Daal, chana and lobia: cheap protein for desi homes
Meat is expensive, but protein does not have to be. The daal, chana and lobia already in your kitchen are some of the cheapest and healthiest sources of protein in the world.
Quick answer
- One bowl (200 g) of cooked daal, chana or rajma gives about 12 to 15 g of protein, for 230 to 270 calories.
- Pulses are also rich in fibre, iron, folate and potassium, and have almost no saturated fat.
- Eat daal with roti or rice. Together they give you a complete protein, as good as many animal foods.
- For most adults, 2 bowls of pulses a day plus some dahi, milk or eggs covers a large part of daily protein needs.
Protein in daal and pulses: the quick table
Values are for cooked pulses in a normal home salan or tarka. A bowl is about 200 g, or one katori filled well.
| Pulse | 1 bowl, 200 g | Protein | Fibre | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masoor daal (red lentils) | Cooked with tarka | 13 g | 8 g | 230 |
| Moong daal | Cooked with tarka | 13 g | 7 g | 220 |
| Chana daal | Cooked with tarka | 14 g | 9 g | 260 |
| Kala or safaid chana | Chana masala | 12 g | 10 g | 270 |
| Rajma (kidney beans) | Rajma masala | 13 g | 11 g | 240 |
| Lobia (black-eyed beans) | Lobia salan | 13 g | 10 g | 230 |
| Roasted chana | 30 g handful | 6.5 g | 5 g | 120 |
Compare this with animal foods: 2 boiled eggs give about 12.5 g of protein, and 100 g of cooked chicken breast gives about 30 g. So one bowl of daal gives about the same protein as two eggs.
Why pulses are so good for you
- Cheap. A kilo of daal makes many more meals than a kilo of meat, for a fraction of the price.
- High in fibre. One bowl gives 7 to 11 g of fibre. Most adults need 25 to 30 g a day, and most people in South Asia eat far less. Fibre keeps you full, helps digestion and helps control blood sugar.
- Good for the heart. Pulses have almost no saturated fat and no cholesterol. Eating them regularly is linked with lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
- Rich in iron and folate. These are very important for women, as iron deficiency (anaemia) is very common in Pakistan and India.
- Slow carbs. Pulses have a low glycaemic index, so they raise blood sugar slowly. This makes them a great food for people with diabetes or prediabetes.
Daal and roti together make a complete protein
Protein is made of smaller parts called amino acids. Your body needs nine of them from food. Pulses are low in one of them (methionine), and wheat and rice are low in another (lysine).
When you eat daal with roti or rice, each one fills the gap of the other. That is why daal-chawal and daal-roti, which our grandparents ate every day, are such a smart combination. You do not even need to eat them in the same meal. Eating both over the day is enough.
How much protein do you need?
Most healthy adults need about 0.8 g of protein for every kg of body weight each day. A person who weighs 70 kg needs around 56 g. People who exercise hard, older adults, and people trying to lose weight while keeping their muscle often do better with more, around 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg.
Our macro calculator works out your protein target from your weight and goal. For more detail, read how much protein do I need.
A day of protein from desi food, on a small budget
This simple day gives a 60 to 70 kg adult about 55 to 60 g of protein without any meat:
- Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 roti (16 g)
- Lunch: 1 bowl of chana or lobia with 2 rotis (18 g)
- Snack: 1 handful of roasted chana and a cup of chai (9 g)
- Dinner: 1 bowl of masoor daal, 1 cup of rice and a cup of dahi (22 g)
Add a piece of chicken or fish a few times a week and you will easily meet your needs.
Tips to get more out of your daal
- Make it thicker. A very watery daal has less protein per bowl. Use a bit more daal and a bit less water.
- Go easy on the tarka. One tablespoon of oil or ghee is enough for a family pot. Each extra tablespoon adds about 120 calories.
- Soak pulses before cooking. Soaking chana, rajma and lobia for 6 to 8 hours makes them cook faster and causes less gas.
- Add lemon or tomatoes. Vitamin C helps your body take in the iron from pulses.
- Mix different daals. Panchmel daal or mixed daal gives a wider mix of nutrients.
- Try sprouts. Sprouted moong or chana chaat is light, crunchy and full of protein.
Do pulses cause gas?
Some people get gas or bloating from pulses, because of natural sugars that the gut bacteria break down. This is normal and usually gets better if you eat pulses regularly in small amounts. Soaking, cooking well, throwing away the soaking water, and adding zeera, hing (asafoetida), ginger or ajwain also help.
Common questions
Which daal has the most protein?
Most daals have similar protein, about 13 to 14 g per cooked bowl. Chana daal and masoor daal are slightly higher. Raw, dry pulses have about 22 to 25 g of protein per 100 g.
Is daal enough protein for vegetarians?
Daal is a very good start, but for a full day it helps to also eat dahi, milk, paneer or eggs if you eat them, and to have pulses at two meals a day.
Can I eat daal every day?
Yes. Eating pulses every day is healthy and is recommended by health guidelines in both Pakistan and India.
Is daal good for weight loss?
Yes. The protein and fibre in daal keep you full for a long time. Just watch the ghee or oil in the tarka.
Sources
- Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR, Hyderabad.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, cowpeas, cooked. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- WHO/FAO/UNU Expert Consultation. Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition. WHO Technical Report Series 935, 2007. www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241209359
- Ha V, Sievenpiper JL, de Souza RJ, et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CMAJ, 2014;186:E252-E262. doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.131727
- Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, Government of Pakistan, and FAO. Pakistan Dietary Guidelines for Better Nutrition, 2018.
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024. www.nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines
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