Protein per 100 g in Indian dals is about 19–24 g, roughly double that of millets (7–11 g). Masoor dal tops the everyday dals at 24.4 g, moong dal has 23.9 g and toor dal 21.7 g; among millets, bajra leads at 11.0 g and ragi is lowest at 7.2 g, according to India's Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT 2017, ICMR-NIN).
- Seeds sit in the dal range per 100 g (sesame 21.7 g, groundnut 23.6 g, fenugreek 25.4 g), but you eat them by the spoonful, so they add 1–3 g a serving.
- One katori of cooked dal (about 30 g raw) gives roughly 6.5–7 g of protein, about 12–16% of an adult's daily ICMR requirement.
- Cereals are short of lysine and dals are short of methionine, so eating them across the same day gives a better-balanced protein than either alone.
Updated 20 October 2026 · Data: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN), ICMR-NIN Nutrient Requirements 2020, WHO/FAO/UNU 2007
In this article
- Protein per 100 g in Indian dals and pulses
- Protein per 100 g in millets and cereals
- Protein per 100 g in seeds
- Protein in real portions: a katori, a roti, a spoon
- Protein quality: why dal and rice work together
- How much of that protein do you actually absorb?
- What about foxtail, barnyard and proso millet?
- Frequently asked questions
Protein per 100 g is the most useful number for comparing Indian staples, and the most misquoted: figures online mix raw and cooked weights, whole and split pulses, Indian and American samples. This guide uses one consistent source for every number: the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 from ICMR's National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, which analysed foods collected from up to six regions of India [1]. All values are for raw, dry food, so they can be compared directly.
Protein per 100 g in Indian dals and pulses
Pulses are India's main plant protein. Split, dehusked dals carry slightly more protein per 100 g than the same pulse whole, because removing the husk (seed coat) removes mostly fibre. That is why moong dal has 23.9 g of protein and 9.4 g of fibre, while whole green gram (hesaru kalu in Kannada, sabut moong in Hindi) has 22.5 g of protein and 17.0 g of fibre.
| Food (per 100 g, raw) | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) | Fat (g) | Energy (kcal) | Protein per 100 kcal (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masoor dal (lentil, split) | 24.4 | 10.4 | 0.8 | 322 | 7.6 |
| Moong dal (green gram, split) | 23.9 | 9.4 | 1.4 | 326 | 7.3 |
| Urad dal (black gram, split) | 23.1 | 11.9 | 1.7 | 324 | 7.1 |
| Green gram, whole | 22.5 | 17.0 | 1.1 | 294 | 7.7 |
| Black gram, whole | 22.0 | 20.4 | 1.6 | 291 | 7.5 |
| Horse gram, whole | 21.7 | 7.9 | 0.6 | 330 | 6.6 |
| Toor dal (red gram, split) | 21.7 | 9.1 | 1.6 | 331 | 6.6 |
| Chana dal (Bengal gram, split) | 21.6 | 15.2 | 5.3 | 329 | 6.5 |
| Peas, dry | 20.4 | 17.0 | 1.9 | 303 | 6.7 |
| Cowpea, brown | 20.4 | 11.5 | 1.1 | 320 | 6.4 |
| Moth bean | 19.8 | 15.1 | 1.8 | 309 | 6.4 |
| Rajma, brown | 19.5 | 16.9 | 1.7 | 298 | 6.6 |
| Kala chana (Bengal gram, whole) | 18.8 | 25.2 | 5.1 | 287 | 6.5 |
| Soybean, brown | 35.6 | 21.6 | 19.8 | 381 | 9.3 |
Source: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN), food codes B013, B010, B003, B011, B004, B012, B021, B001, B017, B005, B016, B019, B002, B024 [1]. Energy converted from kJ at 4.184 kJ/kcal. "Protein per 100 kcal" is Bhāvi's calculation from the same values.
A few things are worth noticing. Every common dal lands between about 19 and 24 g. The differences between toor dal (tuvara bele, thuvaram paruppu, kandi pappu), moong dal (hesaru bele, pasi paruppu, pesara pappu) and chana dal are small enough that taste and digestion should decide which you cook. Horse gram (hurali in Kannada, kulthi in Hindi, kollu in Tamil, ulavalu in Telugu, kulith in Marathi) matches toor dal for protein while being the leanest pulse in the table. Cowpea (alasande, karamani, lobia, chawli) and dry peas (sukhi matar, batani) sit at about 20 g. IFCT does not list red cowpea separately; brown cowpea is the closest match.
Per 100 kcal, dals give 6.4–7.7 g of protein, more than twice any cereal.
Protein per 100 g in millets and cereals
Millets are often described as "high-protein grains". The data says they are in the same band as wheat and rice, with real differences between them.
| Food (per 100 g, raw) | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) | Fat (g) | Energy (kcal) | Protein per 100 kcal (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaranth seed (rajgira), pale brown | 13.3 | 7.5 | 5.6 | 356 | 3.7 |
| Quinoa | 13.1 | 14.7 | 5.5 | 328 | 4.0 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 11.0 | 11.5 | 5.4 | 348 | 3.1 |
| Barley | 10.9 | 15.6 | 1.3 | 316 | 3.5 |
| Wheat atta | 10.6 | 11.4 | 1.5 | 320 | 3.3 |
| Little millet (samai) | 10.1 | 7.7 | 3.9 | 346 | 2.9 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 10.0 | 10.2 | 1.7 | 334 | 3.0 |
| Brown rice, raw | 9.2 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 354 | 2.6 |
| Kodo millet (varagu) | 8.9 | 6.4 | 2.5 | 332 | 2.7 |
| White rice, raw, milled | 7.9 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 356 | 2.2 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 7.2 | 11.2 | 1.9 | 321 | 2.2 |
Source: IFCT 2017, food codes A002, A009, A003, A004, A019, A016, A005, A013, A017, A015, A010 [1]. IFCT lists little millet as "Samai (Panicum miliare)" and kodo millet as "Varagu (Paspalum scrobiculatum)". Amaranth and quinoa are pseudo-cereals, included for comparison.
Bajra (sajje in Kannada, kambu in Tamil, sajjalu in Telugu) has the most protein of the true millets at 11.0 g, slightly above wheat atta. Little millet (same, samai, kutki) and jowar (jola, cholam, jonna) come in at about 10 g. Kodo millet (harka, varagu) has 8.9 g. Ragi (nachni in Marathi, keppai in Tamil, ragulu in Telugu, mandua in Hindi) has the least at 7.2 g, close to white rice. Ragi's strengths lie elsewhere: calcium and fibre.
Millets have other advantages: a 2021 meta-analysis of 39 studies put their mean glycaemic index at 52.7, against 71.7 for milled rice and 74.2 for refined wheat [4]. But for protein, a millet alone does little more than wheat. Pair it with a dal.
Protein per 100 g in seeds
Seeds look impressive per 100 g. Most are 18–25% protein, the same as dals. The catch is that most are also 35–52% fat, so they are dense in calories, and they are eaten by the spoon rather than the bowl.
| Food (per 100 g, raw) | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) | Fat (g) | Energy (kcal) | Protein per 100 kcal (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenugreek seeds (methi) | 25.4 | 47.5 | 5.7 | 235 | 10.8 |
| Groundnut (peanut) | 23.6 | 10.4 | 39.6 | 520 | 4.5 |
| Sunflower seeds | 23.5 | 10.8 | 51.9 | 586 | 4.0 |
| Garden cress seeds (halim) | 23.4 | 8.3 | 23.7 | 445 | 5.2 |
| Sesame seeds, white (til) | 21.7 | 17.0 | 43.0 | 520 | 4.2 |
| Sesame seeds, black | 19.2 | 17.2 | 43.1 | 508 | 3.8 |
| Niger seeds, black | 18.9 | 10.9 | 38.6 | 512 | 3.7 |
| Flaxseed (linseed) | 18.6 | 26.2 | 35.7 | 444 | 4.2 |
Source: IFCT 2017, food codes G026, H012, H020, H008, H011, H009, H015, H014 [1]. Fenugreek is listed by IFCT under spices; the others under nuts and oilseeds.
Fenugreek seeds (menthya, vendhayam, methi, menthulu) are the surprise: 25.4 g of protein and 47.5 g of fibre per 100 g, with only 5.7 g of fat. That gives them the highest protein per calorie in the whole article. A teaspoon in sambar or dosa batter adds only about 1.3 g, but at almost no calorie cost. Sesame (ellu, til, nuvvulu) and groundnut are the seeds that contribute most protein in real Indian meals, through chutney powders, chikki, laddoos and tahini.
Protein in real portions: a katori, a roti, a spoon
Nobody eats 100 g of dry dal at one sitting. Here are the same figures scaled to everyday amounts, with each portion shown as a share of the ICMR-NIN 2020 Recommended Dietary Allowance. ICMR sets the adult RDA at 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight per day, which is about 54 g for a 65 kg man and 46 g for a 55 kg woman. For people eating mainly cereal-based diets with lower-quality protein, ICMR suggests 1 g per kg [2].
| Food | Typical portion | Protein (g) | Man, 65 kg (54 g/day) | Woman, 55 kg (46 g/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toor dal | 30 g raw (≈ 1 katori cooked dal) | 6.5 | 12% | 14% |
| Moong dal | 30 g raw (≈ 1 katori cooked dal) | 7.2 | 13% | 16% |
| Horse gram | 30 g raw (≈ 1 bowl of saaru/rasam portion) | 6.5 | 12% | 14% |
| Ragi flour | 50 g (≈ 1 ragi mudde or 2 rotis) | 3.6 | 7% | 8% |
| Jowar flour | 50 g (≈ 2 jowar rotis) | 5.0 | 9% | 11% |
| Little millet | 50 g raw (≈ 1 plate cooked) | 5.1 | 9% | 11% |
| White sesame | 10 g (≈ 1 tablespoon) | 2.2 | 4% | 5% |
| Fenugreek seeds | 5 g (≈ 1 teaspoon) | 1.3 | 2% | 3% |
| Flaxseed | 10 g (≈ 1 tablespoon) | 1.9 | 3% | 4% |
Bhāvi's calculation from IFCT 2017 values [1] and the ICMR-NIN 2020 RDA [2]. Portion weights are typical household amounts, not standard measures; weigh your own to be precise.
Put a typical South Indian vegetarian day together (two katoris of dal or sambar, ragi or jowar rotis, rice, a spoon of sesame chutney powder) and you reach roughly 25–30 g from these foods alone. Curd, milk, paneer, vegetables and snacks make up the rest. ICMR's 2020 guidance recommends a cereal : legume : milk ratio of about 3 : 1 : 2.5 for good protein quality [2], which in plain terms means more dal and milk than many Indian plates now carry.
Protein quality: why dal and rice work together
Grams of protein are only half the story. Protein is made of amino acids, and the body needs nine of them from food in roughly fixed proportions. In plant foods, two are most often in short supply: lysine, which cereals lack, and the sulphur amino acids methionine and cystine, which pulses lack. The WHO/FAO/UNU expert report sets an adult reference of 45 mg of lysine and 22 mg of sulphur amino acids per gram of protein [3]. IFCT 2017 reports the amino acid profile of each food, so we can compare.
| Food | Lysine (mg per g protein) | % of reference (45) | Methionine + cystine (mg per g protein) | % of reference (22) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White rice | 37 | 82% | 44 | 202% |
| Wheat atta | 24 | 54% | 40 | 182% |
| Bajra | 32 | 71% | 33 | 152% |
| Ragi | 28 | 63% | 42 | 192% |
| Little millet (samai) | 24 | 54% | 41 | 185% |
| Jowar | 23 | 51% | 26 | 117% |
| Kodo millet (varagu) | 14 | 32% | 46 | 210% |
| Dry peas | 71 | 158% | 15 | 68% |
| Cowpea, brown | 67 | 148% | 19 | 89% |
| Horse gram | 62 | 139% | 15 | 67% |
| Toor dal | 62 | 137% | 15 | 70% |
| Masoor dal | 61 | 136% | 11 | 50% |
| Moong dal | 61 | 135% | 15 | 67% |
| Chana dal | 61 | 135% | 20 | 89% |
| Fenugreek seeds | 66 | 147% | 26 | 118% |
| Flaxseed | 46 | 103% | 34 | 153% |
| White sesame | 26 | 58% | 36 | 162% |
Amino acid values: IFCT 2017, Table 8 (g per 100 g protein, converted to mg per g) [1]. Reference pattern for adults: lysine 45 mg/g and sulphur amino acids 22 mg/g protein, WHO/FAO/UNU 2007 [3]. Percentages are Bhāvi's calculation and are not corrected for digestibility.
The pattern is clear. Every cereal and millet falls short on lysine, from 82% of the reference for rice down to 32% for kodo millet. Every dal is rich in lysine (135–158%) but short on methionine and cystine (50–89%). Each covers the other's gap. Fenugreek seeds and flaxseed are unusual in meeting both references on their own.
So what happens when you combine them? Using the same IFCT values, here is Bhāvi's estimate for some familiar pairings.
| Combination (by raw weight) | Protein (g) | Lysine (mg/g protein) | % of reference | Met + Cys (mg/g protein) | % of reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice + toor dal (3 : 1) | 11.4 | 49 | 108% | 31 | 139% |
| Ragi + horse gram (3 : 1) | 10.8 | 45 | 101% | 28 | 129% |
| Wheat atta + moong dal (3 : 1) | 13.9 | 40 | 89% | 29 | 133% |
| Wheat atta + moong dal (2 : 1) | 15.0 | 44 | 97% | 27 | 121% |
Bhāvi's calculation (estimate) from IFCT 2017 protein and amino acid values [1], against the WHO/FAO/UNU 2007 adult pattern [3]. Not corrected for digestibility, so real-world values will be somewhat lower.
Rice with toor dal and ragi with horse gram (the classic mudde and hurali saaru of Karnataka) both clear the reference at a 3 : 1 ratio. Wheat is so low in lysine that roti with dal needs a bit more dal, closer to 2 : 1, to get near the mark. This is a calculation, not a feeding study, and it ignores digestibility, but it shows why the dal–grain plate became a habit across India.
How much of that protein do you actually absorb?
The protein on a label is not all absorbed. In 2019, researchers at St John's Research Institute, Bengaluru, measured how much of the essential amino acids in legumes healthy Indian adults actually absorbed in the small intestine, using an isotope tracer method. True ileal digestibility was 74.6% for chickpea, 71.6% for yellow pea and 63.2% for whole mung bean, lower than the authors expected. Dehulling mung bean raised it to 70.9% [5].
So the split dal you cook every day is likely better digested than the whole pulse. Traditional preparation also helps: soaking, sprouting and fermenting reduce phytic acid, which binds minerals in grains and pulses [6]. We look at sprouting in detail in sprouted flour vs regular flour.
What about foxtail, barnyard and proso millet?
IFCT 2017 does not have separate entries for foxtail millet (navane, thinai, kangni), barnyard millet (oodalu, kuthiraivali, sanwa), proso millet (baragu, panivaragu) or browntop millet. Figures for them circulate online, but we could not trace them to a current official Indian table, so we have not quoted any. Assume they sit in the same broad cereal range as the millets above, and need a dal alongside just as much.
From the Dhatu pantry
- Organic Green Gram (Whole) 500g: 22.5 g protein per 100 g, for sprouts, usli and dal
- Organic Horsegram Whole 500g: for hurali saaru, kollu rasam and kulith pithla
- Organic Red Cowpea (Alasande / Lobia) 500g
- Organic White Sesame 100g: for chutney powders, chikki and laddoos
- Read next: besan protein per 100 g, with portions and a sattu comparison
- Read next: moringa powder nutrition and protein per 100 g
Frequently asked questions
Which Indian dal has the highest protein per 100g?
Among everyday dals, masoor dal (split red lentil) has the most, at about 24.4 g per 100 g raw, followed by moong dal (23.9 g) and urad dal (23.1 g), according to IFCT 2017. Soybean is higher still at about 35.6 g, but it is usually counted separately from dals.
How much protein is in 100g of toor dal?
About 21.7 g per 100 g of raw toor dal (split red gram), according to IFCT 2017. One katori of cooked dal made from roughly 30 g of raw dal gives about 6.5 g of protein.
Which millet has the most protein?
Of the millets listed in IFCT 2017, bajra (pearl millet) has the most protein at about 11.0 g per 100 g, followed by little millet (10.1 g) and jowar (10.0 g). Ragi has the least, at about 7.2 g, but is far richer in calcium.
Is ragi high in protein?
Not especially. Ragi has about 7.2 g of protein per 100 g, which is lower than wheat atta (10.6 g) and similar to white rice (7.9 g). Ragi is valued for its calcium and fibre rather than its protein.
How much protein is in 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds?
About 2.2 g. White sesame seeds contain about 21.7 g of protein per 100 g (IFCT 2017), and a level tablespoon weighs roughly 10 g.
Which seed has the highest protein in India?
Per 100 g, fenugreek seeds top IFCT 2017's list at about 25.4 g, followed by groundnut (23.6 g), sunflower seeds (23.5 g) and garden cress seeds (23.4 g). Because fenugreek is eaten by the teaspoon, groundnut and sesame contribute far more protein in practice.
Do I need to eat dal and rice together to get complete protein?
No, not in the same bite. Cereals are low in lysine and dals are low in methionine, so they balance each other, but the body pools amino acids from meals eaten across the day.
How much protein do I need per day in India?
ICMR-NIN's 2020 RDA for healthy adults is 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight per day: about 54 g for a 65 kg man and 46 g for a 55 kg woman. ICMR suggests 1 g per kg for people whose diet is mainly cereals.
India counts protein in grams, but the next step is to count it in what the body absorbs. ICMR's 2020 guidelines introduced the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS), yet measured human digestibility data remain limited to a small number of foods, with little for most millets or for meals as they are actually eaten, such as rice with sambar or ragi mudde with saaru. Measuring cooked, combined Indian meals, and adding foxtail, barnyard and proso millet to the national food composition tables, would tell families far more than another "protein per 100 g" claim. Readers can help by asking a simple question of any protein number they see: raw or cooked, and measured where?
This article is for general information and is not medical or dietary advice. If you have a medical condition, such as kidney disease, 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)
- Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition. WHO Technical Report Series 935. World Health Organization, 2007. WHO IRIS
- Anitha S, Kane-Potaka J, Tsusaka TW, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the potential of millets for managing and reducing the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Front Nutr. 2021;8:687428. PubMed 34395493 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.687428
- Kashyap S, Varkey A, Shivakumar N, et al. True ileal digestibility of legumes determined by dual-isotope tracer method in Indian adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(4):873-882. PubMed 31374575 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqz159
- Gupta RK, Gangoliya SS, Singh NK. Reduction of phytic acid and enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in food grains. J Food Sci Technol. 2015;52(2):676-684. PubMed 25694676 · doi:10.1007/s13197-013-0978-y
