Dal Rice Calories & Protein: Toor, Moong, Masoor, Chana — Which Dal Is Best?

Dal chawal (dal rice) is eaten daily by hundreds of millions of Indians. It's cheap, complete protein (dal + rice = all essential amino acids), and endlessly variable. A standard bowl of dal rice is ~350-450 calories with 12-18g protein — making it one of the most efficient vegetarian meals anywhere.

But not all dals are equal. Here's how they compare.

Dal Type	Calories	Protein (g)	Fiber (g)
Moong dal (yellow)	~130	9	2
Masoor dal (red lentil)	~140	10	3
Toor/Arhar dal	~150	9	2
Chana dal	~160	10	5
Urad dal (whole)	~170	11	4
Rajma (kidney beans)	~165	9	6
Dal makhani (with butter/cream)	~250	10	3

Best protein-per-calorie: Masoor dal — 10g protein for just 140 kcal. It's also the fastest to cook.

Optimized dal rice (~400 kcal, 18g protein):

• 1 cup cooked rice (~200 kcal) — or half rice, half quinoa for extra protein
• 1 katori moong or masoor dal (~135 kcal, 10g protein)
• Tadka with minimal oil (1 tsp ghee = 45 kcal)
• Squeeze of lemon — vitamin C helps iron absorption from dal
• Side of curd (~60 kcal, 4g protein)

The dal makhani trap: Restaurant dal makhani uses butter + cream, turning a 150 kcal dal into 250+ kcal. Home-cooked with minimal butter is the move.