Plant-Based Proteins
Protein in Arhar Dal / Toor Dal: Protein, Calories, and Meal Ideas
Arhar dal, also called toor dal or split pigeon peas, is a common Indian vegan pulse with about 11.2 g protein per 50 g dry serving and 22.3 g per 100 g dry dal.
Protein per serving
11.2g
50 g dry arhar dal / toor dal / about 1/4 cup
Calories per serving
168
50 g serving
Protein per 100g
22.3g
335 calories per 100 g
Protein density
6.7g
protein per 100 calories
Arhar Dal / Toor Dal Nutrition Snapshot
| Measure | Amount | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical serving | 50 g dry arhar dal / toor dal / about 1/4 cup | 11.2g | 168 |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 22.3g | 335 |
| Protein density | 100 calories | 6.7g | 100 |
Representative source entry: Red gram dal / split pigeon peas, dry. These values are for dry split pigeon peas before cooking. Cooked dal weighs more because it absorbs water, so cooked dal has less protein per 100 g even though the original dry dal protein remains in the pot.
Good for weight loss? Good
Toor dal can fit weight loss because it combines plant protein, fiber, and slow-digesting carbohydrates, but rice, roti, tadka oil, ghee, coconut, and restaurant portions still need to be measured.
Good for muscle gain? Good
Arhar dal supports muscle-gain meals as a protein-and-carb base, especially when paired with rice, roti, soy foods, seitan, paneer, Greek yogurt, or a larger measured dal portion.
Meal Ideas with Arhar Dal / Toor Dal
Toor dal with rice, salad, and tofu on the side
Arhar dal tadka with roti and Greek yogurt
Sambar-style toor dal with vegetables and idli
High-protein dal bowl with quinoa and soy chunks
How to Use Arhar Dal / Toor Dal
Quick Answer
Dry arhar dal, also called toor dal or split pigeon peas, has about 22.3 g protein per 100 g. A practical 50 g dry portion gives about 11.2 g protein before cooking, making it a high-protein dry pulse by weight.
- Protein class: high per 100 g dry dal because it falls in the 15-24.9 g range.
- Protein quality: partial plant protein, so dal works best with rice, roti, grains, soy foods, seeds, or varied legumes across the day.
- Best format: weigh the dry split pigeon peas before cooking when you want the cleanest protein estimate.
Dry Dal vs Cooked Dal
The biggest tracking mistake is comparing dry dal values with cooked dal values. Cooking adds water, so the same 50 g dry dal still has about 11.2 g protein after cooking, but that protein is spread across a much heavier cooked bowl.
- Use dry weight when cooking from scratch because it is more consistent than cooked ladle volume.
- Cooked dal per 100 g looks lower because water increases the final weight.
- A thin restaurant-style dal and a thick home dal can have different protein per bowl even when made from the same dry dal.
How to Build a Higher-Protein Dal Meal
Arhar dal is a strong base for Indian vegetarian and vegan meals, but a bowl of dal with rice may still need extra protein if the meal target is 25-40 g.
- Use a larger measured dry dal portion when dal is the main protein.
- Pair with tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy chunks, seitan, Greek yogurt, paneer, or a protein shake depending on diet preference.
- Combine dal with rice, roti, millet, quinoa, or amaranth for a practical plant-based meal pattern.
Tadka, Ghee, Oil, and Restaurant Dal
Plain dry toor dal values do not include the calories from tadka, ghee, oil, coconut, cream, or restaurant portions. These additions do not add much protein, but they can change calories quickly.
- Track oil or ghee used in tempering separately.
- Count rice, roti, papad, pickle, and curd separately from dal.
- Use package labels when your toor dal brand lists a different serving size or protein value.
How Arhar Dal / Toor Dal Compares for Protein Density
Arhar Dal / Toor Dal works as a plant-based protein source with about 22.3 g protein and 335 calories per 100 g. That equals 6.7 g protein per 100 calories, or about 15.0 calories per gram of protein. This density number is useful because two foods can both look high protein while one needs far more calories to deliver the same protein target.
Arhar Dal / Toor Dal is more protein-dense than the average of the related foods shown below, so it is easier to use when calories are tight. Plant protein foods often bring fiber, carbohydrates, fats, or all three along with protein. That makes them useful, but it also means protein density can be very different from lean meat, fish, egg whites, or protein powder. Use the comparison table as a planning shortcut: choose the higher-density option when calories are limited, and choose the more calorie-dense option when appetite is low or muscle-gain meals need to be easier to finish.
| Food | Serving protein | Protein / 100g | Protein / 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lentils | 18g | 9g | 7.8g |
| Arhar Dal / Toor Dal | 11.2g | 22.3g | 6.7g |
| Adzuki Beans | 12.8g | 7.5g | 5.9g |
| Quinoa | 8g | 4.4g | 3.7g |
Best Uses for Arhar Dal / Toor Dal
For Weight Loss or Calorie Control
Arhar Dal / Toor Dal can work for weight loss or maintenance when the serving is measured and the rest of the plate is planned. The easiest approach is to decide the protein target first, then add carbs, fats, and sauces around that target. For this page's representative serving, 50 g dry arhar dal / toor dal / about 1/4 cup gives about 11.2 g protein. If your meal target is 30 g protein, that is roughly 2.7 typical servings, or about 134.5 g by weight. This is why weighing the first few servings is useful: it turns a vague protein food into a repeatable meal component.
For Muscle Gain or Higher-Calorie Meals
Arhar dal supports muscle-gain meals as a protein-and-carb base, especially when paired with rice, roti, soy foods, seitan, paneer, Greek yogurt, or a larger measured dal portion. When using arhar dal / toor dal for muscle gain, the question is not only whether it contains protein; it is whether the whole meal has enough total protein, carbohydrates, and calories to support training. If you need a leaner plant option, compare against tofu, seitan, tempeh, edamame, or pea protein powder. If you need more energy, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, pasta, oats, and quinoa can help. A practical muscle-gain plate is to keep the arhar dal / toor dal portion consistent, then adjust rice, pasta, oats, potatoes, bread, beans, oil, nuts, or dairy up or down depending on your calorie target.
For Meal Prep and Repeatable Tracking
Arhar Dal / Toor Dal is easiest to track when the serving method stays the same from week to week. Choose one default serving, log it with the matching raw, cooked, dry, drained, or label-based entry, and then build meals around that known number. Good repeatable options include Toor dal with rice, salad, and tofu on the side, Arhar dal tadka with roti and Greek yogurt, Sambar-style toor dal with vegetables and idli, and similar meals where the protein portion is measured before sauces and toppings are added.
Exact Serving Conversions
Serving conversions help when your food scale, recipe, or tracking app uses a different unit than this page. For Arhar Dal / Toor Dal, 1 oz is about 28.35 g and provides roughly 6.3 g protein and 95.0 calories based on the representative per-100-g values. Half of the typical serving gives about 5.6 g protein and 84 calories, while a double serving gives about 22.4 g protein and 336 calories.
Use gram targets when precision matters. To get 25 g protein from arhar dal / toor dal, you need about 112.1 g, which is roughly 375.6 calories. To get 30 g protein, use about 134.5 g and 450.7 calories. To get 40 g protein, use about 179.4 g and 600.9 calories. These estimates are based on the USDA or representative source entry listed below, so the label on your exact product should win when there is a difference.
| Target | Approx. amount | Calories | Typical servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25g protein | 112.1g | 375.6 | 2.2x |
| 30g protein | 134.5g | 450.7 | 2.7x |
| 40g protein | 179.4g | 600.9 | 3.6x |
Raw, Cooked, Dry, or Label Weight?
The best tracking rule for Arhar Dal / Toor Dal is simple: match the database entry to the state of the food when you weighed it. This page uses Red gram dal / split pigeon peas, dry as the representative source entry, with the serving shown as 50 g dry arhar dal / toor dal / about 1/4 cup. These values are for dry split pigeon peas before cooking. Cooked dal weighs more because it absorbs water, so cooked dal has less protein per 100 g even though the original dry dal protein remains in the pot.
For plant foods, dry versus cooked weight and brand formulation matter. Beans, grains, pasta, seeds, butters, and powders should be tracked using the form you actually weighed. If you batch cook, portion after cooking only when your tracker entry is also cooked. If you weigh before cooking, use a raw or dry entry and divide the finished batch into servings after cooking. If you are eating a packaged product, the label is normally the most specific source because brands can change water, sodium, sugar, fat, fortification, and serving size.
The most reliable workflow is to choose one method and repeat it: weigh the food, choose the matching raw, cooked, dry, drained, or packaged entry, then log oils, sauces, toppings, sides, and drinks separately. This avoids the most common protein tracking error, which is accidentally counting a prepared meal as if it were a plain serving of arhar dal / toor dal.
Common Mistakes with Arhar Dal / Toor Dal
Most mistakes with Arhar Dal / Toor Dal are not about the protein number itself; they are about matching the wrong food form, ignoring preparation, or forgetting the extra ingredients that travel with the serving. Avoid these issues before comparing your intake against a daily target from the protein calculator.
- Using a generic arhar dal / toor dal entry when the actual food is cooked, raw, flavored, breaded, sweetened, packed in oil, or from a specific brand.
- Counting Arhar Dal / Toor Dal as the entire meal even when the real calorie load comes from oil, dressing, sauce, bread, rice, tortillas, cheese, nuts, or toppings.
- Estimating by eye instead of weighing the first few times. A small portion change can move the meal by 5-15 g of protein or by a few hundred calories for calorie-dense foods.
- For plant foods, dry versus cooked weight and brand formulation matter. Beans, grains, pasta, seeds, butters, and powders should be tracked using the form you actually weighed.
- Weigh dry dal before cooking for the most consistent protein estimate.
- Do not compare dry dal protein per 100 g with cooked dal protein per 100 g.
- Track oil, ghee, coconut, cream, rice, roti, papad, and pickle separately.
- Use the package label when your brand gives a different protein value.
Building a High-Protein Meal with Arhar Dal / Toor Dal
Start with the protein target, not the recipe name. A light snack might only need 10-20 g protein, while a main meal often works better at 30-45 g protein depending on body size, meal frequency, and training. With Arhar Dal / Toor Dal, a 30 g protein meal is approximately 134.5 g of the representative food before sides and toppings. If that portion feels too large, combine a smaller amount of arhar dal / toor dal with another protein from the related-food list.
A balanced plate usually needs more than protein. Pair arhar dal / toor dal with a fiber source, a carbohydrate source if you train or need energy, and enough fat to make the meal satisfying. For lower-calorie meals, keep sauces light and increase vegetables. For higher-calorie meals, add rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, oats, beans, dairy, nuts, seeds, avocado, or oil depending on the type of food and your goal.
If the meal is meant to be repeated, write down the exact version that worked: the grams of arhar dal / toor dal, the cooking method, the sides, and the sauce. That gives you a reusable meal template instead of a one-time estimate, and it makes future protein targets easier to hit without redoing the math every day.
Tracking Tips
- Weigh dry dal before cooking for the most consistent protein estimate.
- Do not compare dry dal protein per 100 g with cooked dal protein per 100 g.
- Track oil, ghee, coconut, cream, rice, roti, papad, and pickle separately.
- Use the package label when your brand gives a different protein value.
Compare Similar Protein Foods
Common Questions
How much protein is in 50 g of arhar dal / toor dal?
A 50 g dry serving of arhar dal / toor dal has about 11.2 g protein. After cooking, the protein stays roughly the same, but the cooked bowl weighs more because it absorbs water.
How much protein is in 100 g of dry toor dal?
Dry toor dal has about 22.3 g protein per 100 g, based on Indian Food Composition Tables values for split pigeon pea dal.
Is arhar dal / toor dal a complete protein?
No. It is best treated as a partial plant protein. Pairing dal with rice, roti, other grains, soy foods, seeds, or varied legumes across the day improves the overall amino-acid pattern.
Why is cooked dal lower in protein per 100 g?
Cooked dal contains much more water than dry dal. The original protein from the dry dal is still there, but it is diluted across a heavier cooked portion.
Is toor dal good for vegan high-protein meals?
Yes, as a useful base. For a higher-protein vegan meal, combine toor dal with tofu, tempeh, soy chunks, seitan, edamame, or a measured larger dal portion.
Sources reviewed
- Indian Food Composition Tables 2017: red gram dal / pigeon pea split - National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR
- International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise - Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition