How Much Protein Is in Moong Dal?

Last updated: 1 September 2026

Moong dal carries 23.88 g of protein per 100 g of dry grain, and whole moong 22.53 g, measured across six regions of India by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Only masoor dal reads higher among the common pulses.

The protein figure is not what makes moong unusual, though. Every Indian dal sits within about five grams of every other. What separates moong is the phytate figure underneath it, and that is the number behind the reputation it has carried in Indian kitchens for a very long time.

Why is moong called the lightest dal?

Because it carries the least of what makes a pulse hard work. Phytate binds iron, zinc and calcium and slows their absorption, and the Indian Food Composition Tables put moong dal at 170 mg per 100 g. That is the lowest of any common dal.

Moong dal holds roughly a third of the phytate in urad dal and under half that of chana dal. The oligosaccharides that ferment in the gut run the same way: whole moong carries 2.01 g per 100 g against 1.31 g in the dal, a fall of about 35% on dehusking.

So the reputation has a measurable basis. It is a compositional observation, not a medical one, and nothing here says any pulse suits any particular condition.

Does sprouting raise the protein?

Barely, and that is the honest answer. Sprouting changes how usable the protein is, not how much of it there is.

A 2025 study in Food Science and Nutrition measured germinated pulses at 48 hours and found in-vitro protein digestibility rising from 78.05% to 81.49%, a gain of about 4.4%. Over the same period phytic acid fell 39.74% and tannins 70.51%.

These improvements are genuine and involve no protein gains. The seed is not producing new proteins; it is breaking down substances that were interfering with the proteins it already had.

One figure moved the other way in the same study. Saponins rose many times over during germination, so sprouting is not a uniform reduction in everything a seed contains.

Sprouts also present a question of handling that is not addressed by the nutritional values. Food safety research in Emerging Infectious Diseases notes that the warm, humid conditions under which a seed germinates also promote the growth of any pathogens present on it and therefore recommends against eating raw sprouts to people with higher risk levels. Cooking solves the problem.

What does one serving actually supply?

Around 30 g of dry moong dal, a generous quarter-cup before cooking, carries roughly 7 g of protein. That figure does not change with how the dal is later cooked or how much water it takes up.

Counting in dry weight matters because the published values are for dry grain, and cooked dal is mostly water. We have not put a per-katori figure here, because the composition tables carry no cooked entries for pulses and the answer would depend entirely on how thin the dal was made.

For context, ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians put the adult recommended dietary allowance at 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight per day, which is about 54 g for a person weighing 65 kg.

What stops you absorbing all of it?

Digestibility does, and the gap is larger than most labels suggest. The same national guidance notes that most vegetarian foods sit in a protein digestibility range of 70% to 85%.

Applied to moong, that means the 23.88 g on the tables is the protein present, not the protein used. Phytate and enzyme inhibitors account for part of the difference, which is why the low phytate figure above matters beyond minerals.

Cooking recovers a good deal of it. The guidance states that boiling or pressure cooking destroys the enzyme inhibitors that block digestion, and that phytic acid falls considerably with either method, making iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc more absorbable.

It also gives a caution that runs the other way. Pulses should not be overcooked, because prolonged boiling costs lysine and lowers protein quality.

Does moong protein stand on its own?

No pulse protein does, and moong is no exception. ICMR-NIN states that cereals carry lower lysine and higher methionine and cysteine, while in pulses the reverse holds.

Moong shows that shape clearly. Per 100 g of protein it carries 6.60 g of lysine against 2.42 g in wheat atta, roughly two and a half times as much, while wheat atta carries 1.77 g of methionine against 1.21 g in moong.

The national guidance turns that into a working ratio: cereals combined with pulses at three parts to one by raw food weight can meet the requirements of all essential amino acids. Moong with roti or rice is doing something the moong alone cannot.

SatRas sells whole green moong unsplit with its seed coat intact, from partner farms in Haryana, alongside desi black chana in its dal and chana range. The SatRas FAQ page covers pack sizes and delivery.

What the figure does not settle

It describes dry grain as sold. What may legally be in that pack is set separately by the FSSAI standard for pulses, which covers whole, dehusked and split forms and sets ceilings for moisture, extraneous matter and uric acid rather than for nutrition.

Two limits are worth naming. The composition tables publish a standard deviation beside every mean because season, region and storage all move the figure, so a single number is a central estimate rather than a guarantee. And the digestibility range above is a population figure, not a personal one.

The guidance is also explicit that dietary protein is not used efficiently without adequate energy from carbohydrate and fat in the same diet, and that without physical activity it will not be used for building muscle. No pulse changes either condition.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. If you are managing a health condition or setting protein targets on medical guidance, speak to a qualified doctor or registered dietitian.

Frequently asked questions

Is moong dal higher in protein than toor dal?

Yes, by a small margin. Moong dal measures 23.88 g of protein per 100 g against 21.70 g for toor dal, a difference of a little over two grams. Both sit within the narrow band that covers every common Indian pulse, so the gap matters less than how either is cooked and what it is eaten alongside.

Why does moong dal cook faster than other pulses?

Its seed coat is thin compared with a chickpea's, and split dal has had that coat removed altogether, so water reaches the cotyledon quickly. The split form also presents far more cut surface to the water. Whole moong with its skin intact takes noticeably longer than the dehusked split version.

Does moong dal cause less gas than other dals?

It carries fewer of the oligosaccharides associated with wind. Whole moong holds 2.01 g per 100 g and the split dal 1.31 g, and its phytate figure is the lowest measured among common dals. Individual responses still vary a great deal, and soaking and thorough cooking reduce these compounds further in any pulse.

Is yellow moong dal lower in protein than green?

They are the same pulse measured in two forms rather than two different crops. The split dehusked form reads slightly higher at 23.88 g against 22.53 g, because removing the green coat concentrates what remains. That is a concentration effect, not additional protein in the grain.

How much moong dal should be eaten in a day?

National dietary guidance sets protein targets rather than portions of any single food, at 0.83 g per kg of body weight daily. It also recommends that cereal-based meals be accompanied by adequate pulses, at roughly three parts cereal to one part pulse by raw weight, rather than treating any one dal as the whole answer.

Do moong sprouts have more protein than moong dal?

Not meaningfully more. Germination raises measured protein digestibility by around 4% over 48 hours and cuts phytic acid by roughly 40%, so the protein becomes easier to use rather than more plentiful. Sprouting also raises saponins substantially, so it is not a uniform improvement in everything the seed holds.