Protein in dal per 100g depends entirely on one thing most articles skip: whether you’re measuring raw or cooked dal. Raw dal delivers roughly 20–25g of protein per 100g, while the same 100g of cooked dal contains closer to 7–10g — not because protein is lost, but because cooking adds water weight. Below is the full breakdown of protein in dal per 100g for every major dal type, what it means for your daily katori, and how dal stacks up against chicken, paneer, and eggs.
Protein in Dal Per 100g: Raw vs. Cooked
Nearly every confusing number you’ve seen about protein in dal per 100g comes down to this single distinction. Raw (dry) dal has no water content, so its protein figure looks concentrated and impressive. Once you soak and cook it, dal absorbs 2–3 times its dry weight in water, so the same amount of protein is now spread across a much larger, heavier bowl. According to the USDA FoodData Central database, this water-dilution effect is standard across all legumes, not unique to dal.
| State | Protein in Dal Per 100g | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Raw / dry dal | 20–25g | No water content; concentrated dry weight |
| Cooked dal | 7–10g | Water absorption triples the weight, diluting protein per gram |
Table 1: Protein in dal per 100g, raw vs. cooked.
For meal planning, always start from the raw weight. If you’re using our protein calculators to hit a daily target, 50g of raw dal (roughly one small handful) becomes about 150g cooked and still delivers 10–12g of protein — not the 3–4g you’d assume from the cooked-weight number alone. This is the single biggest source of confusion when people search for protein in dal per 100g online: two articles can both be “correct” while quoting numbers that differ by 3x, simply because one is measuring raw and the other cooked.
Why the Raw vs. Cooked Gap Matters for Meal Planning
If you’re logging meals in a fitness app or building a diet plan around a specific gram target, using the wrong basis for protein in dal per 100g can throw off your numbers significantly. A common mistake is looking up “protein in dal per 100g” once, memorizing a single figure, and then applying it to every bowl regardless of whether it’s raw or cooked. The safest habit is to always weigh dal before cooking, note the raw grams, and calculate protein from there — then use the cooked weight only for portion size and calorie estimates, not protein math.
Protein in Dal Per 100g by Type: Moong, Masoor, Toor, Chana & Urad
Not every dal has identical protein content. Here’s how protein in dal per 100g breaks down by the five most common Indian dals, using raw (dry) weight for consistency.
| Dal Type | Protein per 100g (Raw) | Protein per 100g (Cooked) |
|---|---|---|
| Moong dal (green/yellow) | 24g | 7–9g |
| Masoor dal (red lentil) | 24–25g | 8–9g |
| Toor / Arhar dal | 21–22g | 7–8g |
| Chana dal (Bengal gram) | 20–21g | 8–9g |
| Urad dal (black gram) | 24–25g | 8–9g |
Table 2: Protein in dal per 100g by type, sourced from Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) figures cited across nutrition databases.
Moong dal sits in the upper range for protein in dal per 100g and is also the easiest to digest, making it a good everyday choice for post-workout meals. Masoor dal edges slightly higher and cooks the fastest of the five, with no soaking required. Toor dal (used in sambar) runs a little lower on protein but has the best protein-to-calorie ratio for weight-management goals. Chana dal trades a touch of protein for extra fiber, which helps with satiety. Urad dal, the base of dosa and idli batter, matches masoor dal at the top of the range. If you’re tracking a related pulse, see our guide to chana dal protein per 100g for a deeper breakdown of that specific type.
Why Dal Is a Reliable Everyday Protein Source
Beyond the raw numbers, dal earns its place in the Indian diet for reasons that go past protein in dal per 100g alone. It’s affordable — a kilo of most dals costs a fraction of an equivalent amount of paneer, chicken, or packaged protein powder, which matters for households eating protein-rich meals daily rather than occasionally. It’s also naturally low in fat and free of cholesterol, and its fiber content (roughly 8–10g per 100g raw) supports digestion and helps regulate post-meal blood sugar spikes, which is especially relevant given how often dal is eaten alongside rice. On top of that, dal is a meaningful source of iron, magnesium, potassium, and folate — nutrients that matter as much as the protein in dal per 100g headline number, particularly for vegetarians who rely on pulses as a primary iron source.
How Much Protein in Dal Per 100g Translates to 1 Katori or 1 Cup
Nobody actually eats 100g of raw dal in one sitting, so it helps to translate protein in dal per 100g into real serving sizes. A standard home-style katori of cooked dal weighs roughly 150–200g.
- 1 katori cooked dal (150–200g) ≈ 7–10g protein, depending on thickness and dal type
- 1 cup cooked dal (roughly 240ml) ≈ 10–13g protein
- Two katoris a day can realistically deliver 15–20g of protein from dal alone
For an exact conversion based on your own bowl size, our 1 katori dal protein guide and 1 cup dal protein guide both walk through the math step by step, and our protein in 1 bowl dal article covers larger family-style servings.
Protein in Dal Per 100g vs. Chicken, Paneer, Egg & Soya
Once you know the raw numbers, it’s natural to ask how protein in dal per 100g compares to other everyday protein sources.
| Food | Protein per 100g |
|---|---|
| Dal (raw) | 20–25g |
| Chicken breast (cooked) | 27g |
| Paneer | 18g |
| Eggs | 13g |
| Curd / dahi | 11g |
| Soya chunks (dry) | ~50g |
Table 3: Protein in dal per 100g compared to other common protein foods (raw/dry basis unless noted).
Dal holds up well against animal protein sources on a raw-weight basis, and it comfortably outperforms paneer, curd, and eggs gram-for-gram. It isn’t the single highest option — soya chunks and chicken edge ahead — but dal wins on affordability, digestibility, and its place in everyday Indian cooking. For more comparisons, see our guide on protein in beans and other high-protein foods for weight loss.
Does Soaking or Cooking Method Change Protein in Dal Per 100g?
Soaking dal before cooking doesn’t change the underlying protein in dal per 100g on a raw-weight basis, but it does improve how much of that protein your body can actually use. Soaking for a few hours reduces phytic acid, a natural compound in legumes that can bind to minerals and slightly limit digestibility. Pressure-cooking versus slow-simmering also doesn’t meaningfully change protein content — both are simply methods of softening the dal and don’t destroy amino acids at normal cooking temperatures. The practical takeaway: soak your dal when you can, but don’t expect it to change the protein in dal per 100g figure itself — its main benefit is better absorption, not a higher number.
Is Dal a Complete Protein?
Dal is not a complete protein on its own — like most legumes, it’s low in the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine. A peer-reviewed review of pulse protein quality confirms this limitation is consistent across lentils, chickpeas, and beans, not just dal. The traditional fix is older than modern nutrition science: pairing dal with rice or roti supplies the missing amino acids from the grain side, making dal-chawal and dal-roti a genuinely complete protein combination. If you eat a lot of roti alongside your dal, our protein in roti guide shows exactly how much that pairing adds.
How Much Dal You Need Daily to Hit Your Protein Target
Once you know your numbers for protein in dal per 100g, the next step is working out how much dal fits your daily protein goal. Most adults need roughly 0.8–1.0g of protein per kg of body weight for general health, rising to 1.2–1.7g/kg for active adults and 1.6–2.2g/kg for muscle-building goals — figures based on ISSN position-stand research. For a 60kg adult with a moderate goal of 60g protein/day, two katoris of dal (15–20g) can cover roughly a third of that target, with the rest coming from grains, dairy, or other proteins.
👉 Want your exact number instead of a general range? Use the protein intake calculator to get a personalized daily protein target based on your weight, activity level, and goal — then plan your dal servings around it.
5 Tips to Increase Protein Intake From Dal
- Eat dal twice a day and keep it moderately thick rather than watery, so each spoonful carries more dal and less plain broth.
- Rotate 2–3 dal types in the same pot (moong + masoor, or chana + toor + urad) for a broader amino acid mix.
- Add dal to breakfast — a moong dal chilla or besan chilla is an easy way to front-load protein early in the day.
- Use dal-based snacks like sprouted moong salad or leftover dal tikki instead of fried options.
- Pair dal with grains or dairy — rice, roti, curd, or paneer all complement dal’s amino acid profile and push your total protein higher.
Common Mistakes When Tracking Protein in Dal Per 100g
A few habits quietly undercut how much protein people actually get from dal. The first is assuming all dal varieties are interchangeable — as the table above shows, protein in dal per 100g can swing by 4–5g between toor dal and urad dal, which adds up if toor is your only regular variety. The second is eating dal too watery; a thin, soupy dal has more water and less dal per spoonful, which lowers the effective protein you’re consuming per bowl even though the raw ingredients didn’t change. The third is treating dal as a complete meal on its own — without a grain, dairy, or another protein source alongside it, you’re missing methionine and cysteine, and the protein you do get won’t be used as efficiently by your body. Being aware of these three mistakes makes it much easier to translate protein in dal per 100g figures into real, day-to-day results.
Final Takeaway on Protein in Dal Per 100g
The short version: protein in dal per 100g is about 20–25g raw and 7–10g cooked, with moong, masoor, and urad dal sitting at the top of that range. No protein is lost during cooking — it’s simply diluted by water, so always plan your meals around raw-weight figures when tracking intake. Pair dal with rice or roti for a complete amino acid profile, rotate a few dal types through the week, and use two katoris a day as a realistic, affordable base for your overall protein target.
Frequently Asked Questions
Protein in dal per 100g is roughly 20–25g for raw/dry dal and 7–10g for cooked dal, with the difference coming from water absorption during cooking, not protein loss.
Masoor dal and urad dal typically sit at the top for protein in dal per 100g, at around 24–25g raw, followed closely by moong dal at 24g.
Most published figures for protein in dal per 100g refer to raw, uncooked dal. Always check whether a source specifies raw or cooked, since the numbers differ by more than double.
No — dal is limited in methionine and cysteine. Combining it with rice or roti, alongside your usual protein in dal per 100g intake, creates a complete amino acid profile.
Two katoris of cooked dal per day is a realistic target, delivering roughly 15–20g of protein based on typical protein in dal per 100g figures for cooked dal.
Cooking doesn’t destroy protein — it dilutes it. Protein in dal per 100g looks lower after cooking only because the dal has absorbed water and gained weight, not because protein was lost.
Raw dal’s 20–25g protein per 100g is close to chicken breast (27g) and higher than paneer (18g), eggs (13g), and curd (11g), making dal a strong plant-based option gram-for-gram.
