Per 100 g, basmati rice has about 9.2 g protein dry and ~2.7–3.5 g when cooked.
Basmati fans love the aroma and long, fluffy grains—but many shoppers also want the straight facts on protein. Here’s a clean, numbers-first guide that shows how much protein you get in basmati rice per 100 grams, how cooking changes the math, what that means for real-world portions, and easy ways to build complete meals around it.
Basmati Rice Protein Per 100G: What The Numbers Mean
When you read labels or nutrition databases, you’ll usually see two sets of values: uncooked (dry) and cooked. The grain absorbs water as it cooks, which spreads the same protein across a heavier cooked portion. That’s why protein per 100 g drops after cooking, even though the total protein in the pot stays the same.
Macro Snapshot Per 100 Grams
| Nutrient | Uncooked Basmati (per 100 g) | Cooked Basmati (per 100 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~9.2 g | ~2.7–3.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | ~76.8 g | ~28.3 g |
| Fat | ~1.1 g | ~0.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | ~0.5 g | ~0.4–0.6 g |
| Calories | ~354 kcal | ~120–130 kcal |
| Water | ~13 g | ~68–70 g |
| Sodium | ~0 mg | ~1 mg |
Those ranges come from standard entries for basmati (dry) and white long-grain rice (cooked) per 100 g. The cooked range reflects typical water uptake for fluffy long-grain rice and the small spread you’ll see across databases and cooking styles.
Where The Numbers Come From
For the dry grain, national food tables list basmati around 9 g protein per 100 g. For cooked white long-grain rice, per-100 g values sit near 2.7 g protein, with about 28 g carbs, 0.3 g fat, and water making up most of the rest. If you prefer to check exact database pages, look up an official basmati entry for the dry grain and a cooked white long-grain entry for the per-100 g cooked reference. Link these two in your notes so your math stays consistent across recipes.
How Cooking Changes Protein Density
Cooking doesn’t add or remove protein from the rice itself. What changes is weight. The grain takes in water, so each spoonful of cooked rice contains fewer grams of rice solids per 100 g than the dry grain. That’s why “basmati rice protein per 100g” looks higher when you check the dry grain and lower when you check the cooked bowl.
Quick Rule Of Thumb
Think of it like this: 100 g dry basmati can cook into roughly 250–300 g of fluffy rice on your plate. The total protein in the pot is the same as you started with; it’s just spread across more grams of food. So per 100 g, the cooked number looks smaller. That’s normal.
Real-World Serving Math
Kitchen portions rarely land at 100 g on the dot, so it helps to translate the per-100 g figure into common serving sizes. The entries most cooks use give a handy weight for a standard cup of cooked long-grain white rice, which makes back-of-the-napkin math simple.
Typical Cup Weight
One level cup of cooked long-grain white rice weighs about 158 g. Apply the cooked per-100 g protein, and you’re in the 4–5 g protein range for that cup.
Protein From Common Portions (Cooked Basmati)
| Serving | Cooked Weight | Protein (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g cooked | 100 g | ~2.7–3.5 g |
| 1 cup cooked | ~158 g | ~4.3 g |
| 150 g cooked | 150 g | ~4.0–5.3 g |
| 200 g cooked | 200 g | ~5.4–7.0 g |
| 250 g cooked | 250 g | ~6.8–8.8 g |
| 300 g cooked | 300 g | ~8.1–10.5 g |
| 50 g dry (about 1/4 cup uncooked) | ~130–150 g cooked | ~4.5–5.0 g (total after cooking) |
Protein Quality And Easy Pairings
Rice protein is useful, but it’s not rich in lysine. That’s a known pattern across cereal proteins. You don’t need to track amino acids meal by meal; just pair basmati with lysine-rich foods during the day. Good picks: lentils or other pulses, chickpeas, soy foods, dairy, eggs, meat, or a quick yogurt raita on the side. The mix boosts the overall amino acid profile you get across your meals.
Simple Plate Ideas
- Basmati + Lentils: dal with basmati adds lysine and bumps total protein.
- Basmati + Chickpeas: chana masala or a spiced chickpea stir-in raises protein per bite.
- Basmati + Yogurt: a salted yogurt raita adds dairy protein and cools spicy mains.
- Basmati + Eggs: a fried or boiled egg on the side is a quick add-on at breakfast or lunch.
Cooked Vs. Uncooked: Which Figure Should You Use?
Use the number that matches how you weigh food. If you weigh dry rice before cooking, stick with the dry figure (around 9 g per 100 g). If you track cooked rice on the plate, use the cooked figure (around 2.7–3.5 g per 100 g). Mixing dry stats with cooked weights is the fastest way to confuse your totals.
Batch Cooking Tip
Cook a larger pot, weigh the total cooked yield, and divide by the number of meals you want. Label containers with the cooked weight. That way, when you log “basmati rice protein per 100g” or per portion, you’ve already got tidy numbers for the week.
Does Basmati Differ From Other White Rice?
Basmati is a long-grain type that tends to cook up drier and separate, which helps with texture in pilafs and biryani. Protein per 100 g is similar to other white long-grain rices, once you compare dry-to-dry or cooked-to-cooked. Where basmati often stands out is texture, aroma, and a modest glycemic edge in many lab tests compared with some other white rices. Your pan, water ratio, and resting time still matter a lot for the end result.
How To Nudge Protein Higher In A Basmati Meal
Easy Mix-Ins
- Frozen peas or edamame: quick stir-in during the last minutes of steaming.
- Chopped nuts or seeds: almonds, peanuts, or sesame add crunch and extra protein.
- Eggs: fold in soft-scrambled egg for a fast fried-rice style bowl.
- Greek yogurt sauces: swirl on top for a creamy, protein-rich finish.
Protein-Forward Pairings
- Legume mains: dal, rajma, chole, or lentil kebabs.
- Paneer or tofu: cubes in a tomato-onion gravy or a quick stir-fry.
- Fish or chicken: tandoor-style marinades work well with basmati sides.
Label Reading Tips
Brands vary a little. When you compare basmati packages, check whether the label shows values per 100 g dry or per serving (often 45–50 g dry) and whether the rice is enriched. Enrichment adds some B vitamins and iron to the cooked numbers; protein stays in the same ballpark.
Quick Answers To Common Questions
Is Protein Higher In Brown Basmati?
Brown basmati usually lands a touch higher on fiber and minerals, with similar protein per 100 g dry. If you like a nuttier texture and want more fiber with your bowl, brown basmati is a good swap.
Does Rinsing Change Protein?
Rinsing clears surface starch and dust. You won’t wash away meaningful protein from the grain itself.
What About Soaking?
Soaking shortens cook time and can improve texture. Protein per 100 g cooked stays in the same range; the main shift is water content and total yield.
How To Cook For Fluffy Grains And Reliable Numbers
- Rinse until the water runs mostly clear.
- Optional soak: 20–30 minutes for long, even grains.
- Use a steady ratio: 1 part dry rice to ~1.5–1.75 parts water on the stovetop (adjust for your pot and heat).
- Bring to a gentle simmer, lid on, low heat, 12–15 minutes.
- Rest 10 minutes off heat; fluff with a fork.
Consistent technique keeps water uptake similar across batches, which makes your per-100 g cooked numbers line up week after week.
Trusted Sources If You Want To Verify
For dry basmati values per 100 g, check a national food table entry dedicated to basmati. For cooked per-100 g numbers and cup weights, use a cooked white long-grain entry that provides a per-100 g view and a standard 1-cup weight. These two together give you the cleanest way to translate “Basmati Rice Protein Per 100G” into real portions.
Bottom Line
On paper, basmati is a moderate protein starch that shines when you pair it with legumes, dairy, eggs, fish, or meat. Use dry values if you weigh dry grain. Use cooked values if you measure on the plate. With that one habit, you’ll keep your tracking tidy and your meals balanced.
Sources: national food tables for basmati (per 100 g dry) and a cooked long-grain entry with a per-100 g view and 1-cup weight. On protein quality in cereals, see the FAO note on lysine as the limiting amino acid in cereal proteins.
Want a quick recap you can save? Dry basmati: ~9.2 g protein per 100 g. Cooked basmati: ~2.7–3.5 g protein per 100 g. One cup cooked (about 158 g): ~4 g protein.