Pulses and legumes · IFCT 2017
Dried peas: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, dried peas give 303 kcal, 20.4 g protein, 17.0 g dietary fibre and 0.56 mg thiamine, according to IFCT 2017. That thiamine ranks 2nd of 14 pulses and 10th of 239 foods, and the fibre ranks 17th of 256, which is why a bowl of ragda or ghugni is far more filling than it looks.
About dried peas
Dried peas are mature garden peas left to dry on the plant, sold whole as white or green vatana and split as matar dal. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh grow most of India's crop, and India also imports large quantities. IFCT 2017 records them as sukhi matar in Hindi, sukha vatana in Gujarati, batani in Kannada and Telugu, pattani in Tamil and Malayalam, matar in Bengali, matara in Odia and gota motor in Assamese.
They are the pulse of street food. Mumbai's ragda pattice and the ragda in pani puri use white peas; Kolkata, Odisha and Bihar make ghugni with yellow or white peas, eaten with muri or luchi; Delhi's matar kulcha is a spiced white pea curry with soft bread. Tamil Nadu makes pattani sundal, Kerala serves a dried green pea curry with appam and puttu, and Maharashtra cooks hirvya vatanyachi usal.
Because dried peas are cheap, filling and easy to store, they are also a staple of hostel kitchens and roadside stalls across the country. Split dried peas, sold as matar dal, are cooked like any other dal in Bengal and Bihar, and peas flour sometimes turns up blended into besan.
What dried peas brings to a meal
- 01
Thiamine standout
Dried peas carry 0.56 mg thiamine per 100 g, 2nd of 14 pulses and 10th of 239 foods in IFCT 2017. 100 g of dried peas meets about 31 per cent of a man's thiamine requirement and 33 per cent of a woman's.
- 02
High fibre
With 17.0 g dietary fibre per 100 g, dried peas rank 3rd of 14 pulses and 17th of 256 foods. That bulk is why ragda and ghugni keep you full for hours.
- 03
Protein and folate
They give 20.4 g protein and 110 micrograms of folate per 100 g, about 38 per cent of a man's daily protein and 37 per cent of his folate.
- 04
Iron, zinc and selenium
Dried peas have 5.09 mg iron, 3.1 mg zinc and 50.1 micrograms of selenium per 100 g. The iron covers about 27 per cent of a man's daily need.
Dried peas nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 303 kcal | 14% | 18% |
| Protein | 20.4 g | 38% | 45% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 48.9 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 17 g | ||
| Free sugars | 2 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.9 g | ||
| Water | 9.3 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.24 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.4 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.87 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 145 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 75 mg | 8% | 8% |
| Iron | 5.09 mg | 27% | 18% |
| Zinc | 3.1 mg | 18% | 24% |
| Magnesium | 123 mg | 28% | 33% |
| Phosphorus | 334 mg | ||
| Potassium | 922 mg | ||
| Sodium | 23 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.68 mg | ||
| Selenium | 50.1 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Beta-carotene | 66 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.56 mg | 31% | 33% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.16 mg | 6% | 7% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.69 mg | 15% | 19% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 mg | 11% | 14% |
| Folate (B9) | 110 µg | 37% | 50% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.07 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 11.5 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Dried peas: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/pulses-and-legumes/dried-peas/
Where dried peas sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 pulses and legumes and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In pulses and legumes | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20.4 g | 10th of 14 | 34th of 243 |
| Dietary fibre | 17 g | 3rd of 14 | 17th of 182 |
| Zinc | 3.1 mg | 6th of 14 | 31st of 243 |
| Potassium | 922 mg | 12th of 14 | 23rd of 243 |
| Folate (B9) | 110 µg | 10th of 14 | 20th of 197 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.56 mg | 2nd of 14 | 10th of 239 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.16 mg | 5th of 14 | 39th of 241 |
How dried peas is eaten
- Ragda: soaked white peas pressure-cooked soft with turmeric, mashed lightly and spooned over potato pattice with chutneys.
- Ghugni: yellow or white peas cooked with onion, ginger, cumin and garam masala, the Bengali and Odia snack with muri.
- Matar kulcha: spiced white pea curry topped with onion, tomato, green chilli and lemon, eaten with kulcha.
- Pattani sundal: boiled peas tossed with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli and grated coconut.
- Kerala green pea curry: dried green peas cooked in a coconut and onion masala, served with appam or puttu.
Before you plan around it
Dried peas need an overnight soak and a long pressure-cook to soften; under-soaked peas stay chalky and are hard on the stomach. Their complex sugars cause gas, so hing, ginger and cumin in the tadka are more than flavour. Street ragda and chaat chutneys add a lot of salt, and some vendors add soda to soften the peas faster, which destroys thiamine. Green-coloured dried peas are sometimes dyed to look fresher, so buy from a trusted seller and avoid peas that bleed colour when soaked.
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.
What people ask about dried peas
Are dried peas high in protein?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 20.4 g protein per 100 g of dried peas, about 38 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 45 per cent of a woman's. Ragda with pav or ghugni with muri adds the grain that completes the protein.
Are dried peas the same as green peas?
They are the same plant at different stages. Green peas are picked young and eaten fresh; dried peas are left to mature and dry, so they hold far less water and far more protein, fibre and energy per 100 g. Fresh green peas have their own page.
How long should dried peas be soaked?
Soak them overnight in plenty of water, then discard the water and pressure-cook until soft. Skipping the soak leaves them hard and makes them harder to digest. A pinch of salt in the cooking water is fine; soda is best avoided.
Is ghugni healthy?
Ghugni is built on dried peas, which bring 20.4 g protein and 17.0 g fibre per 100 g. Made with modest oil and eaten with puffed rice rather than fried snacks, it is a filling, protein-rich meal. Street versions can be oily and salty.
Related foods and tables
Green peas (fresh)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Bengal gram (chana)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Puffed rice (murmura)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Rajma (red kidney beans)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cowpea (lobia)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
All pulses and legumes
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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