Protein in Besan (Gram Flour): Chilla, Cheela & More
Besan (gram flour, made from chana dal) contains approximately 20-22 g of protein per 100 g, making it one of the highest-protein flours in the Indian kitchen. A typical besan chilla made from about 30 g of flour delivers roughly 6-7 g of protein, and a 2-katori serving of besan-based dishes can add 10-14 g. That is more protein per gram than wheat atta or rice.
- Besan (gram flour) has roughly 20-22 g of protein per 100 g dry — nearly double the protein of wheat atta (~11 g) and far above rice flour (~6 g).
- One besan chilla (from ~30 g flour) gives about 6-7 g of protein; add curd or paneer and a single plate can cross 12 g.
- Besan protein is rich in lysine but low in methionine, so pairing it with curd, milk or a small amount of paneer rounds out the amino acids.
- Dishes like cheela, dhokla, khaman and pudla are among the most protein-dense everyday Indian breakfasts you can make cheaply.
- Even so, hitting 50-60 g of protein a day from besan alone is unrealistic — a complete plant protein like KABO can bridge the gap.
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How Much Protein Is in Besan?
Besan, also called gram flour or chickpea flour, is milled from split Bengal gram (chana dal). Because it comes from a legume rather than a cereal, it is naturally far richer in protein than wheat or rice flour. According to ICMR-NIN Nutritive Value of Indian Foods and the USDA FoodData Central database, besan contains approximately 20-22 g of protein per 100 g in its dry form.
To put that in an Indian kitchen context: a standard katori of dry besan (about 100 g loosely packed) holds roughly 20 g of protein, but you rarely eat that much flour in one sitting. Most recipes use 25-40 g of flour per person, so the realistic protein you get from a besan dish is usually in the 5-9 g range before you add curd, vegetables or paneer. Besan is also a decent source of fibre, folate and iron, which is part of why it has been a staple across North and West Indian kitchens for generations.
Besan Protein Compared to Other Indian Flours & Foods
The real advantage of besan shows up when you compare it flour-for-flour against what most Indian households actually cook with. The figures below are approximate values drawn from ICMR-NIN and USDA data; they can vary by around 1-2 g depending on the variety, grind and moisture.
| Food | Protein (per 100 g) | Protein per typical serving |
|---|---|---|
| Besan / gram flour (dry) | ~20-22 g | ~6-7 g per chilla (from ~30 g flour) |
| Wheat atta (whole) | ~11-12 g | ~2.5-3 g per roti (~30 g flour) |
| Rice flour | ~6-7 g | ~2 g per dosa/serving |
| Chana dal (dry) | ~24-26 g | ~12-13 g per katori (cooked) |
| Roasted chana (bhuna chana) | ~18-20 g | ~5-6 g per small mutthi (~30 g) |
| Paneer | ~18-20 g | ~9-10 g per 50 g cube |
| Curd (dahi) | ~3-4 g | ~4-6 g per katori (~150 g) |
| Soya chunks (dry) | ~52 g | ~13-15 g per small bowl cooked |
Note: Values are approximate and reflect typical ranges from ICMR-NIN and USDA data. Serving-level numbers assume standard home portions and no added oil or fat.
Protein in Besan Chilla (Cheela)
Besan chilla — also spelt cheela — is arguably the most protein-friendly breakfast you can make in five minutes. A single chilla is usually made from around 30 g of besan, which gives roughly 6-7 g of protein on its own. The beauty of chilla is how easily you can stack more protein on top of that base:
- Add curd on the side (~1 katori) for another 4-6 g and better amino acid balance.
- Stuff with paneer (~30-40 g grated) to add 6-8 g, turning it into a genuinely high-protein plate.
- Fold in besan + moong dal batter (a "mixed cheela") to push the per-piece protein higher.
- Top with vegetables like onion, tomato, coriander and spinach for fibre and micronutrients without diluting protein much.
A realistic two-chilla breakfast with a katori of curd lands you at roughly 16-20 g of protein — a strong start to the day, and considerably better than two plain parathas. If you want the full picture on building meals like this, our complete guide to plant protein in India walks through how to structure a high-protein vegetarian day.
Is Besan Cheela Good for Weight Loss?
Besan cheela is popular in weight-management diets for good reason: it is high in protein and fibre relative to its calories, which helps with satiety, and it can be cooked with very little oil on a non-stick tawa. Swapping a refined-flour breakfast (white bread, plain paratha, poha alone) for a vegetable-loaded besan cheela is a simple, sustainable upgrade for most Indian households. It is not a magic food — portion size and total daily intake still matter — but as a base, it is hard to beat.
Protein in Dhokla, Khaman & Other Besan Dishes
Besan is the backbone of several beloved Indian snacks, and their protein content tracks closely with how much flour goes into each portion:
- Dhokla & khaman: Steamed and fermented, a standard plate (4-5 pieces) delivers roughly 5-8 g of protein. Fermentation also improves digestibility of the minerals.
- Pudla / puda (Gujarati/Rajasthani cheela): Similar to chilla, about 6-7 g of protein per piece.
- Besan ladoo: Protein-containing but calorie-dense from ghee and sweetener — a single ladoo has around 2-3 g of protein, so it is a treat, not a protein source.
- Kadhi (besan + curd): A katori of besan kadhi combines flour protein with curd protein for roughly 5-7 g per serving.
- Sev, gathiya & pakoda: Made from besan but deep-fried, so the fat overwhelms the protein benefit — enjoy occasionally rather than as a protein strategy.
Is Besan a Complete Protein?
On its own, no. Like most legume-derived foods, besan is rich in the amino acid lysine but relatively low in methionine, one of the nine essential amino acids the body cannot make. This is the same limitation seen across Indian dals. The traditional Indian habit of eating besan dishes with curd or milk-based accompaniments quietly solves this: dairy is high in methionine, so besan-plus-curd or besan-plus-paneer forms a more complete amino acid profile.
The FAO's Dietary Protein Quality Evaluation in Human Nutrition confirms that complementary protein pairing within the same meal or even across the same day effectively fills amino acid gaps. So a besan cheela with a bowl of dahi is doing more nutritional work than either food alone. For a deeper look at how amino acid completeness works on a plant-based diet, see our guide on whole-body nutrition.
How Much Besan Would You Need to Hit Your Daily Protein Target?
ICMR-NIN's Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is roughly 0.8-1.0 g per kg of body weight per day for sedentary to moderately active Indian adults. For a 60 kg adult, that is about 48-60 g of protein daily, and active or fitness-focused individuals are often advised to aim higher, around 1.2-1.6 g/kg.
At approximately 20-22 g of protein per 100 g of besan — but only 6-7 g per realistic chilla-sized serving — you would need to eat 7-9 chillas a day to hit 50-60 g from besan alone. That is far more than anyone eats in practice. Besan is an excellent contributor to your protein intake, but it was never going to carry the whole day. This is precisely why protein inadequacy remains common in India even in households that eat besan, dal and roti daily.
Where KABO Fits In
Besan is one of the smartest, most affordable protein foods in the Indian kitchen, and you should absolutely keep cooking cheela, dhokla and kadhi. But on busy mornings, or when you simply cannot cook 7-9 chillas to reach your target, a complete plant protein can efficiently bridge the gap. KABO is an India-made, FSSAI-licensed all-in-one shake that provides 23.11 g of plant protein per 54 g serving from a pea and brown-rice blend — a complementary pairing that, like besan-plus-curd, covers the full amino acid profile. It also layers in 26 vitamins and minerals (including biotin 40 mcg, B12, vitamin D, iron and zinc), 8 billion CFU of probiotics, digestive enzymes and 60+ superfoods, and it is dairy-free and lactose-free with no artificial sweeteners.
Think of it as a complement to real food, not a replacement for it. If you are still deciding which plant protein suits you, our guide on how to choose a plant protein in India lays out what to look for.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein is in 100 g of besan?
Besan (gram flour) contains approximately 20-22 g of protein per 100 g in its dry form, according to ICMR-NIN and USDA data. That makes it one of the highest-protein flours available in Indian kitchens — nearly double the protein of wheat atta and roughly three times that of rice flour.
How much protein is in one besan chilla?
A typical besan chilla made from about 30 g of gram flour provides roughly 6-7 g of protein on its own. Adding a katori of curd (4-6 g) or a stuffing of grated paneer (6-8 g) can easily push a single plate past 12-15 g, making it a genuinely high-protein Indian breakfast.
Is besan a good source of protein?
Yes. Besan is one of the better everyday vegetarian protein sources in India, offering around 20-22 g per 100 g along with fibre, folate and iron. Its main limitation is that it is lower in the amino acid methionine, so pairing it with curd, milk or a little paneer improves the overall protein quality.
Which has more protein, besan or wheat atta?
Besan has significantly more protein than wheat atta. Besan offers roughly 20-22 g of protein per 100 g, while whole wheat atta provides about 11-12 g per 100 g. That is why a besan cheela delivers noticeably more protein than a wheat roti of the same flour weight.
Can besan alone meet my daily protein needs?
Realistically, no. A 60 kg adult needs roughly 48-60 g of protein per day, and at 6-7 g per chilla-sized serving you would need to eat 7-9 servings daily from besan alone. Besan is an excellent contributor alongside dal, curd and other foods, but a complete plant protein such as KABO can help fill the remaining gap on busy days.
Besan is one of India's most underrated protein foods — cheap, versatile and genuinely nutritious as chilla, cheela, dhokla and more. But meeting your full daily protein target takes more than a couple of servings. KABO's all-in-one shake delivers 23.11 g of complete plant protein per serving alongside 60+ superfoods, 26 vitamins and minerals and probiotics, filling the gap on days your meals cannot. Explore KABO and see if it fits your routine.