Dals and legume curries
Calories in Sabut Moong Dal
One bowl of sabut moong dal has about 184 kcal, with 7.7 g of protein, 17.9 g of carbohydrate and 8.8 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank figure is for whole green moong: 30 g of raw moong simmered with tomato, onion and 2 teaspoons of oil. The oil, not the moong, is the part that varies most at home.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of sabut moong dal
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of sabut moong dal | 2 bowls of sabut moong dal |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 184 kcal | 368 kcal |
| Protein | 7.7 g | 15.4 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 17.9 g | 35.8 g |
| Total fat | 8.8 g | 17.6 g |
| Dietary fibre | 6.9 g | 13.8 g |
| Sugars | 2 g | 4 g |
Of this energy, about 39% comes from carbohydrate, 44% from fat and 17% from protein.
1 bowl of sabut moong dal is about 9% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 11% 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
Sabut moong is the whole green gram, skin on, cooked until the grains split and the dal turns thick and earthy. The recipe used for this figure makes one bowl from 30 g of raw moong, 38 g of tomato, 18 g of onion and 2 teaspoons of oil. In kitchen terms that is a small handful of dry moong for each person, a modest helping for a dal that many homes serve as the main dish with roti. Among the 20 dals and pulse curries in this set it is seventh from the lightest.
Fat accounts for 44% of the energy, carbohydrate for 39% and protein for 17%. Whole moong holds very little fat of its own, so the 8.8 g in the bowl is close to being the oil alone. Washed yellow moong dal comes to 139 kcal in the same data, and the gap between the two is the heavier tadka and the onion and tomato base, not the green skin. What the skin does bring is fibre: 6.9 g in a bowl.
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 sabut moong dal |
|---|---|---|
| Green gram (moong) | 30 g | 30 g |
| Tomato | 38 g | 38 g |
| Onion | 18 g | 18 g |
| Oil | 2 tsp | 2 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
The second teaspoon of oil
Each teaspoon of oil is about 44 kcal and the recipe uses two. Made with one, sabut moong would sit much nearer the yellow moong figure. Finished with a teaspoon of ghee it rises to about 229 kcal, and with two teaspoons to about 274 kcal.
- 02
Soaked, sprouted or straight from the jar
Soaking or sprouting whole moong changes the cooking time and the texture, not the calories the dry grain brought with it in any way that matters. Measure the moong dry, before soaking, to compare a home bowl with the 30 g in the reference recipe.
- 03
How far the pot is cooked down
Whole moong is often simmered until it is thick enough to scoop with roti. A thick dal packs more moong into a katori than a thin one, so two bowls that look alike can differ a good deal.
- 04
Cream and butter finishes
Restaurant-style whole moong is sometimes enriched the way dal makhani is. Butter and cream add fat on top of the oil already in the masala and move the bowl well away from 184 kcal.
How sabut 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
A bowl of sabut moong comes to about 9% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary man and 11% of a woman's. Two bowls are 368 kcal with 15.4 g of protein, and three are 552 kcal with 23.1 g. Its 6.9 g of fibre makes sabut moong one of the more filling dals for its calories. Roti or rice alongside rounds out the protein, because grain and pulse each make up for what the other is short of.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Build the masala on one teaspoon of oil and let the onion soften slowly instead of frying it hard.
- Pressure-cook the moong with tomato and ginger, then add a small tadka of jeera and garlic at the end.
- Thin the dal a little and serve it in a katori, not a deep bowl.
- Add lemon and fresh coriander for flavour in place of butter or ghee on top.
Before you rely on the number
The reference bowl of sabut moong is salted in the cooking, so taste before salting at the table. Whole pulses with their skins can cause wind in people who are not used to them; soaking overnight and cooking until soft helps. Those on a renal diet, or any plan that limits protein or potassium because of kidney disease, should have their doctor or dietitian decide the portion of sabut moong dal.
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.
Sabut Moong Dal: common questions
Is sabut moong dal higher in calories than yellow moong dal?
In this data, yes: 184 kcal a bowl against 139 kcal for washed yellow moong. Both recipes start from the same weight of raw moong, so the difference is the extra oil and the onion and tomato masala in the sabut moong recipe. Cooked with equal oil, the two would be close.
How much protein does a bowl of sabut moong dal have?
About 7.7 g, from 30 g of raw whole moong. Two bowls supply 15.4 g. Protein is 17% of the bowl's energy, so it is a helpful contribution to the day and not a full protein serving by itself.
How many calories are in 2 bowls of sabut moong dal?
About 368 kcal, with 15.4 g of protein, 35.8 g of carbohydrate and 17.6 g of fat. That assumes two bowls of the reference size; a thick sabut moong served in a large bowl will be more.
Is sabut moong dal good for weight loss?
It suits a calorie-controlled diet well, because 6.9 g of fibre and 7.7 g of protein come in a 184 kcal bowl. The quickest improvement is to halve the oil. Sabut moong dal cannot do the job alone, though: the total eaten over the day decides whether weight goes down.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Green gram (moong): 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.
How Much Fibre Do You Need a Day, and Which Indian Foods Supply It?
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Sprouts: Benefits, Protein, and Are Raw Sprouts Safe to Eat?
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
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All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
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