Urad dal protein per 100g: calories, carbs, fibre, iron and GI

The table gives urad dal nutrition per 100 g of raw dal as IFCT 2017 records it, with toor dal (pigeon pea) and moong dal (green gram) from the same tables beside it, so the numbers can be read in context. Energy is 324 kcal, protein 23.06 g, fat 1.69 g, carbohydrate 51.00 g and dietary fibre 11.93 g, and the glycemic index comes to 43. Keep three things in mind as you read. First, these are dry, raw values, and cooking takes up water, so a 100 g portion of cooked dal carries far less; the serving section below does that arithmetic. Second, the figures are IFCT 2017's for black gram, dal, and this page uses them for every form of urad. Third, a pack label may print slightly different values for one batch.

Per 100 g raw, edible portion. Composition: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN). GI: University of Sydney GI database. — means not reported. These are average values for the food; the label on a pack gives the values for that product.

Urad dal protein per 100 g is 23.06 g, which sits in solid dal territory: a step above toor dal's 21.70 g and a shade below moong dal's 23.88 g. In percentage terms that is about 6 percent more protein than toor dal, while moong dal edges urad out by a similar sliver. ICMR-NIN's guidelines add the quality half of the story: pulses are rich in lysine and cereals are low in it, so dal with rice or roti, in a 3:1 cereal to pulse ratio by raw weight, can meet the requirement for all the essential amino acids. Counting grams is only half the job; pairing is the other half.

Urad dal calories come to 324 kcal per 100 g of raw dal, almost level with moong dal's 326 kcal and a shade under toor dal's 331 kcal. Carbohydrate is 51.00 g per 100 g and fat only 1.69 g, so urad is a pulse, not a fat source. The standout is dietary fibre: 11.93 g per 100 g, about a quarter more than moong dal's 9.37 g and about a third more than toor dal's 9.06 g. ICMR-NIN's guidelines put the fibre figure to work: dietary fibre slows the absorption of carbohydrates and fats and raises the satiety value of food; what that means for appetite and portions is on the urad dal for weight loss page.

One katori of cooked dal is made from 30 g of the dry dal, the standard measure this site uses, and one cup is about 200 g. The katori holds about 97 kcal, 6.9 g of protein, 15.3 g of carbohydrate, 3.6 g of fibre and 0.5 g of fat, with 1.4 mg of iron, 16.7 mg of calcium, 51.9 mg of magnesium, 347 mg of potassium, 0.9 mg of zinc, 26.6 mcg of folate and 5.7 mg of sodium. These are dal-only figures: the oil in a tadka, the ghee on top and the rice beside the katori all add on top.

Scale that up to a full cup, 200 g of dry urad dal, and the numbers double: 648 kcal, 46.1 g of protein, 102 g of carbohydrate, 23.9 g of fibre, 9.3 mg of iron and 111 mg of calcium. The recipes that start from these measures are collected in the urad dal recipes roundup.

The glycemic index of urad dal is 43, and the number is based on one test carried out in India on plain black gram that was soaked for 12 hours, held moist for a day and then steamed for an hour; the entry does not record whether the bean was whole or split. On the Sydney scale, anything at 55 or below counts as low and anything at 70 or above counts as high, so urad sits in the low band. Beside it, moong dal's GI of 38 comes from the same 1991 study and the same preparation, while toor dal's GI of 20 is the mean of four tests, none of them in India. A GI belongs to the food as it was tested, not to the whole meal, and it says nothing about the oil in a vada or the rice on the plate. How the number plays out for blood sugar, dish by dish, is on the urad dal for diabetes page.

Iron comes to 4.67 mg per 100 g, the most of the three dals here, ahead of toor dal's 3.90 mg and moong dal's 3.93 mg; a katori of cooked dal carries about 1.4 mg. Magnesium is 173 mg (toor 119 mg, moong 155 mg) and zinc is 3.00 mg (toor 2.63 mg, moong 2.49 mg), and urad leads on both. Calcium is 55.67 mg, between toor's 71.73 mg and moong's 43.13 mg. Two minerals run the other way: potassium is 1157 mg, below moong's 1268 mg and toor's 1395 mg, and folate is 88.75 mcg, below moong's 92.11 mcg and toor's 108 mcg. Sodium is 18.88 mg per 100 g. Vitamin C is not reported. ICMR-NIN's guidelines note that plant iron is absorbed better when a vitamin C food such as citrus fruit or a coriander and green chilli chutney sits in the same meal. What each of these nutrients does for you is on the urad dal benefits page.

Cooking does not destroy the minerals; it dilutes them, because cooked dal takes up water, which is why every serving below is counted from dry dal. ICMR-NIN's guidelines describe two effects. Boiling or pressure cooking is the best way to improve the nutritional quality of pulses, and the phytic acid that hinders mineral absorption decreases to a great extent with it. Boiling in only as much water as the pot needs, with none drained away, is the guideline's method to retain folate in legumes, so keep the cooking water. Soaking, sprouting, malting and fermenting improve the digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients, and fermentation is exactly what an idli or dosa batter does. Soak the dal overnight, about 12 hours, as the how to soak urad dal page sets out, then grind it for idli with urad dal and rice or urad dal dosa. The guidelines also warn against overcooking, which loses lysine. The forms and the cooking basics sit on the urad dal hub.

Does black gram have protein?

Yes: IFCT 2017 records 23.06 g of protein per 100 g of black gram dal, which is urad dal. That sits a little above toor dal's 21.70 g and a little below moong dal's 23.88 g. A katori of cooked dal, made from 30 g of dry dal, brings about 6.9 g.

Is urad dal rich in protein?

Among Indian dals it sits high. The 23.06 g of protein per 100 g beats toor dal's 21.70 g and sits close to moong dal's 23.88 g, and ICMR-NIN's guidelines list black gram among the pulses that can serve as a good protein source. Pair the dal with rice or roti; pulses and cereals fill each other's amino acid gaps.

Does urad dal have fiber?

Yes: 11.93 g of total dietary fibre per 100 g of dry dal, the most of the three dals compared on this page, ahead of moong dal's 9.37 g and toor dal's 9.06 g. A katori of cooked dal, from 30 g of dry dal, gives about 3.6 g.

Does urad dal have iron?

Yes: 4.67 mg of iron per 100 g of dry dal, above toor dal's 3.90 mg and moong dal's 3.93 mg. A katori of cooked dal carries about 1.4 mg. Plant iron is taken up better when the meal includes a vitamin C food such as citrus fruit, as ICMR-NIN's guidelines explain.

How to eat urad dal for protein?

Cook it as a dal beside rice or roti, or grind it into idli and dosa batters. ICMR-NIN's guidelines say pulses and cereals together, in a 3:1 cereal to pulse ratio by raw weight, give protein that can meet the requirement for all the essential amino acids. A katori adds about 6.9 g of protein; the dishes are in the urad dal recipes roundup.

What is black gram?

Black gram is the name IFCT 2017 gives urad dal, so the two names point at the same pulse. Shops sell it whole with the black skin on, or split with the skin on or off. These numbers come from IFCT 2017's entry for black gram, dal: 324 kcal, 23.06 g of protein and 11.93 g of fibre per 100 g. The forms and their uses are on the urad dal types page.

Is urad dal good for diabetes?

Yes, in a measured portion. Urad dal's glycemic index of 43, from a single India-tested entry, sits in the low band, which runs to 55, and its carbohydrate, 51.00 g per 100 g, is ordinary for a dal. Keep the rice or roti beside it whole-grain and let the doctor set the portions. The evidence is on the urad dal for diabetes page.