Protein in Roti, Rice, Poha and Dalia Per Normal Serving
Protein in roti: one medium roti made from about 35 g of atta gives roughly 3.7 g of protein and about 110 kcal. A katori of cooked rice gives about 4 g. Grains give modest protein per serving, but because we eat them at every meal, they add up, and they pair well with daal.
Quick facts
- One medium roti (35 g flour): about 3.7 g protein, 110 kcal.
- One katori cooked rice (50 g raw): about 4 g protein, 180 kcal.
- Poha (40 g dry): about 3 g protein, 140 kcal.
- Dalia (40 g dry): about 4 g protein, 130 kcal.
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How much protein is in one roti, rice, poha and dalia?
These figures come from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN), which list protein and energy per 100 g of dry food, then scaled down to a normal dry weight. They are rounded, because real servings vary.
| Serving | Dry weight | Protein | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium roti (atta) | 35 g | 3.7 g | 110 kcal |
| 1 katori cooked rice | 50 g raw | 4.0 g | 180 kcal |
| 1 plate poha | 40 g dry | 3.0 g | 140 kcal |
| 1 bowl dalia (wheat) | 40 g dry | 4.2 g | 130 kcal |
| 1 bajra roti | 35 g flour | 3.8 g | 120 kcal |
| 1 ragi roti | 35 g flour | 2.5 g | 110 kcal |
Per 100 g dry, the tables give atta about 10.6 g protein and 1,340 kJ (about 320 kcal), raw milled rice about 7.9 g and 1,491 kJ (about 356 kcal), rice flakes (the base of poha) about 7.4 g and 1,480 kJ, whole wheat about 10.6 g, bajra about 11.0 g, jowar about 10.0 g and ragi about 7.2 g. The serving figures in the table are simple arithmetic on those numbers, so your own roti size decides the final value.
Why does the size of the roti change the number?
Protein follows weight of flour, not the word “roti”. A thin phulka may use 25 g of flour and give about 2.6 g protein. A thick dhaba roti can use 50 g, which means 5.3 g and about 160 kcal. The same family can eat the “same two rotis” and have a 50 per cent difference.
Weigh once, then know it for life
Weigh the dough ball for one roti on a kitchen scale, once. Most homes land between 30 and 45 g of flour. Write the number inside a cupboard door. After that you can multiply it by the protein per gram (about 0.1 g per gram of atta, or 10 g per 100 g) without touching the scale again. Thick rotis made from a bigger ball can be double what you thought.
What about oats?
The 2017 tables do not list oats, so we will not quote a figure from them. Rolled oats packs print protein per 100 g on the nutrition panel, and many sit in the low teens. Read your own pack, multiply by the dry weight you use (a small katori is about 30 to 40 g), and you have your number. For a head to head with dalia on calories and fibre, see oats vs dalia for weight loss, calories and fibre, which owns that comparison. A dalia recipe sits in dalia broken wheat porridge.
Instant, flavoured oat sachets add sugar and often use less oats than a home bowl. If you cook plain oats in milk, the milk adds protein too.
How do grains add up beside daal?
A normal desi plate stacks several small amounts. Using the same tables, red gram (arhar) daal has about 21.7 g protein per 100 g dry. A katori of cooked daal made from about 30 g dry daal comes to roughly 6.5 g. For a typical lunch:
| Item | Protein |
|---|---|
| 2 medium rotis (70 g flour) | 7.4 g |
| 1 katori cooked rice | 4.0 g |
| 1 katori arhar daal | 6.5 g |
| Total | about 18 g |
Notice that grains contribute more than half of this plate. Daal and grains complement each other, anddaal chawal as a complete protein per plate explains the pairing. For pulses on their own, including raw versus cooked, see daal protein per 100 g raw vs cooked.
Is atta really better than rice for protein?
Per 100 g dry, atta carries more protein than rice (about 10.6 g against 7.9 g), but servings differ. A plate of rice is often a bigger portion by weight than rotis, and the rice has far less fibre: about 2.8 g per 100 g against 11.4 g for atta. If you want to compare staples by portion and weight goals, roti or rice for weight loss with atta portions is the right page. Neither is a protein food on its own. They are energy foods that bring some protein along.
How much protein do you need in total?
That depends on age, body size, pregnancy, illness and activity, and a doctor or dietitian is the right person for personal numbers. Our general guide is how much protein you need and desi sources. This page only shows what your grains contribute so you can see where the rest must come from: daal, milk, curd, eggs, paneer, fish, chicken or nuts.
These are averages from food tables, not guarantees for your pack, flour mill or cooking method. People with kidney disease are often given a protein limit by their doctor, so ask before changing portions. Do not use protein powders or extra daal to “fix” a number without medical advice if you have kidney, liver or uric acid trouble. For diabetes, rice, roti and poha all raise blood sugar, so ask your doctor or dietitian for portions. If a child is eating very little, losing weight or tiring easily, see a paediatrician rather than adjusting grains at home.
Frequently asked questions about protein in grains
How much protein is in 1 roti?
A medium roti made from about 35 g of atta has roughly 3.7 g of protein. A thin phulka has about 2.6 g and a thick roti can reach 5 g, so size matters.
How much protein is in rice?
A katori of cooked rice, made from about 50 g of raw rice, has around 4 g of protein. Raw milled rice has about 7.9 g per 100 g.
How much protein is in oats?
It depends on the brand, so read the pack. Many rolled oats list protein per 100 g in the low teens. Multiply that by the dry weight you actually use.
How much protein is in poha?
A plate made from about 40 g of dry poha gives about 3 g. Adding peanuts, peas or curd on the side raises it.
How much protein is in dalia?
About 4 g in a bowl made from 40 g of dry broken wheat. It also has fibre, since wheat keeps its bran.
How much protein is in atta?
About 10.6 g per 100 g of dry atta, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. That is about 0.1 g per gram of flour.
Is bajra higher in protein than wheat?
The tables list bajra at about 11.0 g per 100 g and wheat atta at about 10.6 g, so they are about equal. Ragi is lower at about 7.2 g.
Do cooked grains have less protein than dry?
Per gram they look lower because they hold water. The protein amount in the serving stays the same, so compare by dry weight or by the same serving.
Can I get enough protein from roti and rice alone?
Rarely. Grains give a modest share, and daal, dairy, eggs or other protein foods usually supply the rest. A doctor or dietitian can check your personal needs.
Sources
More staple comparisons are in Grains, Daals & Pulses.