Protein in Roasted Chana and Sattu: Per 100g and Per Katori

Roasted chana has about 19.5–22.5 g of protein per 100 g, and pure chana sattu (ground roasted chana) about 22 g, estimated from ICMR-NIN's IFCT 2017 values for raw Bengal gram. Dry kala chana is 18.8 g per 100 g, and boiled kala chana drops to about 8 g per 100 g because it soaks up water. A 40 g glass of sattu gives about 9 g of protein; with milk instead of water, about 17 g.

Chana is one of the cheapest and most filling proteins in an Indian kitchen. The number you see online depends on whether it's dry, boiled or roasted, so here they are side by side.

How much protein is in each form of chana?

IFCT and USDA measure fibre differently, so compare fibre within one source rather than across them. All values are approximate.

Where do the estimates come from?

IFCT 2017 doesn't list roasted chana or sattu, so the estimates above are worked out from what it does list.

Roasted chana: raw whole Bengal gram in IFCT has 8.6% water and raw chana dal 9.2%. Roasting dries them further; a 2023 roasting study on chickpeas found moisture below 7% after roasting, with protein higher than the unroasted control. Assume about 5% water after roasting and the same protein becomes slightly more concentrated: about 19.5 g per 100 g for roasted chana with skin, and about 22.5 g for the dehusked yellow kind.

Boiled kala chana: USDA gives kabuli chana at 20.5 g protein per 100 g dry and 8.9 g boiled, which means the beans gain about 2.3 times their weight in cooking. Apply that to IFCT's kala chana and boiled kala chana comes to about 8.1 g per 100 g. So 40 g of dry kala chana, a usual katori serving, becomes about 92 g boiled with 7.5 g of protein.

Protein per katori, handful and tablespoon

Tablespoon weights are rough. USDA weighs a cup of besan at 92 g, so a level tablespoon of fine chana flour is about 5.75 g and a heaped one can be double. Weigh your usual spoon once; it saves guessing forever. The 140 g katori uses USDA's 164 g per cup of boiled chickpeas, scaled to 200 ml. You can log any of these in the Indian food calorie counter.

For more foods, see the Indian food calorie chart.

Is all sattu the same?

No, and this matters more than the chana vs kabuli question.

"Sattu" is sold as pure chana sattu and as sattu mixes that add barley, wheat or other grains. A 2022 study from CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore, used a market chickpea-based sattu mix as its control and measured 11.2 g of protein, 12.6 g of dietary fibre and 1,634 kJ (about 390 kcal) per 100 g. That's about half the protein of pure roasted chana.

So read the pack. Under FSSAI's labelling regulations, packaged foods must show protein per 100 g, and foods with more than one ingredient must list them in descending order of weight. If the pack says it is only roasted Bengal gram, expect roughly 20 g or more. If grains appear in the ingredients, especially first, expect less.

A sattu drink recipe, with totals

This is the classic namkeen sattu sharbat, plus a milk version for more protein.

Namkeen sattu (water)

1. Put 40 g chana sattu (about 7 level or 3–4 heaped tablespoons) in a glass.
2. Add a little water and stir into a smooth paste so it doesn't lump.
3. Top up to about 300 ml with cold water.
4. Add the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt, roasted jeera powder and chopped onion or mint if you like.

Totals: about 9 g protein, 138 kcal and 6 g fibre (pure chana sattu estimate).

Sattu with milk

Same 40 g sattu, mixed into 250 ml whole cow milk instead of water, with a pinch of elaichi. IFCT lists whole cow milk at 3.26 g protein and about 73 kcal per 100 g.

Totals: about 17 g protein and 320 kcal. Sugar or jaggery adds calories but no protein, so add it to taste and count it.

The milk version is close to the 20 g per meal that's a sensible target if you lift: a 2009 study by Moore et al. found muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise was maximally stimulated at about 20 g of protein in young men. For other ideas before training, see the pre-workout meal guide.

How much fibre is in chana and sattu?

A lot, which is half the reason chana keeps you full.

IFCT 2017 lists 25.2 g of total dietary fibre per 100 g of whole kala chana and 15.2 g in chana dal. That makes 50 g of roasted chana with skin about 13 g of fibre. NHS hospital guidance on high-fibre diets gives 30 g a day as the adult target and notes most people eat about 18 g.

The same leaflet warns that raising fibre suddenly can cause wind, bloating and stomach upset, and advises increasing it gradually and drinking enough fluid. So if you're new to chana snacks and sattu drinks, start with one serving a day.

Is chana protein complete?

Not on its own, but it doesn't need to be. ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 explain that pulses are rich in lysine and low in methionine, while cereals are the reverse. They recommend eating cereals and pulses together in about a 3:1 ratio by raw weight, and say adding 250 ml of milk a day improves protein quality further. Chickpeas are on their list of protein-rich pulses.

In practice:

• Chana with roti or rice (chole-bhature, chana-chawal) already does this
• Sattu with milk covers the gap in one glass
• Sattu paratha pairs atta with chana flour in the same roti
• Roasted chana with a few peanuts is a good snack, but it's still all legume; count it as a snack, not a full meal

How does chana compare on cost?

Very well. Kala chana is one of the cheaper vegetarian proteins per rupee. Roasted chana and sattu cost a little more because of processing but are still far cheaper per gram of protein than paneer or whey.

To see how chana fits your day, set your target with the protein calculator. ICMR-NIN's RDA for healthy adults is 0.83 g per kg of body weight a day.

The short version

• Dry kala chana: 18.8 g protein per 100 g (IFCT); boiled, about 8 g per 100 g
• Roasted chana: about 19.5 g (with skin) to 22.5 g (dehusked) per 100 g, estimated
• Pure chana sattu: about 22 g per 100 g; sattu mixes with grains can be about half that
• Kabuli chana is 20.5 g dry and 8.9 g boiled (USDA); besan is 22.4 g
• A 40 g glass of sattu: about 9 g protein with water, about 17 g with 250 ml milk
• Chana is very high in fibre; build up slowly and drink water
• Eat chana with a cereal or milk for complete protein

Useful links

• IFCT 2017, Indian Food Composition Tables (ICMR-NIN)
• Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (ICMR-NIN)
• USDA FoodData Central: kabuli chana raw and boiled, besan
• Shakeb et al. 2022, sattu mix composition, CSIR-CFTRI
• FSSAI Labelling and Display Regulations
• High-fibre diet leaflet, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

This is general information, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease, IBS or another digestive condition, are pregnant or are under 18, check with a doctor or registered dietitian before making big changes to your diet.