Whole masoor (lentil): nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   Iron among the leading pulses

   Whole masoor has 7.57 mg iron per 100 g, 4th of 14 pulses and 26th of 242 foods in IFCT 2017. 100 g of whole masoor meets about 40 per cent of a man's daily iron and 26 per cent of a woman's, whose requirement is higher.

2. 02

   Fibre from the seed coat

   At 16.8 g dietary fibre per 100 g, it ranks 4th of 14 pulses and 18th of 256 foods. The brown skin carries much of this fibre, which the split dal leaves behind.

3. 03

   Folate and B vitamins

   Whole masoor gives 132 micrograms of folate, 0.4 mg thiamine, 0.22 mg riboflavin and 0.46 mg vitamin B6 per 100 g. The folate meets about 44 per cent of a man's need, and riboflavin ranks 3rd among pulses.

4. 04

   Protein with the least fat

   It has 22.5 g protein and only 0.6 g fat per 100 g, the lowest fat of the 14 pulses. The protein covers about 42 per cent of a man's daily requirement.

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.

• Sabut masoor dal: soaked lentils pressure-cooked and finished with an onion, garlic, tomato and garam masala tadka.
• Akkha masoor usal: Maharashtrian whole lentils cooked dry with onion, coconut and kanda lasun masala.
• Sprouted masoor chaat: sprouts tossed with onion, cucumber, lemon and chaat masala.
• Masoor pulao: whole lentils and rice cooked together with whole spices and fried onions.
• Lentil and vegetable soup: whole masoor simmered with carrot, spinach and tomato for a thick winter soup.

Whole masoor takes longer than the split dal. Soaking for a couple of hours shortens cooking and makes it gentler on the stomach. The seed coat that adds fibre and folate also carries phytate and tannins, which reduce iron absorption; sprouting the lentils and adding tomato, lemon or raw onion to the finished dish both help. Folate is lost into cooking water, so keep the liquid rather than draining it. People with kidney disease on a potassium limit should check portions with a dietitian, since whole lentils carry 756 mg potassium per 100 g.

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.

• Masoor dal (red lentil)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Rajma (red kidney beans)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Green gram (moong)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Moth bean (matki)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Horse gram (kulthi)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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