Common Indian dals, their protein content, calories and easy cooking tips

Dal Chawal is a staple in most Indian homes and is enjoyed across the country with some pickles and side dishes. There are several types of dal or lentil that are used for cooking on a daily basis in our country and some of them are Moong Dal, Masoor Dal, Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Arhar Dal, Soybean, and Rajma. They are a major source of protein for most vegetarians and can provide the much-required nutrition. Not just Dal Chawal, these dals can be used to make plenty of dishes such as Khichdi, Dosa, Halwas, Laddoos etc. Here is a list of some of these common dals, their nutrition content and tips on how to make them easily at home. (Images courtesy: iStock)

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Moong is one of the most common and frequently used dal in Indian households and it contains a lot of nutrition along with a delicious taste. There are three types of moong dal - Yellow, Split Green Moong, and Whole Green Moong Dal. It is one of the most easily cooked dals. You can just soak it for 5 minutes and put in the pressure cooker for cooking. This dal canalso be used to make Khichdi, Halwa and Cheela.

Nutrition facts

In 1 cup of Whole Green Moong Dal, there are 236 calories that include 16 gms of protein and 16 gms of fibre. On the other hand, a cup of Yellow Moong Dal has about 147 calories in it with 25 gms of protein and 12 gms of fibre present in it.

Tip: Soak the Green Moong Dal for 15-20 minutes before cooking. This will help in better absorption of nutrients.

It is typically skinned chickpeas and has a nutty flavour in it. This dal is often used to make Khichdi along with curry. Many people combine this dal with ghiya or bottle gourd to make the dish Ghiya Chane ki Dal. Not just that, but Chana Dal is also used to make sweet dishes like Puran Poli and Cheelas!

Nutrition facts

In 1 cup of Chana Dal, there are 256 calories that include 13 gms of protein and 11 gms of fibre.

Tip: Soak the Chana Dal 2-3 hours prior to cooking as it takes more time to cook in comparison to other dals.

This dal is also of two types - Whole Masoor which is a little brown to black in colour and Split Masoor Dal, which is orange in colour. The nutrition content of both the dals is almost similar and doesn’t differ much. It is just that the Whole Masoor Dal is a bit on the heavier side and is rich in protein and not easily digestible while orange dal is the most digestible dal after Moong Dal.

Nutrition facts

In 1 cup of Split Masoor Dal, there are 180 calories in it that account for 10 gms protein and 6 gms fibre. On the other hand, Whole Masoor Dal has about 120 calories present in it with 14 gms of protein and 8 gms of fibre.

Tip: Whenever cooking Whole Masoor or Brown Masoor, make sure that you soak them for at least 4-5 hours prior to cooking.

Popularly known as Arhar Dal, Toor Dal is the most delicious dal that can be made on a regular basis. It is mainly used for making dishes like Sambhar, Gujarati Dal and the famous Tadke Wali Dal. This dal is rich in iron, folic and magnesium and can be used to make South Indian sweet dish Obbattu as well.

Nutrition facts

1 cup of cooked Toor Dal contains about 198 calories which include 10.36 gms protein and 8.7 gms fibre.

Tip: Make sure to soak the toor dal 3-4 hours prior to cooking. Also, you can mix a little Masoor Dal with it to help get some relief from the acidity.

Most of these dals are super-rich when it comes to nutrition. To cook most of these dals, soak them and add enough water along with salt to taste and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Most of these dals can be cooked on 2-3 whistles while for yellow moong/orange masoor dal, they can be cooked in just 1 whistle if soaked prior. And you can add the tadka later on top and enjoy with chapati and rice with some pickle on the side.