High-Protein Indian Foods, Ranked by Protein Per Serving
By Shivam Verma, FounderPublished Last updated
Most high-protein Indian food lists rank by protein per 100 grams, which flatters foods you would never eat 100 grams of. This one ranks by protein per realistic serving, the katori or plate you actually eat, so the order reflects real meals. Chicken tikka and paneer tikka lead; the everyday dals cluster in the middle; the cream-heavy gravies look better on paper than on your plate. Every food links to its full breakdown.
Ranked by protein per serving
Highest protein per realistic serving first. The serving is the one on that dish's page, so nothing here is scaled to a portion you would not eat.
| Dish | Protein (g) | Calories | Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken tikka | 30 | 250 | 1 plate (150 g) |
| Tandoori chicken | 30 | 250 | 2 pieces (150 g) |
| Chicken korma | 19 | 320 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Paneer tikka | 18 | 265 | 1 plate (150 g) |
| Chicken curry | 18 | 200 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Rajma chawalA full plate, rajma plus rice | 15.4 | 418 | 1 plate |
| Paneer butter masala | 13.8 | 360 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Kadai paneer | 13 | 240 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Chana dal | 11 | 190 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Shahi paneer | 11 | 290 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Matar paneer | 11 | 220 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Masoor dal | 9.5 | 170 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Soya chaapNot the 18 to 20 g so often quoted | 9.2 | 226 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Moong dal | 9 | 150 | 1 katori (150 g) |
| Dal tadka | 9 | 180 | 1 katori (150 g) |
Ranked on protein, not on protein per calorie. Chicken curry at 18 g for 200 calories is a better deal than chicken korma at 19 g for 320, and the table is worth reading with that in mind.
The soya chaap problem
Soya chaap is sold as a protein hero and quoted at 18 to 20 g per serving almost everywhere. The traditional chaap most people eat is made mainly from maida wrapped around a soya core, which puts it nearer 9.2 g a katori. That is the same neighbourhood as an ordinary dal, at more than twice the fat.
We went and checked the packaged labels rather than repeating the claim, and published what they say. It is a good example of why a number with no recipe behind it is not worth much.
How to combine for a complete protein
Cereals are low in lysine and pulses are low in methionine, so neither is complete alone. Together they cover each other, which is exactly what a katori of dal with roti or rice has always done. You do not need to engineer this; the standard Indian plate already does it.
The practical move is stacking rather than hunting. A katori of chana dal at 11 g, two rotis at 6.2 g and a serving of curd will pass 20 g without anything unusual on the plate. Adding a grilled item, paneer tikka or chicken tikka, puts a single meal near 30 g.
The verdict
For non-vegetarians the answer is dull and correct: grilled chicken. Chicken tikka and tandoori chicken deliver about 30 g a plate for 250 calories, which nothing else on this list approaches.
For vegetarians, stop looking for a single hero food. Paneer tikka at 18 g a plate plus a katori of chana dal at 11 g beats any one item, and costs less in fat than loading up on cream gravies to get there.
Read the calories column alongside the protein one. Shahi paneer and chana dal both give you 11 g, but one costs 290 calories and the other 190.
To see how much protein a real plate carries, build it in the Indian food calorie calculator: it totals protein, carbs and fat as you add each dish.
Common questions
What Indian food has the most protein per serving?
Grilled non-veg leads: a plate of chicken tikka or tandoori chicken is about 30g protein. For vegetarians, paneer tikka (about 18g a plate) and chana dal (about 11g a katori) are the top everyday choices.
Which is the highest-protein vegetarian Indian food?
Paneer tikka per plate (about 18g), then chana dal among the dals (about 11g a katori). Soya chaap is often claimed at 18-20g but is really about 9g per katori for the traditional maida-based version.
How can I hit my protein target on an Indian diet?
Combine sources: a katori of dal with rice or roti forms a complete protein, and adding paneer, curd, or grilled chicken/paneer tikka at meals stacks up quickly. No single food does it alone.
Every dish in this comparison
Related guides
- Which Dal Has the Most Protein? All 5 Compared
Chana dal leads at about 11g protein per katori, moong is the lightest. Here are the common dals ranked by protein, calories, and when to eat each one.
- Paneer Dishes Ranked: Calories and Protein
Paneer tikka is the leanest high-protein option, paneer butter masala the richest. Here are the common paneer dishes ranked on calories, protein and fat.
- Homemade vs Restaurant Indian Food: Calorie Gap
Restaurant Indian food runs 30 to 50 percent higher in calories than home cooking, and the reason is invisible: 3 to 5 times the oil, ghee, and cream.
See all of them on the guides and tools hub.
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