Masoor dal vs Tur dal
Masoor dal and tur dal are both excellent pulses, but their nutrient profiles differ enough to make the comparison interesting.
For an India-focused comparison, the ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition's Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) 2017 is the most appropriate reference; it is based on foods sampled across India.
Masoor dal vs Tur dal — per 100 g raw dal
| Nutrient | Masoor dal | Tur dal (red gram) | Better source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | ~350 kcal | ~359 kcal | Similar |
| Protein | ~24–25 g | ~21.7 g | Masoor |
| Carbohydrate | ~60 g | 55.2 g | Tur |
| Fat | ~1–2 g | 3.26 g | Masoor |
| Dietary fibre | ~10–11 g | ~9.1 g | Masoor |
| Calcium | ~50–60 mg | ~73 mg | Tur |
| Iron | ~7 mg | ~3.3 mg | Masoor |
| Magnesium | ~175–180 mg | ~160 mg | Masoor |
| Potassium | ~670–700 mg | ~700+ mg | Similar |
| Folate | High | High | Similar |
Note: Values vary with variety, growing conditions and processing. The figures above should be treated as approximate. The IFCT 2017 entry for red gram dal (Cajanus cajan) reports 21.70 g protein, 3.26 g fat, 1.56 g ash, 9.06 g fibre, 6.67 g carbohydrate by difference, 55.23 g available carbohydrate and 1384 kJ/100 g.
The most important difference: protein and iron
If your criterion is protein density, masoor has an advantage. Tur dal is still a good plant-protein source, but the IFCT value is about 21.7 g protein/100 g, while masoor is generally around the mid-20s.
The difference becomes more interesting with iron. Masoor is generally considerably richer in iron than tur dal. That makes masoor particularly interesting in a vegetarian diet where pulses are an important source of iron.
However, there is a catch: the amount of iron in a food isn't the same as the amount your body absorbs. Pulses contain phytate and other compounds that can reduce mineral absorption. Eating dal with vitamin-C-rich foods such as lemon, tomatoes or vegetables can improve non-haem iron absorption.
Tur dal's strength
Tur dal shouldn't be dismissed as nutritionally inferior.
Its protein content is still substantial, and it provides useful amounts of fibre, minerals and carbohydrate. The ICMR-NIN's 2024 Dietary Guidelines list red gram dal alongside masoor, green gram and other dals as commonly consumed pulses. Interestingly, the NIN's analysis gives red gram dal a glycemic-carbohydrate value of 51.90 ± 1.03 g/100 g dry matter, compared with 52.52 ± 0.83 g for masoor dal—essentially very similar in this measure.
So the claim that masoor is dramatically “lower carb” than tur dal would not be supported by the NIN data.
Which one should you choose?
It depends on what you're optimizing:
- More protein: Masoor
- More iron: Masoor
- Lower fat: Masoor
- Fibre: Masoor, generally
- Calcium: Tur dal has an advantage in the IFCT data
- Everyday balanced dal: Either
- Variety: Use both rather than treating one as categorically superior.
Note - Raw-dal comparisons can be misleading when people translate them directly into a bowl of cooked dal. Cooking adds a large amount of water, so nutrient values per 100 g cooked dal are dramatically lower than values per 100 g dry dal. The protein values drop to roughly one-third of the raw dal values. ICMR-NIN itself distinguishes between raw ingredients and prepared recipes in its dietary guidelines.
Bottom line: Masoor has the stronger nutritional profile if protein, iron, fibre and low fat are your priorities; tur dal remains a nutritionally valuable pulse and is not meaningfully disadvantaged in terms of carbohydrate profile.
- co-written with Copilot
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