Dals and legume curries
Calories in Moong Dal
One bowl of moong dal has about 139 kcal, with 7.4 g of protein, 16.4 g of carbohydrate and 4.7 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and is for a bowl cooked from 30 g of raw washed moong dal and 1 teaspoon of oil. A thicker dal, or a heavier tadka, has more.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of moong dal
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of moong dal | 2 bowls of moong dal |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 139 kcal | 278 kcal |
| Protein | 7.4 g | 14.8 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 16.4 g | 32.8 g |
| Total fat | 4.7 g | 9.4 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3.2 g | 6.4 g |
| Sugars | 0.3 g | 0.6 g |
Of this energy, about 48% comes from carbohydrate, 31% from fat and 22% from protein.
1 bowl of moong dal is about 7% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 8% 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
This is the yellow, washed moong dal (dhuli moong) of everyday home cooking, and the figure belongs to one standard recipe: 30 g of raw dal boiled in water and finished with 1 teaspoon of oil. Water adds nothing, so how full the katori looks is a poor guide. What counts is how much raw dal reached the bowl. A thin, soupy dal ladled over rice may put less than 30 g of dal in a katori, and a thick one cooked down for roti may put in more. Among the 20 dals and pulse curries compared here it is the second lightest, and only rasam comes in lower.
Carbohydrate supplies 48% of the energy, fat 31% and protein 22%, a high protein share for a vegetarian dish. Nearly all of the fat is the single teaspoon of oil, and a teaspoon of oil is about 44 kcal. The dal itself brings the protein, the starch and 3.2 g of fibre. That is why the same quantity of moong dal can be a light bowl or a much heavier one: the pulse stays the same, and the fat in the tadka does the moving.
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 moong dal |
|---|---|---|
| Green gram (moong) | 30 g | 30 g |
| Oil | 1 tsp | 1 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
Oil or ghee in the tadka
The recipe counts 1 teaspoon of oil. A teaspoon of ghee stirred in on top takes the bowl to about 184 kcal, and two teaspoons to about 229 kcal. Nothing else in a home kitchen changes a bowl of moong dal this quickly, so measure the fat with a spoon instead of pouring it from the tin.
- 02
How thick the dal is
Calories follow the raw dal, not the water. A katori of thin moong dal made for rice carries less dal than the same katori of thick dal made for roti. Work out how much dry dal went into the pot and how many bowls it filled.
- 03
The size of the bowl
A steel katori and a deep soup bowl are both called a bowl. Half of the reference serving is about 70 kcal and two servings come to 278 kcal, so a generous ladle of moong dal can double the figure without anyone noticing.
- 04
What is cooked into it
Onion, tomato, ginger and green chilli add very little energy. Spinach, lauki or other vegetables stirred into moong dal add bulk and fibre for few calories. Coconut, cream or a spoon of butter are different: they behave like the tadka and raise the fat.
How moong 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
One bowl is about 7% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 8% of a woman's, so moong dal is rarely the part of the plate that needs trimming. Two bowls give 278 kcal and 14.8 g of protein, and three give 417 kcal and 22.2 g. Eaten with rice or roti, the grain and the pulse fill in for each other, and the protein of the meal is more complete than either gives alone. The bowl has 3.2 g of fibre, less than a whole pulse would bring, so a sabzi or salad alongside still earns its place.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Keep the tadka to a measured teaspoon of oil and skip the ghee poured on at the table.
- Cook the moong with spinach, lauki or tomato so that the bowl is bigger without more dal or fat.
- Take a second bowl of moong dal in place of extra rice when the meal needs more protein.
- Temper with jeera, hing, garlic and dried chilli, which add flavour for almost no calories.
Before you rely on the number
The reference recipe is salted as any home dal is, and papad or pickle on the side add more salt. Washed moong cooks soft and quickly, which is why it is the usual choice for khichdi and for light meals. People who have been asked to limit protein, potassium or salt, for example because of kidney disease or high blood pressure, should take their moong dal portion from their doctor or dietitian and not from a general table.
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.
Moong Dal: common questions
How much protein is in one bowl of moong dal?
About 7.4 g in a bowl cooked from 30 g of raw dal, and protein supplies 22% of the bowl's energy. Two bowls give 14.8 g. That is useful but modest, so moong dal works as one protein source in the day alongside curd, milk, paneer, eggs or other pulses, not as the only one.
How many calories are in 2 bowls of moong dal?
About 278 kcal, with 14.8 g of protein, 32.8 g of carbohydrate and 9.4 g of fat, if each bowl is the size of the reference serving. Three bowls come to 417 kcal. A thicker moong dal or extra ghee in the tadka pushes these figures up.
Is moong dal good for weight loss?
It fits well. At 139 kcal a bowl it is the second lightest of the 20 dals compared here, and its protein and fibre make a meal more filling. The result still rests on the rest of the day: the rice, the roti and the fat added to the moong dal count as much as the dal does.
How many calories are in 100 g of moong dal?
The figures here are for a cooked bowl, not for 100 g, and 100 g of cooked moong dal varies with how much water is in it. The reference bowl is cooked from 30 g of raw dal and comes to 139 kcal with its teaspoon of oil. Weigh the raw moong, not the cooked dal, to compare a home bowl with it.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Dal Tadka (Tempered Yellow Lentils)
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Green gram (moong): 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.
Vegetarian Protein Sources in India: Full Food List
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Calories in a Bowl of Rice: White, Brown, and Does Rice Make You Fat?
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.