💡 Quick Answer
One katori (150 g) of home dal makhani, made with 10 g butter and 15 g cream per 250 g serving, has roughly 190 kcal, 7.4 g protein, 18 g carbs and 10 g fat. Restaurant dal makhani is usually 250–350 kcal per katori because of the extra butter and cream. A lighter home version with less butter and milk instead of cream is about 130 kcal per katori with the same protein.
- Almost half the calories in home dal makhani come from butter, cream and oil.
- The protein comes from whole urad and rajma, and does not change when you cut the fat.
- With 1 butter naan, a katori of dal makhani is about 475 kcal.
- A restaurant portion with 2 butter naans is often 1,050–1,400 kcal.
Portion calculator
1 katori of home dal makhani ≈ 7.4 g protein · 190 kcal
Scaled from the figures on this page. Brands and recipes vary.
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Dal makhani is whole black urad and a little rajma, cooked slowly until creamy and finished with butter and cream. It is a dal, so it has real protein and fibre, but it is also one of the richest dishes on a Punjabi menu. The difference between a home pot and a dhaba or restaurant pot is almost entirely the amount of butter and cream, which is why the same katori can be 130 kcal or 350 kcal.
How These Numbers Were Calculated
Dal makhani has no single official nutrition value, so the figures here are calculated from a stated home recipe. Base values per 100 g come from USDA FoodData Central: raw whole black gram (urad) 341 kcal and 25.2 g protein, raw kidney beans (rajma) 333 kcal and 23.6 g protein, salted butter 717 kcal, heavy cream 340 kcal, tomato 18 kcal, onion 40 kcal, vegetable oil 884 kcal and whole milk 61 kcal and 3.2 g protein. These match the dry values in our protein in dal and protein in rajma guides.
The reference pot serves four and uses 150 g dry whole urad and 30 g dry rajma, soaked and pressure-cooked, then simmered with 200 g tomato, 60 g onion and 10 g oil, and finished with 40 g butter and 60 g cream. Ginger, garlic and spices add very little and are ignored. The finished pot weighs about 1 kg, so one serving is about 250 g and one katori is taken as 150 g. A thicker or thinner dal will shift the per-katori numbers.
Calories in Dal Makhani: Home, Lighter and Restaurant
| Dal makhani | Serving | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home recipe | 1 katori (150 g) | ~190 kcal | ~7.4 g | ~18 g | ~10 g |
| Home recipe | per 100 g | ~125 kcal | ~4.9 g | ~12 g | ~6.7 g |
| Home recipe | 1 serving (250 g) | ~315 kcal | ~12 g | ~30 g | ~17 g |
| Lighter home recipe (10 g butter, milk instead of cream, per pot) | 1 katori (150 g) | ~130 kcal | ~7.4 g | ~18 g | ~3.5 g |
| Restaurant or dhaba | 1 katori (150 g) | ~250–350 kcal | ~7–9 g | ~18–20 g | ~15–25 g |
| Restaurant or dhaba | 1 portion (250–300 g) | ~450–650 kcal | ~12–16 g | ~30–36 g | ~28–45 g |
Basis: USDA FoodData Central ingredient values and the recipe above. Restaurant values are estimates, not calculations; restaurant pots typically use two to three times as much butter and cream, and some add a final spoon of butter or a swirl of cream on each portion.
If you only remember one number: a katori of home dal makhani is about 190 kcal, and a restaurant katori about 250–350 kcal.
Where the Calories Come From
In the home pot of about 1,250 kcal, the urad and rajma supply about 610 kcal and almost all of the 49 g of protein. The butter adds about 287 kcal, the cream 204 kcal and the oil 88 kcal, so about 46% of the calories come from added fat. Tomato and onion add only about 60 kcal.
That split is the key to eating dal makhani on a diet. The protein and fibre are in the dal; the butter and cream are mostly calories. Cut the fat and the protein per katori stays the same.
Dal Makhani With Naan, Jeera Rice or Roti
A home plain naan (60 g maida, a little curd and 3 g oil) is about 250 kcal and 6.5 g protein, and about 285 kcal with a teaspoon of butter, the same values used in our butter chicken guide. Restaurant butter naans are larger, so budget 300–380 kcal each. Rice and chapati values come from our rice and chapati guides.
| Meal | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| 1 katori home dal makhani + 1 butter naan | ~475 kcal | ~14 g |
| 1 katori home dal makhani + 2 butter naan | ~760 kcal | ~21 g |
| 1 katori home dal makhani + 1 katori jeera rice | ~430 kcal | ~11 g |
| 1 katori home dal makhani + 1 katori white rice | ~385 kcal | ~11 g |
| 1 katori home dal makhani + 2 medium chapati, no ghee | ~385 kcal | ~13 g |
| 1 katori lighter dal makhani + 2 medium chapati | ~325 kcal | ~13 g |
| Restaurant portion + 2 restaurant butter naan | ~1,050–1,400 kcal | ~25–30 g |
Naan calculated from USDA flour, yogurt, oil and butter values; restaurant naan is an estimate. Cooked white rice about 195 kcal and 4 g protein per katori; jeera rice about 240 kcal; medium chapati about 97 kcal and 3 g protein.
A Lighter Dal Makhani at Home
Slow cooking gives dal makhani most of its creaminess, so you can keep the texture while cutting the fat:
- Use 10 g of butter for the whole pot instead of 40 g, added at the end where you can taste it.
- Replace the 60 g of cream with 60 g of whole milk, or mash a ladle of the cooked dal against the side of the pot to thicken it.
- Keep the oil at 2 teaspoons for the tomato-onion masala.
The pot drops from about 1,250 kcal to about 870 kcal, so a katori goes from about 190 kcal to about 130 kcal, with the same 7.4 g of protein. Cooked overnight on a low flame or in a slow cooker, most people do not notice the difference.
Dal Makhani vs Other Dals
For comparison, a katori of home rajma curry is about 155 kcal and 7 g protein (see protein in rajma), close to lighter dal makhani. A simple dal tadka made with a teaspoon of ghee is usually lighter still. Restaurant dal tadka and dal makhani can both reach 250–350 kcal per katori for the same 7–9 g of protein, as explained in protein in dal.
How It Fits Your Goal
Fat loss: home dal makhani at about 190 kcal per katori is fine, and the lighter version at 130 kcal is a good everyday dal. In restaurants, order one portion to share, choose tandoori roti or rice instead of butter naan, and add a protein side so the meal is not mostly carbs and fat. Dal makhani with 2 chapatis is about 385 kcal.
Muscle gain: dal makhani has protein, but at 7.4 g per katori it is not a main protein source. Add curd, paneer or chicken on the side (see below), and use the calorie calculator to set your daily target. Compare dal makhani with butter chicken, khichdi and biryani in the Indian food calories and protein chart.
How to Make a Dal Makhani Meal Higher in Protein
| Meal | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| 1 katori dal makhani + 2 chapati | ~385 kcal | ~13 g |
| + 1 katori curd (150 g) | ~475 kcal | ~18 g |
| + 100 g paneer tikka | ~730 kcal | ~32 g |
| + chicken tikka (from 120 g raw thigh) | ~585 kcal | ~37 g |
Curd about 90 kcal and 5 g protein per 150 g; paneer tikka counted as 100 g paneer (305 kcal, 18.9 g protein, IFCT 2017 protein) plus about 40 kcal of marinade and oil; chicken tikka about 200 kcal and 24 g protein, as in our butter chicken guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in 1 katori of dal makhani?
About 190 kcal and 7.4 g protein for a 150 g katori of home dal makhani made with 40 g butter and 60 g cream in a pot for four. Restaurant dal makhani is usually 250 to 350 kcal per katori.
How much protein is in dal makhani?
About 7.4 g per 150 g katori, or about 12 g per 250 g serving. The protein comes from whole urad and rajma and stays the same in a lighter version.
Is dal makhani good for weight loss?
Home dal makhani can fit at about 190 kcal per katori, and a lighter version with less butter and milk instead of cream is about 130 kcal. Restaurant dal makhani is much richer, so keep the portion small and skip butter naan.
How many calories are in dal makhani with naan?
One katori of home dal makhani with one butter naan is about 475 kcal and 14 g protein. A restaurant portion with two butter naans is often 1,050 to 1,400 kcal.
Which has more calories, dal makhani or rajma?
Dal makhani, usually. A katori of home dal makhani is about 190 kcal against about 155 kcal for home rajma curry, with similar protein. Restaurant dal makhani is higher still.
How can I make dal makhani with fewer calories?
Use about 10 g of butter for the whole pot, replace the cream with whole milk, and let slow cooking do the thickening. That brings a katori from about 190 kcal to about 130 kcal with the same protein.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central for whole black gram, kidney beans, butter, heavy cream, tomato, onion, vegetable oil, whole milk and all-purpose flour; IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) for paneer protein. All dal makhani and naan values are calculated from the stated home recipes and are estimates; restaurant values are estimates only.
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