Dals and legume curries
Calories in Lauki Chana Dal
One bowl of lauki chana dal has about 204 kcal, with 7.8 g of protein, 19.8 g of carbohydrate and 10 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank recipe cooks 30 g of raw chana dal with 50 g of bottle gourd, tomato, onion and 2 teaspoons of oil. The lauki fills the bowl; the dal and oil supply the calories.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of lauki chana dal
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of lauki chana dal | 2 bowls of lauki chana dal |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 204 kcal | 408 kcal |
| Protein | 7.8 g | 15.6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 19.8 g | 39.6 g |
| Total fat | 10 g | 20 g |
| Dietary fibre | 7.6 g | 15.2 g |
| Sugars | 2.9 g | 5.8 g |
Of this energy, about 40% comes from carbohydrate, 45% from fat and 16% from protein.
1 bowl of lauki chana dal is about 10% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 12% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
Lauki chana dal is half dal, half sabzi. The recipe this figure rests on makes one bowl from 30 g of raw chana dal, 50 g of lauki, 30 g of tomato, 30 g of onion and 2 teaspoons of oil. The vegetables weigh far more than the dal, yet they contribute little energy, because lauki is mostly water. So the bowl looks and eats like a generous one while holding only a moderate amount of pulse. It places 13 out of 20, counting from the lightest, among the dals and pulse curries compared on this page.
Fat provides 45% of the energy, carbohydrate 40% and protein 16%. Almost all of the 10 g of fat is the cooking oil, with a small amount from the chana dal itself. The dal gives the protein and most of the starch, and dal and vegetables together give 7.6 g of fibre. Plain chana dal in the same data comes to 291 kcal a portion, but that recipe uses more dal for each person and ghee; it is not a like-for-like comparison of the same bowl with and without lauki.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 1 bowl. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 bowl of lauki chana dal |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal gram (chana) | 30 g | 30 g |
| Bottle gourd (lauki) | 50 g | 50 g |
| Tomato | 30 g | 30 g |
| Onion | 30 g | 30 g |
| Oil | 2 tsp | 2 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
The oil the masala is fried in
Two teaspoons of oil are counted in each bowl, and one teaspoon is about 44 kcal. Lauki releases water as it cooks, so the onion and tomato can be softened in one teaspoon without sticking. A teaspoon of ghee on the finished dal takes it to about 249 kcal.
- 02
More lauki or more dal
Changing the balance changes the bowl. More lauki for the same dal gives a bigger, lighter helping. More dal for the same lauki gives a denser one with more protein and more calories. The reference is 50 g of lauki to 30 g of dal.
- 03
How thick it is served
Cooked down until the dal coats the lauki, it is eaten like a sabzi with roti and each spoonful is concentrated. Left loose, it is ladled like a dal and a katori holds less of the pulse.
- 04
Ghee, sugar and garnish
Some homes finish this dal with ghee and a pinch of sugar. A teaspoon of sugar adds about 16 kcal and a teaspoon of ghee about 45 kcal. Coriander, lemon and green chilli add nothing worth counting.
How lauki chana dal compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasam | 1 bowl of rasam | 104 | 4.4 |
| Moong Dal | 1 bowl of moong dal | 139 | 7.4 |
| Kala Chana Curry | 1 bowl of kala chana curry | 169 | 6.8 |
| Rajma | 1 bowl of rajma | 172 | 7.1 |
| Lobia Curry | 1 bowl of lobia curry | 179 | 7.3 |
| Urad Dal | 1 bowl of urad dal | 182 | 7.4 |
| Mixed Dal | 1 bowl of mixed dal | 184 | 7.5 |
| Sabut Moong Dal | 1 bowl of sabut moong dal | 184 | 7.7 |
| Sabut Masoor Dal | 1 bowl of sabut masoor dal | 185 | 7.8 |
| Chole | 1 bowl of chole | 196 | 7.3 |
| Soyabean Curry | 1 bowl of soyabean curry | 196 | 12.5 |
| Kulthi Dal | 1 bowl of kulthi dal | 201 | 10.5 |
| Lauki Chana Dal | 1 bowl of lauki chana dal | 204 | 7.8 |
| Dal Palak | 1 bowl of dal palak | 213 | 8.3 |
| Dal Dhokli | 1 bowl of dal dhokli | 231 | 10 |
| Sambar | 1 bowl of sambar | 249 | 8.6 |
| Dal Makhani | 1 bowl of dal makhani | 262 | 11.7 |
| Chana Dal | 1 bowl of chana dal | 291 | 12.1 |
| Dalma | 1 bowl of dalma | 314 | 12.9 |
| Panchmel Dal | 1 bowl of panchmel dal | 335 | 13.9 |
In a meal and in a day
A bowl of lauki chana dal is about 10% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 12% of a woman's. Because it carries its own vegetable, it can stand in for both the dal and the sabzi on a simple weekday plate with two rotis. Two bowls come to 408 kcal and 15.6 g of protein. On its own the 7.8 g of protein in one bowl is modest, and wheat or rice beside it makes the protein of the meal more complete.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Use one teaspoon of oil and let the lauki's own water finish the cooking.
- Raise the lauki and keep the dal the same for a larger bowl at almost the same calories.
- Skip the ghee and sugar at the end and sharpen the taste with lemon or amchur instead.
- Eat it as dal and sabzi in one, without adding a second oil-cooked vegetable to the plate.
Before you rely on the number
Lauki that tastes distinctly bitter should be thrown away, not cooked: bitter bottle gourd can cause serious stomach illness. Chana dal is one of the slower pulses to soften, so soak it beforehand to avoid half-cooked grains that sit heavily. Anyone eating to a plan set for kidney disease or diabetes should take the portion of lauki chana dal from their doctor or dietitian.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Lauki Chana Dal: common questions
How many calories are in 2 bowls of lauki chana dal?
About 408 kcal, with 15.6 g of protein, 39.6 g of carbohydrate and 20 g of fat, for two bowls of the reference size. Three bowls come to 612 kcal. Half a bowl of lauki chana dal is about 102 kcal.
How much protein is in a bowl of lauki chana dal?
About 7.8 g, nearly all of it from the 30 g of chana dal; the lauki adds bulk, not protein. To get more protein from the same dish, increase the dal in the pot and not the helping of rice or roti.
Is lauki chana dal good for weight loss?
It is a sensible pick: a full bowl with 7.6 g of fibre for 204 kcal, and the lauki makes the helping large for its energy. The weak point is the oil, which supplies 45% of the calories and can be halved. Losing weight still comes down to total intake over days and weeks.
Does lauki chana dal have fewer calories than plain chana dal?
In this data it does, 204 kcal against 291 kcal, but the two recipes differ in more than the lauki. The plain chana dal portion contains more dal and is cooked in ghee. With equal dal and fat, adding lauki would mainly make the bowl bigger.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Lauki Chana Dal (Bottle Gourd & Split Chickpea Lentil)
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Bengal gram (chana): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Bottle gourd (lauki): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Tomato: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Which Dal Has the Most Protein? Raw, Cooked and per Katori
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Low-Calorie Indian Foods That Actually Keep You Full
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
How Much Fibre Do You Need a Day, and Which Indian Foods Supply It?
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.