Pulses and legumes · IFCT 2017
Rice bean: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, rice bean gives 302 kcal, 20.0 g protein, 13.4 g dietary fibre and 200 mg calcium, according to IFCT 2017. It ranks 3rd of 14 pulses for calcium and thiamine and 4th for magnesium, impressive numbers for a bean most of India has never cooked, though it is a daily dal in parts of the hills and the North-East.
About rice bean
Rice bean is a small, slender bean that comes in red, yellow, cream and black. It is a crop of the eastern Himalaya, the North-East and the Western Ghats, grown on hill slopes and field edges with little care, and it is one of India's underused pulses. IFCT 2017 records it as meth in Hindi, galmoong in Bengali, kattuzhunnu in Malayalam, chakwai in Manipuri, shiltong in Nepali and rymbai ja in Khasi.
Where it is grown, it is cooked like any whole dal. Hill households in Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Darjeeling simmer it into a thick dal with rice or mix it with other beans; in Meghalaya and Manipur it is cooked with rice, smoked meat or local greens; and tribal kitchens in the Western Ghats boil it with coconut and spices. The tender pods and leaves are also eaten as vegetables.
Agricultural scientists are interested in rice bean because it tolerates poor soils and heavy rain, enriches the soil with nitrogen and shrugs off many pests that damage other pulses. It is also grown as fodder and green manure. With better seed and markets, it could reach many more plates than it does today, as a cheap, local source of protein and calcium for hill families.
What rice bean brings to a meal
- 01
Calcium among the best pulses
Rice bean has 200 mg calcium per 100 g, 3rd of 14 pulses and 39th of 242 foods in IFCT 2017. 100 g covers about 20 per cent of an adult's daily calcium requirement.
- 02
Magnesium and potassium
It gives 201 mg magnesium and 1196 mg potassium per 100 g, ranking 25th of 242 and 16th of 243 foods. The magnesium meets about 46 per cent of a man's daily need and 54 per cent of a woman's.
- 03
Thiamine and vitamin E
At 0.46 mg thiamine and 0.9 mg vitamin E per 100 g, rice bean ranks 3rd and 2nd among pulses. The thiamine covers about 26 per cent of a man's requirement.
- 04
Protein and folate
Rice bean carries 20.0 g protein and 122 micrograms of folate per 100 g, about 37 per cent of a man's daily protein and 41 per cent of his folate.
Rice bean 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 | 302 kcal | 14% | 18% |
| Protein | 20 g | 37% | 44% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 51.3 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 13.4 g | ||
| Free sugars | 1.3 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.7 g | ||
| Water | 11.1 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.17 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.36 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.06 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 200 mg | 20% | 20% |
| Iron | 4.76 mg | 25% | 16% |
| Zinc | 2.29 mg | 13% | 18% |
| Magnesium | 201 mg | 46% | 54% |
| Phosphorus | 270 mg | ||
| Potassium | 1,196 mg | ||
| Sodium | 11 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.75 mg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 1.1 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.46 mg | 26% | 27% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.14 mg | 6% | 6% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.32 mg | 13% | 17% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.13 mg | 5% | 7% |
| Folate (B9) | 122 µg | 41% | 55% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.9 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 21.8 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. Rice bean: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/pulses-and-legumes/rice-bean/
Where rice bean 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietary fibre | 13.4 g | 8th of 14 | 28th of 182 |
| Calcium | 200 mg | 3rd of 14 | 39th of 242 |
| Magnesium | 201 mg | 4th of 14 | 25th of 242 |
| Potassium | 1,196 mg | 8th of 14 | 16th of 243 |
| Vitamin C | 1.1 mg | 1st of 1 | 124th of 130 |
| Folate (B9) | 122 µg | 9th of 14 | 17th of 197 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.9 mg | 2nd of 14 | 51st of 242 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.46 mg | 3rd of 14 | 16th of 239 |
How rice bean is eaten
- Hill dal: soaked rice beans pressure-cooked with ginger, garlic, tomato and a cumin tadka, served with rice.
- Mixed bean curry: rice bean cooked with rajma, black soya bean or local beans, as in many Himalayan homes.
- With greens: rice bean simmered with mustard greens or other local leaves in North-East kitchens.
- Sundal-style salad: boiled beans tossed with coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- In khichdi: rice bean cooked with rice and turmeric as a one-pot meal.
Before you plan around it
Rice bean is hard to find outside the regions that grow it, and the seeds sold locally can vary in colour and cooking time. Soak them overnight and pressure-cook well; like other dried beans, they contain compounds that cause gas and should never be eaten undercooked. Phytate and tannins in the seed coat reduce iron and calcium absorption, so sprouting and pairing with a vitamin C food help. IFCT 2017 lists only 0.7 g fat per 100 g, so a rice bean dal stays light as long as the tadka is modest.
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 rice bean
What is rice bean called in Hindi?
IFCT 2017 records rice bean as meth in Hindi, galmoong in Bengali, kattuzhunnu in Malayalam, chakwai in Manipuri, shiltong in Nepali and rymbai ja in Khasi. Many hill communities also have their own local names for it.
Is rice bean high in protein?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 20.0 g protein per 100 g of rice bean, about 37 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 44 per cent of a woman's. With rice, as it is usually eaten, the meal's protein is more complete.
Is rice bean good for calcium?
Among pulses, yes. Rice bean has 200 mg calcium per 100 g, 3rd of 14 pulses in IFCT 2017, and about 20 per cent of an adult's daily requirement. Absorption from beans is lower than from milk, so it adds to rather than replaces dairy.
Where can I buy rice bean?
Rice bean is sold mainly in local markets of Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Meghalaya, Manipur and parts of Kerala and Karnataka. Some online stores selling hill produce stock it. Rajma or lobia can stand in for it in most recipes.
Related foods and tables
Cowpea (lobia)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Rajma (red kidney beans)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Soya bean
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Horse gram (kulthi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Green gram (moong)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
Magnesium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by magnesium per 100 g.
All pulses and legumes
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.