💡 Quick Answer
One 150 g katori of home chole, made with about 40 g of dry chickpeas and 1.5 tsp oil, has roughly 240 kcal, 9.5 g protein, 28 g carbs and 10 g fat. A single bhatura adds about 290 kcal, so a plate of chole bhature with two bhature is around 850 kcal. Chole kulche is about 670 kcal, chole chawal about 435 kcal and a katori of chana chaat about 190 kcal.
- Chole itself is a decent meal; the deep-fried bhatura is where most calories come from.
- Restaurant chole is usually 300–350 kcal per katori because of extra oil.
- Chana chaat gives the same chickpea protein for about 50 kcal less per katori.
- Chole with rice or roti is a complete protein meal for 430–440 kcal.
Portion calculator
1 katori of home chole ≈ 9.5 g protein · 240 kcal
Scaled from the figures on this page. Brands and recipes vary.
Counting calories? Snap a photo of your chole bhature or chole chawal and the UltraFit360 app logs every part of the plate against your daily target. Get UltraFit360 on the App Store or Google Play.
Chole is one of North India's favourite meals, and its calories depend almost entirely on what comes with it. A katori of home chole with two phulkas is a sensible, high-fibre lunch. The same chole with two bhature from a street stall can be close to half a day's calories. Here are the numbers for each version, with the recipe stated so you can adjust for your kitchen.
Calories in Chole Per Katori
Chickpea values are from USDA FoodData Central: dry kabuli chana has about 378 kcal and 20.5 g protein per 100 g, and boiled chickpeas about 164 kcal, 8.9 g protein, 27.4 g carbs and 7.6 g fibre per 100 g. Our home recipe uses about 40 g of dry chickpeas, 1½ teaspoons of oil and about 50 g of onion and tomato per 150 g katori. These match the figures in our protein in chana guide.
| Chole (1 katori, 150 g) | Recipe | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chole, light (home) | 40 g dry chana, ½ tsp oil | ~195 kcal | ~9.5 g | ~28 g | ~5 g |
| Chole, home style | 40 g dry chana, 1½ tsp oil, onion, tomato, spices | ~240 kcal | ~9.5 g | ~28 g | ~10 g |
| Pindi / dry chole (home) | 55 g dry chana, 2 tsp oil, less gravy | ~310 kcal | ~12 g | ~37 g | ~13 g |
| Restaurant or dhaba chole | More oil, ghee or butter, sometimes a second tadka | ~300–350 kcal | ~9–10 g | ~28–32 g | ~15–20 g |
| Boiled chickpeas, no gravy | 100 g boiled chana | ~164 kcal | ~8.9 g | ~27 g | ~2.6 g |
Basis: USDA FoodData Central for raw and boiled chickpeas and for oil (about 44–45 kcal per teaspoon); onion and tomato at about 20 kcal per katori. Restaurant values are estimates. Kala chana (black chickpeas) has very similar calories per gram.
On its own, chole is a reasonable food: about 9.5 g protein and a good amount of fibre per katori. It is the bread, the oil and the portion that turn it into a heavy meal.
Chole Bhature Calories
A bhatura is a leavened maida bread that is deep-fried and puffed. A medium bhatura of about 80 g is made from roughly 50 g of maida (about 180 kcal, USDA all-purpose flour) with a little curd in the dough, and it soaks up 10–12 g of oil in the kadhai (90–105 kcal). That puts one medium bhatura at about 280–300 kcal with about 5.5 g protein.
| Plate | What's on it | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium bhatura | ~80 g, deep-fried | ~290 kcal | ~5.5 g |
| Half plate chole bhature | 1 bhatura + ¾ katori chole + onion | ~480 kcal | ~13 g |
| Full plate chole bhature | 2 bhature + 1 katori chole + onion and pickle | ~850 kcal | ~21 g |
| Large restaurant plate | 2 large bhature (~110 g each), restaurant chole, pickle, lassi not included | ~1,000–1,200 kcal | ~22–25 g |
| Add a sweet lassi (300 ml) | Full-fat curd with sugar | + ~250–300 kcal | + ~8–10 g |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for all-purpose flour and oil; oil absorption for deep-fried bread varies with dough, temperature and size, so treat bhatura figures as estimates. Pickle counted at about 30 kcal per tablespoon of oil-based achaar.
The full plate of chole bhature puts about 580 of its 850 kcal into the two bhature. If you love the dish, the simplest fix is to order a half plate, or ask for one bhatura with a full katori of chole.
Chole Kulche, Chole Chawal and Chana Chaat
| Dish | What's in it | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chole kulche | 2 tawa kulche (~70 g each) + 1 katori chole | ~670 kcal | ~20 g |
| Chole kulche with butter | As above + 1 tsp butter per kulcha | ~740 kcal | ~20 g |
| Chole chawal | 1 katori chole + 1 katori cooked rice (150 g) | ~435 kcal | ~13.5 g |
| Chole with 2 phulkas | 1 katori chole + 2 medium chapatis, no ghee | ~435 kcal | ~16 g |
| Chana chaat (1 katori) | 100 g boiled chana, onion, tomato, cucumber, lemon, chaat masala | ~180 kcal | ~9.5 g |
| Chana chaat with tamarind chutney | As above + 1 tbsp saunth chutney | ~210 kcal | ~9.5 g |
| Chole tikki chaat | 2 aloo tikki, chole, curd and chutneys | ~450–550 kcal | ~12–14 g |
Kulcha estimated at about 215 kcal and 5.5 g protein each (about 45 g maida plus curd, cooked on a tawa with a little oil). Rice at 195 kcal and 4 g protein per katori and chapati at about 97 kcal and 3.2 g protein each, from our calories in rice and calories in chapati guides. Chaat values are estimates.
Is Chole Good for Weight Loss?
Chole can be a good fat-loss meal. Chickpeas are high in fibre and give a fair amount of plant protein, which makes a katori quite filling. The problems come from the classic pairings and from restaurant oil.
- Swap the bread. Two phulkas instead of two bhature save about 390 kcal for the same chole.
- Measure the oil at home. One teaspoon per serving still makes good chole. A light version with ½ teaspoon is under 200 kcal a katori.
- Make it chaat. Boiled chana with onion, tomato, cucumber and lemon is a great 180 kcal snack or side.
- Add curd and salad. A katori of curd adds 5 g protein and cools the spice; salad adds volume for almost nothing.
- Plan the treat. Chole bhature on a Sunday is fine. Log it, and keep the rest of the day lighter.
How It Fits Your Goal
Fat loss: one katori of home chole, two phulkas, a katori of curd and salad is about 540 kcal with 21 g protein. Chana chaat makes an easy high-fibre evening snack. For a full day, see our vegetarian fat-loss diet plan.
Muscle gain: chole chawal is a cheap, carb-heavy post-workout meal. Make the chole thicker, add paneer cubes, or serve it with curd to push protein above 20 g; see calories in paneer and our post-workout Indian food guide.
For other pulses, compare calories in rajma and calories in dal, or see everything in the Indian food calories and protein chart. Set your daily numbers with the calorie calculator and protein calculator.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central for chickpeas (raw and boiled), all-purpose flour, cooked rice, oil and butter; IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) for whole wheat atta and curd. Dish values are calculated for the stated recipes and are estimates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in 1 katori of chole?
A 150 g katori of home chole made with about 40 g of dry chickpeas and 1.5 teaspoons of oil has roughly 240 kcal and 9.5 g protein. Restaurant chole is usually 300 to 350 kcal per katori because of extra oil, ghee or butter.
How many calories are in chole bhature?
A plate with 2 medium bhature, 1 katori of chole, onion and pickle is about 850 kcal with 21 g protein. Large restaurant plates with bigger bhature and more oil can reach 1,000 to 1,200 kcal.
How many calories are in 1 bhatura?
A medium bhatura of about 80 g, made from about 50 g of maida and deep-fried, has roughly 280 to 300 kcal and 5.5 g protein. Most of the extra calories come from the oil it absorbs while frying.
How many calories are in chole kulche?
A plate of 2 tawa kulche with 1 katori of chole is about 670 kcal and 20 g protein. Butter brushed on the kulche adds about 36 kcal per teaspoon.
How many calories are in chana chaat?
A katori of chana chaat with 100 g boiled chickpeas, onion, tomato, cucumber, lemon and spices is about 180 kcal, or about 210 kcal with a tablespoon of sweet tamarind chutney, with 9.5 g protein.
Is chole good for weight loss?
Chole itself can be. A home katori gives about 9.5 g protein and plenty of fibre for 240 kcal. Eat it with one or two phulkas or a katori of rice instead of bhature, keep the oil to about 1 teaspoon per serving, and add curd or salad.
How much protein is in chole?
About 9 to 10 g in a 150 g katori of home chole. Boiled chickpeas have about 8.9 g protein per 100 g, and dry chickpeas about 20.5 g per 100 g (USDA).
Log Indian meals in seconds: snap a photo of your thali and UltraFit360 estimates calories and protein. Set your targets with the free calorie and macro calculator.
Log Your Chole Plate in One Photo
UltraFit360 estimates calories and protein for chole, bhature, kulche and rice from a single photo and tracks them against your goal.