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Toor / arhar dal (tadka) vs Rajma curry
Gram for calorie, Toor / arhar dal (tadka) carries less protein per kcal than Rajma curry — 6.5 g protein for 133 kcal against 8 g for 161 kcal. For fat loss, where protein-per-calorie matters most, Rajma curry is the better lever. For muscle gain, where total protein grams matter more than the calorie cost, Rajma curry wins with 8 g against 6.5 g. On cost, Toor / arhar dal (tadka) is the cheaper way to hit a protein target — ₹21.5 per 20 g protein versus ₹25. Neither is "bad" — Toor / arhar dal (tadka) is a dal & legume item and Rajma curry is a dal & legume item, so the honest answer is usually "both, on different days," not a single winner.
Side by side
| Metric | Toor / arhar dal (tadka) | Rajma curry |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 1 katori (30 g raw dal) | 1 katori (40 g raw rajma) |
| Calories | 133 | 161 |
| Protein g | 6.5 | 8 |
| Carbs g | 16.6 | 19.4 |
| Fat g | 4.5 | 5.7 |
| Cost per serving | ₹7 | ₹10 |
| Best for muscle gain | ✓ | |
| Best for fat loss | ✓ | |
| Best for budget | ✓ |
Questions people ask
- Which has more protein, Toor / arhar dal (tadka) or Rajma curry?
- Toor / arhar dal (tadka) has 6.5 g protein per serving; Rajma curry has 8 g. Rajma curry is ahead in absolute grams.
- Which is better for fat loss?
- Rajma curry carries more protein per calorie, which tends to help with satiety on a calorie deficit — but total daily calories still decide the outcome.
- Which is cheaper per gram of protein?
- Toor / arhar dal (tadka) is the cheaper source of protein between the two, at current Indian retail prices.