Protein in Lobia (Black-Eyed Peas / Chawli)
Dry lobia (black-eyed peas, also called chawli or rongi) contains approximately 23–24 g of protein per 100 g raw. Once soaked and cooked it holds roughly 7–8 g per 100 g, so one standard katori of lobia curry (about 150 g cooked beans) delivers around 11–13 g of protein. Pair it with rice or roti and the plate becomes a genuinely well-balanced, complete-protein meal.
- Lobia is protein-dense for a legume: ~23–24 g per 100 g dry, ~7–8 g per 100 g cooked, and ~11–13 g per katori (~150 g cooked).
- A home plate of lobia with a katori of rice typically delivers around 15–17 g of protein — a solid, affordable desi meal.
- Lobia is low in the amino acid methionine, so pairing it with rice, roti or bajra creates a more complete amino acid profile.
- ICMR-NIN suggests roughly 0.8–1.0 g protein per kg body weight daily; a 60 kg adult needs about 48–60 g, and lobia alone rarely covers it.
- Soaking, pressure-cooking and sprouting improve digestibility and how comfortable lobia feels on the gut.
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How Much Protein Is in Lobia, Really?
Lobia goes by many names across India — chawli in the west, rongi or lobiya in the north, karamani in the south — and it turns up in everything from a simple lobia curry to lobia chaat, sabzi and even the tender green pods (chawli phalli) used as a vegetable. As a protein source it is quietly one of the better beans in the Indian pantry, but the number people quote for "protein in lobia" depends entirely on whether they mean the dry beans in the packet or the cooked beans on the plate.
Using well-established ICMR-NIN and USDA-type values, dry lobia carries roughly 23–24 g of protein per 100 g, which puts it right alongside moong dal and rajma. The catch is that dry beans absorb a lot of water and roughly triple in weight as they soak and cook, so the protein spreads across more grams of food. Cooked lobia therefore lands at about 7–8 g of protein per 100 g. Because a home katori of lobia curry holds roughly 150 g of cooked beans (before you count the gravy), that works out to approximately 11–13 g of protein per katori.
Protein in Lobia vs Other Indian Foods (Per 100 g and Per Serving)
The figures below are approximate and drawn from well-established ICMR-NIN Nutritive Value of Indian Foods and USDA FoodData Central ranges. "Dry" means raw uncooked; "cooked" means after soaking and pressure-cooking without added cream. Treat every value as a realistic estimate, not a lab-exact figure.
| Food | Protein (dry, per 100 g) | Protein (cooked, per 100 g) | Typical serving | Protein per serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lobia (black-eyed peas / chawli) | ~23–24 g | ~7–8 g | 1 katori (~150 g cooked) | ~11–13 g |
| Rajma (kidney beans) | ~22–24 g | ~8–9 g | 1 katori (~150 g cooked) | ~12–13 g |
| Kabuli chana (chickpeas) | ~18–20 g | ~7–9 g | 1 katori (~150 g cooked) | ~11–13 g |
| Moong dal (dry) | ~24 g | ~7–8 g | 1 katori (~150 g cooked) | ~11–12 g |
| Soya chunks (dry) | ~52 g | — | 30 g dry | ~15–16 g |
| Paneer | — | ~18–20 g | 50 g | ~9–10 g |
| Curd (dahi) | — | ~3–4 g | 1 katori (~150 g) | ~5–6 g |
| Roti (whole wheat) | — | — | 1 medium (~40 g) | ~2.5–3 g |
| Cooked rice | — | ~2.5–3 g | 1 katori (~150 g cooked) | ~4 g |
Note: Values can vary by roughly ±1–2 g depending on the variety (white or red lobia), soaking time, water ratio and how thick your gravy is. The tender green pods (chawli phalli) eaten as a sabzi are much higher in water and carry only about 3–4 g of protein per 100 g — very different from the dried bean. The idea is to plan meals with confidence, not to chase decimal points.
Lobia With Rice or Roti: The Real Plate Maths
Lobia is rarely eaten alone — it is a lobia-chawal or lobia-roti plate, and that pairing is not just habit, it is good nutrition. A typical home serving looks something like one generous katori of lobia (~11–13 g protein from the beans) plus a katori of rice (~4 g protein). That is roughly 15–17 g of protein from a single plate, before you add curd or salad. Swap the rice for two rotis and you land in similar territory, with a little extra fibre.
As with most beans, home-cooked lobia usually beats a restaurant version on protein. When the gravy is thinned out and cream-heavy with a small mound of beans, the protein per plate can drop even if the portion looks large. Thick, bean-forward lobia cooked with less water is almost always the higher-protein option. If you want a broader map of where desi foods rank on protein, our guide to the best plant protein sources in India is a useful companion read.
Is Lobia a Complete Protein?
On its own, no — and that is completely normal for a legume. Like most Indian dals and beans, lobia is rich in the amino acid lysine but relatively low in methionine, one of the nine essential amino acids your body cannot make itself. Cereals such as rice, wheat, bajra and jowar have the mirror-image profile: higher in methionine, lower in lysine.
This is exactly why lobia with rice or roti works so well. The beans and the grain complement each other and together supply the full spread of essential amino acids. You do not need to eat them in the same bite — the same meal, or even the same day, does the job. Our deeper explainer on plant protein in India unpacks how this complementary pairing works across a full day of eating.
How Much Lobia to Hit Your Daily Protein Target?
ICMR-NIN guidance points to roughly 0.8–1.0 g of protein per kg of body weight per day for most Indian adults, climbing to 1.2–1.6 g/kg for those training hard. For a 60 kg adult that means about 48–60 g per day at maintenance, and potentially 72–96 g if you are actively building muscle.
At ~11–13 g of protein per katori of cooked lobia, you would need roughly 4–5 katoris a day to reach 48–60 g from lobia alone — which nobody realistically eats, and your gut would not thank you for trying. In practice, lobia is one contributor among many: dal, curd, paneer, roti, rice, seeds and nuts all add up. Even so, plenty of Indians fall short of the daily target, especially on busy or travel-heavy days. That is the gap a balanced diet — and, when needed, a convenient whole-body nutrition shake — is meant to close.
Getting the Most Protein (and Comfort) from Your Lobia
- Soak properly: Soak dry lobia 6–8 hours (or overnight). This softens the beans, cuts cooking time and reduces the antinutrients that can otherwise make lobia feel heavy on the stomach.
- Try sprouting: Lobia sprouts beautifully. Sprouted lobia is easier to digest, and sprouts make a quick high-protein salad or chaat with onion, tomato, lemon and chaat masala.
- Pressure-cook: Two to three whistles gives soft beans and better digestibility than boiling in an open pot for a long time.
- Keep the gravy thick: More beans and less water per katori means more protein per serving. Watery, cream-heavy lobia dilutes both.
- Always pair with a grain: Lobia-chawal or lobia-roti isn't just tasty — it rounds out the amino acid profile into a complete protein. A side of curd adds a few more grams and helps digestion.
Where KABO Fits In
Lobia is genuinely good food, and nothing here is about replacing it. But if you are active, managing weight, or simply too busy to cook multiple protein-rich meals a day, food alone can fall short. A complete plant protein shake works alongside your lobia-dal-sabzi routine to top up the gap on the days it exists.
KABO's Butter Coffee is an India-made, FSSAI-licensed all-in-one shake delivering 23.11 g of complete plant protein per 54 g serving from a pea and brown-rice protein blend — the same complementary logic as lobia with rice, just concentrated. Each serving also brings 26 vitamins and minerals (including biotin 40 mcg, B12, vitamin D, iron and zinc), 8 billion CFU of probiotics, digestive enzymes and 60+ superfoods. It is dairy-free, lactose-free and made with no artificial sweeteners. If you are weighing up your options, our guide on how to choose a plant protein in India is a good next step.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein is in one katori of lobia?
One standard katori of home-cooked lobia holds roughly 150 g of beans, which works out to approximately 11–13 g of protein. Thicker, bean-heavy servings sit at the top of that range, while thin or cream-loaded gravies can fall below it. Add a katori of rice and the full plate reaches around 15–17 g.
How much protein is in 100 g of lobia?
Dry, uncooked lobia (black-eyed peas) contains approximately 23–24 g of protein per 100 g. Once soaked and cooked, the beans absorb water and roughly triple in weight, so cooked lobia lands at about 7–8 g of protein per 100 g. Both are realistic estimates and can vary with variety and cooking method.
Is lobia a good source of protein for vegetarians?
Yes. Lobia is one of the more protein-dense beans in the Indian diet and also delivers fibre, iron, folate and slow-release carbohydrates. It is low in methionine, so it is not complete on its own — but paired with rice or roti it forms a complete amino acid profile, making a simple lobia-chawal plate a genuinely well-balanced vegetarian meal.
Does lobia have more protein than rajma or chana?
They are broadly similar. Dry lobia (~23–24 g per 100 g) is comparable to rajma and slightly ahead of kabuli chana, and per cooked katori all three land around 11–13 g of protein. For practical meal planning, lobia, rajma and chana are close enough to treat as roughly equal protein sources.
Can I meet my daily protein needs with lobia alone?
Practically, no. A 60 kg adult needs roughly 48–60 g of protein a day, and at ~11–13 g per katori you would need 4–5 katoris of lobia daily to get there from beans alone — far more than anyone eats. Lobia is best treated as one strong contributor within a varied diet, topped up with a shake on days food falls short.
Lobia is one of the most affordable, reliable proteins in the Indian kitchen — but hitting your full daily target takes more than one katori. KABO's Butter Coffee shake delivers 23.11 g of complete plant protein per serving alongside 60+ superfoods and 26 vitamins and minerals, built to work with the lobia and dal you already eat. Explore KABO here.