Besan vs other Indian flours and dals
How does besan compare with the other flours and dals in an Indian pantry? All values below are raw, per 100 g, from the same IFCT 2017 dataset, so they can be compared directly.
| Food | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) | Iron (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soybean, brown | 35.6 | 21.6 | 8.3 |
| Masoor dal (lentil) | 24.4 | 10.4 | 7.1 |
| Moong dal (green gram) | 23.9 | 9.4 | 3.9 |
| Urad dal (black gram) | 23.1 | 11.9 | 4.7 |
| Toor dal (red gram) | 21.7 | 9.1 | 3.9 |
| Besan (chana dal) | 21.6 | 15.2 | 6.1 |
| Horse gram, whole | 21.7 | 7.9 | 8.8 |
| Dry peas | 20.4 | 17.0 | 5.1 |
| Semolina (suji/rava) | 11.4 | 9.7 | 3.0 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 11.0 | 11.5 | 6.4 |
| Wheat atta | 10.6 | 11.4 | 4.1 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 10.0 | 10.2 | 4.0 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 7.2 | 11.2 | 4.6 |
Source: IFCT 2017, codes B024, B013, B010, B003, B021, B001, B012, B017, A022, A003, A019, A005, A010 [1].
Besan sits in the same protein band as the other dals, at about double any cereal or millet flour. Among the dals it stands out for fibre, which helps explain why besan dishes feel filling.
How much of your daily protein does besan cover?
ICMR-NIN's 2020 nutrient requirements set the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein at 0.83 g per kg of body weight per day for healthy Indian adults, which works out to about 54 g a day for a 65 kg man and 46 g a day for a 55 kg woman. For people eating mainly cereal-based diets with lower-quality protein, ICMR suggests aiming for 1 g per kg [2].
| Besan eaten | Protein | Man, 65 kg (54 g/day) | Woman, 55 kg (46 g/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 g | 6.5 g | 12% | 14% |
| 50 g | 10.8 g | 20% | 24% |
| 100 g | 21.6 g | 40% | 47% |
Is besan a complete protein?
Not on its own, and that is true of almost every plant protein. Chickpea protein is rich in lysine, the amino acid cereals are short of, but relatively low in the sulphur amino acids methionine and cysteine, which cereals supply. Reviews of chickpea nutrition describe its protein quality as better than most other pulses, and note that pairing it with cereals produces a well-balanced amino acid profile [3][4].
Indian cooking has done this pairing for centuries: besan kadhi with rice, missi roti (besan with atta), besan chilla with a millet roti, or sattu mixed with barley. You do not need both in the same bite; over the course of a day is enough.
Does sprouting change besan's protein?
Sprouting does not meaningfully change the amount of protein per 100 g, so a sprouted chickpea flour will sit in the same 20–22 g range. What sprouting changes is how much of the flour's goodness your body can use. In a study at CFTRI, Mysuru, germinating chickpeas for 48 hours raised their bioaccessible iron by 39% [5], and germination also lowers the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that interfere with minerals and protein digestion. That is the reasoning behind Dhatu's sprouted brown chickpea flour.
From the Dhatu pantry
- Organic Besan 500g: stone-milled from desi Bengal gram
- Organic Sattu Atta 500g: roasted Bengal gram flour, no cooking needed
- Organic Fried Gram (Roasted Chana Dal) 500g: hurigadale for chutneys and snacking
- Organic Sprouted Brown Chickpea Flour 500g
Frequently asked questions
How much protein is in 100 g of besan?
About 21.6 g, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN). American databases list chickpea flour at around 22 g; the small difference reflects different varieties and moisture levels.
How much protein is in 30 g and 50 g of besan?
30 g of besan contains about 6.5 g of protein and 50 g contains about 10.8 g. A typical besan chilla uses 30–40 g of flour.
Is besan high in protein?
Yes, compared with other flours. At about 21.6 g per 100 g, besan has roughly twice the protein of wheat atta (10.6 g) and three times that of ragi flour (7.2 g). It is similar to other dals such as toor and moong.
Which has more protein, besan or sattu?
Sattu has slightly more per 100 g, roughly 22.5–23 g against besan's 21.6 g, mainly because roasting removes water. Per serving, the difference is under 1 g.
How much protein is in roasted chana (fried gram)?
Roughly 22.5–23 g per 100 g. IFCT 2017 does not list roasted chana separately; this estimate adjusts the chana dal value (21.6 g at 9.2% moisture) to the lower moisture of roasted pulses.
Is besan a complete protein?
No single plant protein is perfectly balanced. Besan is rich in lysine but low in methionine, so it pairs well with cereals such as wheat, rice or millets, which have the opposite pattern.
Is besan better than wheat flour for protein?
For protein and fibre, yes: 21.6 g protein and 15.2 g fibre per 100 g, against 10.6 g and 11.4 g for wheat atta. Many families mix the two, as in missi roti.
India's protein conversation is dominated by whey and imported powders, yet the most protein-dense flour in the country has been in every kitchen all along. The gap is data: IFCT 2017 has no entry for sattu or roasted chana, the two most "protein-first" chickpea foods Indians eat. Dhatu could commission an accredited lab analysis of its own besan, sattu and sprouted chickpea flour, and publish the numbers openly. Transparent, tested protein figures on everyday Indian staples would be more useful to families than another imported supplement.
This article is for general information and is not medical or dietary advice. If you have a medical condition or specific protein needs, speak to a doctor or registered dietitian.
References
- Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. nin.res.in (PDF)
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. A Brief Note on Nutrient Requirements for Indians, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), 2020. nin.res.in (PDF)
- Jukanti AK, Gaur PM, Gowda CL, Chibbar RN. Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): a review. Br J Nutr. 2012;108 Suppl 1:S11-26. PubMed 22916806
- Rachwa-Rosiak D, Nebesny E, Budryn G. Chickpeas: composition, nutritional value, health benefits, application to bread and snacks: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2015;55(8):1137-45. PubMed 24915347
- Hemalatha S, Platel K, Srinivasan K. Influence of germination and fermentation on bioaccessibility of zinc and iron from food grains. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61(3):342-8. PubMed 16969377
