Black gram delivers about 25 g of protein per 100 g dry and close to 8 g per 100 g cooked, making it a compact plant protein source.
What Black Gram Is And Why 100 Grams Matters
Black gram, also called urad dal, Vigna mungo, or black lentil, is a small dark bean used across South Asia in dals, idli, dosa batter, papad, and stews. It belongs to the pulse family, so it brings starch, protein, and fiber in one package.
Nutrition labels and research papers often report values “per 100 g.” That standard makes it easy to compare black gram with other beans, track macros, and scale recipes. When you read about black gram protein per 100g, you’re usually looking at the dry weight of the beans, not the cooked weight.
For home cooking, 100 g of dry black gram is a handy reference point. It matches roughly half a cup of dry beans, which turns into a generous single serving once soaked and boiled.
Black Gram Protein Per 100G Basics
Let’s start with the core number: dry black gram contains about 25 g of protein per 100 g. Several nutrient databases that pull from laboratory data place it around 24–25.5 g protein, 59 g carbohydrate, and a small amount of fat per 100 g dry seed.
Boiled black gram looks very different on the plate. Water adds weight and spreads the same nutrients across a larger volume. Once cooked in plain water, 100 g of black gram lands near 7–8 g of protein with fewer calories per bite.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g Raw Black Gram | Per 100 g Boiled Black Gram |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 340–347 kcal | About 90 kcal |
| Protein | About 25 g | About 7.5–8 g |
| Carbohydrate | About 59 g | About 18 g |
| Dietary Fiber | About 18 g | About 6–7 g |
| Total Fat | About 1.5–1.6 g | About 0.5–0.6 g |
| Iron | Around 7–8 mg | Lower per 100 g cooked |
| Calories From Protein | Roughly 29% of calories | Roughly one third of calories |
Those figures put black gram in the same league as many dry beans, but with slightly higher protein than chickpeas or common kidney beans per 100 g dry. Resources that track black gram nutrition data in detail also point out its generous supply of B vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, and potassium.
When you read a packet of urad dal or an online label, expect small shifts in the numbers. Soil, variety, and moisture change the exact values, yet the broad pattern holds: around 25 g protein per 100 g dry and around 8 g protein per 100 g boiled.
Black Gram Protein In 100 Grams Cooked Vs Raw
Black gram protein per 100g can look confusing at first glance, because dry and cooked values sit far apart. The beans do not lose two thirds of their protein during boiling. Instead, water changes the weight and density.
Picture 100 g of dry urad dal. While cooking, the beans soak up water and swell. You might finish with 250–300 g of cooked beans. The total protein in the pot stays close to 25 g, yet that amount now spreads across a bigger pile of food.
So, per 100 g cooked, you only see around 7–8 g of protein. The beans are still rich in protein; you just need to eat more grams of cooked food to match the same amount of protein you would get from 100 g dry weight.
This gap matters when you log meals. Food trackers usually list both “dry” and “boiled” entries. If you weigh your food after cooking but use a dry entry in the app, your estimate for black gram protein per 100g will shoot far above reality.
Soaked, Sprouted, And Pressure Cooked Black Gram
Soaking and sprouting black gram changes the beans once again. Soaked beans pick up extra water before they even reach the pot. Sprouting can slightly lower carbohydrate content and shift the nutrient profile, while the total protein in the original dry portion stays close.
Pressure cooking shortens time at the stove and softens the beans, yet the protein number per 100 g cooked still mainly depends on how much water sits in the final dish. A dry stir-fry with cooked urad dal will pack more protein per bite than a soupy dal, even if both started from the same dry weight.
When you compare recipes or plan meal prep, always ask two things: “What was the dry weight?” and “How much finished food did that produce?” Those two answers tell you far more about your actual protein intake than any single label line.
How Black Gram Protein Fits Daily Needs
Most adults fall in a range of roughly 0.75–1 g protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with athletes and very active people often aiming higher. A person at 70 kg, for instance, may look at a goal between 55 and 70 g protein in a day, depending on activity and medical advice.
In that context, 100 g of dry black gram, with about 25 g protein, can cover a large portion of a day’s target. Even 150–200 g cooked, which many people eat easily in a meal, delivers a steady chunk of protein alongside complex carbohydrate and fiber.
Pulses in general land around 21–25% protein on a dry basis and around 8 g protein per 100 g cooked, so black gram sits right in the high end of the pulse family for protein. That makes it handy for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who wants more plant protein without leaning on powders or bars.
If you live with kidney disease, gout, or any condition that changes your protein needs, talk with a doctor or dietitian before shifting a large slice of your diet toward high-protein pulses. For most healthy adults, though, a bowl of urad dal can slide into a balanced pattern with ease.
Health And Muscle Benefits Of Black Gram Protein Per 100G
Protein from black gram supplies amino acids that your body uses to build and repair tissue. When you mix it with grains like rice or wheat, you get a broader spread of amino acids than from either food alone. That pairing explains the long-standing habit of eating dal with rice or roti in many kitchens.
Because 100 g of dry black gram brings close to 18 g of fiber along with its protein, it also slows digestion. Meals built around dal and vegetables tend to keep hunger at bay longer than refined carb dishes with little fiber.
Black gram carries helpful amounts of folate, several B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Research on beans and pulses links regular intake with better blood sugar control and heart markers. The mix of fiber, slow starch, and minerals seems to play a part in those findings, and black gram sits squarely in that pulse pattern.
For anyone training in the gym or in a sport, black gram can help raise daily protein without adding much saturated fat. A serving of dal at lunch or dinner, paired with some dairy, eggs, soy, or meat across the day, can push you toward a steady protein intake that spreads through all meals.
Black Gram For Weight Management
Beans in general have a high satiety factor. Black gram is no exception. Its fiber absorbs water and swells in the stomach, while its protein slows stomach emptying. That combination often leads to fewer cravings later in the day compared with a low-fiber, low-protein meal.
If you watch calories, black gram gives you room to move. Dry beans are calorie dense, yet cooked beans hold far fewer calories per 100 g because of their water content. A bowl of boiled urad dal feels hearty, yet the calorie load stays reasonable for many people.
Simple Ways To Eat 100 Grams Of Black Gram
Knowing the numbers is one thing; fitting them into daily plates is another. Here are workable ways to build roughly 100 g dry black gram into meals through the week.
Classic Dal
Cook whole or split urad dal with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and mild spices. A batch made from 100 g dry beans can feed one very hungry person or two lighter eaters, especially when paired with rice or flatbread.
Use oil with restraint and keep cream or butter light if you watch calories. The protein and fiber already give the dish a hearty feel; you don’t need heavy fat to make it satisfying.
Idli And Dosa Batter
Fermented rice and urad dal batter is a staple in many parts of India. A typical mix uses a ratio somewhere near one part dal to three parts rice by volume.
In that batter, black gram acts like a protein and texture booster. A couple of dosas or a plate of idlis at breakfast already carry a slice of your daily protein target, especially if you add sambar or a lentil-based chutney on the side.
Salads, Stir-Fries, And Snacks
Cooked, cooled black gram works well in salads with cucumber, carrot, onion, lemon, and herbs. Tossing 100–150 g cooked beans into a salad bowl can raise the protein level of a light lunch without much effort.
Dry-roasted split urad is also used in spice mixes and snack blends. Those small amounts will not supply 25 g of protein on their own, yet they still add small boosts through the day when you sprinkle them over vegetables or rice dishes.
Black Gram Protein Per 100G Compared With Other Pulses
To see where black gram stands, it helps to line it up next to other dry pulses. The table below uses dry weights to keep the comparison fair. Numbers draw from nutrient tables based on laboratory analysis of common pulses.
| Pulse (Dry, Raw) | Protein Per 100 g | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Black Gram (Urad) | About 24–25 g | Dals, batters, papad |
| Lentils | Around 24 g | Soups, stews, salads |
| Chickpeas | About 20–21 g | Curries, hummus, snacks |
| Red Kidney Beans | About 22–23 g | Rajma, chili, mixed rice |
| Black Beans | About 23–24 g | Latin stews, salads, bowls |
| Soybeans | About 30–33 g | Tofu, tempeh, roasted snacks |
| Split Peas | About 24–26 g | Thick soups, purees |
Dry soybeans sit at the top of the list, yet black gram holds its own among non-soy pulses. If you rotate different beans through the week, you can still keep black gram as a regular feature and rely on it as one of your higher-protein options.
Remember that cooked values drop for every bean once water joins the picture. In most cases, 100 g of cooked beans of any type will land around 7–10 g protein. The dry comparison simply shows how much protein you store in your pantry per 100 g of each kind of pulse.
Practical Takeaways On Black Gram Protein Per 100G
Black gram protein per 100g gives you a clear way to judge how far a bag of urad dal will take you. Around 25 g of protein per 100 g dry means you get a solid portion of your daily needs from a single cup of uncooked beans. Once boiled, the same beans spread into several servings with around 7–8 g of protein per 100 g cooked.
When you weigh food after cooking, pick “black gram, boiled” entries in apps, not the dry version. When you plan weekly shopping or look at long-term intake, dry numbers help you see how much protein lives in your staples cupboard.
Building meals around dal, idli or dosa batter, and salads with cooked black gram is a simple way to reach steady protein targets with fiber, minerals, and slow-digesting carbs. Add some dairy, eggs, meat, or soy through the rest of the day, and you have a flexible pattern that keeps both taste and nutrition in a comfortable balance.
