Protein in Rajma (Kidney Beans): Per Katori & Cooked
Dry rajma (kidney beans) contains approximately 22–24 g of protein per 100 g raw. Once cooked, it holds roughly 8–9 g per 100 g, so one standard katori of rajma curry (about 150 g cooked beans) gives you around 12–13 g of protein. Add rice for your classic rajma chawal and the plate becomes a genuinely solid, complete-protein meal.
- Rajma is protein-dense for a legume: ~22–24 g per 100 g dry, ~8–9 g per 100 g cooked, and ~12–13 g per katori (~150 g cooked).
- A homemade bowl of rajma chawal typically delivers around 17–20 g of protein — one of the better-balanced desi plates you can eat.
- Rajma is low in the amino acid methionine, so pairing it with rice or roti 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 rajma alone rarely covers it.
- Soaking, pressure-cooking and skimming froth improve both digestibility and how comfortable rajma feels on the gut.
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How Much Protein Is in Rajma, Really?
Rajma is one of North India's most-loved comfort foods, and it happens to be a respectable protein source too. But the number people quote for "protein in rajma" swings wildly depending on whether they mean the dry beans in the packet or the cooked beans on your plate — and that difference matters a lot when you are planning meals.
Using well-established ICMR-NIN and USDA-type values, dry rajma carries roughly 22–24 g of protein per 100 g. That is close to most Indian dals. The catch is that dry beans nearly triple in weight as they soak and cook, so the protein gets diluted across more grams of food. Cooked rajma therefore lands at about 8–9 g of protein per 100 g. Because a home katori of rajma curry holds roughly 150 g of cooked beans (before you count the gravy), that works out to approximately 12–13 g of protein per katori.
Protein in Rajma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Chana dal (cooked) | ~25–26 g | ~8–9 g | 1 katori (~150 g cooked) | ~12–13 g |
| Moong dal (cooked) | ~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 variety (jammu, chitra, kashmiri rajma etc.), soaking time, water ratio and how thick your gravy is. The idea is to plan meals with confidence, not to chase decimal points.
Protein in Rajma Chawal: The Real Plate Maths
Rajma is almost never eaten alone in India — it is a rajma chawal plate. That pairing is not just cultural; it is good nutrition. A typical home serving looks something like one generous katori of rajma (~12–13 g protein from the beans) plus a katori of rice (~4 g protein). That is roughly 16–17 g of protein from a single plate, before you add curd or salad. Make it a heaped double-katori rajma portion and you can comfortably reach 18–20 g.
Restaurant and dhaba rajma can be a different story. When the gravy is thinned out, loaded with cream and served with a small mound of beans, the protein per plate can drop noticeably even if the portion looks large. Homemade rajma, cooked thick with more beans and 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 Rajma a Complete Protein?
On its own, no — and that is completely normal for a legume. Like most Indian dals and beans, rajma 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 and wheat have the mirror-image profile: higher in methionine, lower in lysine.
This is exactly why rajma chawal (or rajma with 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 obsess over eating 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 Rajma 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 ~12–13 g of protein per katori of cooked rajma, you would need roughly 4–5 katoris of rajma a day to reach 48–60 g from beans alone — which nobody realistically eats, and your gut would not thank you for trying. In practice, rajma 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 Rajma
- Soak properly: Soak rajma 8–10 hours (or overnight). This softens the beans, cuts cooking time and reduces the antinutrients that can otherwise make rajma feel heavy.
- Pressure-cook and skim: Pressure-cooking is efficient and improves digestibility. Skim off the froth for a lighter, easier-on-the-gut result.
- Keep the gravy thick: More beans and less water per katori means more protein per serving. Watery, cream-heavy rajma dilutes both.
- Always pair with a grain: Rajma chawal or rajma-roti isn't just tasty — it rounds out the amino acid profile into a complete protein.
- Add a side of curd: A katori of dahi adds a few grams of protein, aids digestion and balances the meal.
Where KABO Fits In
Rajma 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 rajma-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 blend — the same complementary logic as rajma chawal, just concentrated. Each serving also brings 26 vitamins and minerals (including biotin, 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 rajma?
One standard katori of home-cooked rajma holds roughly 150 g of beans, which works out to approximately 12–13 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 16–17 g.
How much protein is in 100 g of cooked rajma?
Cooked rajma contains approximately 8–9 g of protein per 100 g. Dry, uncooked kidney beans are far denser at around 22–24 g per 100 g, but they absorb a lot of water as they cook, which is why the cooked figure is lower. Both are realistic estimates and can vary with variety and cooking method.
Is rajma a good source of protein for vegetarians?
Yes. Rajma is one of the more protein-dense legumes 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 rajma chawal a genuinely well-balanced vegetarian meal.
Does rajma have more protein than dal?
They are broadly similar. Dry rajma (~22–24 g per 100 g) is comparable to most dals, and per cooked katori both land around 12–13 g of protein. Chana dal edges slightly ahead on dry weight, but for practical meal planning rajma and everyday dals are close enough to treat as equals.
Can I meet my daily protein needs with rajma alone?
Practically, no. A 60 kg adult needs roughly 48–60 g of protein a day, and at ~12–13 g per katori you would need 4–5 katoris of rajma daily to get there from beans alone — far more than anyone eats. Rajma is best treated as one strong contributor within a varied diet, topped up with a shake on days food falls short.
Rajma is one of the tastiest, most 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 rajma chawal you already love. Explore KABO here.