Glycemic index of dals and legumes
Dals, beans and chana are the backbone of a blood-sugar-friendly Indian diet. Their protein and fiber slow digestion, so almost every dal is low GI, and adding a bowl of dal to a rice or roti meal lowers the rise from the whole plate.
Best picks for blood sugar
Keep these small
- DalmaGI 40
- Cholar DalGI 40
- Moth Beans (Matki, sprouted and cooked)GI 35
- Black-Eyed Peas (Lobia)GI 33
- Chole (Chickpeas)GI 33
Dals and legumes ranked by glycemic index
Lowest GI first. Tap any food for its full nutrition, portion advice and swaps.
| Food | GI | GL | Serving | Calories | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chana Dal | 8 | 1 | 1 medium bowl (cooked) | 130 kcal | 9g | 6g |
| Soybean (boiled white soybeans) | 16 | 1 | 1 small bowl (boiled) | 173 kcal | 17g | 6g |
| Soya Chunks (Meal Maker) | 20 | 1 | 30 g dry (about 1 cup cooked) | 103 kcal | 15.6g | 4g |
| Dried Green Peas (Vatana, boiled) | 22 | 5 | 1 small bowl (boiled) | 118 kcal | 8g | 8g |
| Horse Gram (Kulthi / Ulavalu, cooked) | 25 | 6 | 1 small bowl (cooked) | 132 kcal | 9g | 7g |
| Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) | 26 | 4 | 1 medium bowl (cooked) | 115 kcal | 8g | 4g |
| Rajma (Kidney Beans) | 28 | 5 | 1 medium bowl (cooked) | 140 kcal | 9g | 7g |
| Kala Chana (Black Chickpeas, boiled) | 28 | 8 | 1 small bowl (boiled) | 164 kcal | 9g | 8g |
| Palakura Pappu | 28 | 3 | 1 bowl | 150 kcal | 9g | 6g |
| Toor Dal (Arhar) | 29 | 4 | 1 medium bowl (cooked) | 120 kcal | 8g | 5g |
| Urad Dal (Black Gram) | 30 | 5 | 1 medium bowl (cooked) | 130 kcal | 9g | 5g |
| Whole Green Moong (Sabut Moong, cooked) | 30 | 6 | 1 small bowl (cooked) | 105 kcal | 7g | 8g |
| Dosakaya Pappu | 30 | 6 | 1 bowl | 150 kcal | 9g | 5g |
| Moong Dal | 31 | 5 | 1 medium bowl (cooked) | 105 kcal | 7.5g | 4g |
| Chole (Chickpeas) | 33 | 7 | 1 medium bowl | 160 kcal | 9g | 8g |
| Black-Eyed Peas (Lobia) | 33 | 6 | 1 medium bowl (cooked) | 130 kcal | 8g | 6g |
| Moth Beans (Matki, sprouted and cooked) | 35 | 7 | 1 small bowl (sprouted, cooked) | 117 kcal | 7g | 7g |
| Cholar Dal | 40 | 11 | 1 bowl | 220 kcal | 10g | 6g |
| Dalma | 40 | 10 | 1 bowl | 200 kcal | 10g | 6g |
GL and nutrition are per serving. How these values are sourced
Low-GI dals and legumes
GI 55 or below. These raise blood sugar slowly and make good everyday choices.
GI 8· LowChana Dal
चना दाल · శనగపప్పు
Split Bengal gram, one of the lowest GI foods available. Excellent source of protein and complex carbohydrates.
GI 16· LowSoybean (boiled white soybeans)
सोयाबीन · సోయాబీన్
Boiled white soybeans, one of the highest-protein and lowest-GI legumes available. Rich in complete protein and isoflavones, with very little impact on blood sugar.
GI 20· LowSoya Chunks (Meal Maker)
सोया चंक्स · సోయా చంక్స్ (మీల్ మేకర్)
Defatted soy flour pressed into chunks, sold as Nutrela or Meal Maker and cooked into curries, pulao and biryani. About half its weight is protein and the carbs are mostly fiber, so it barely moves blood sugar.
GI 22· LowDried Green Peas (Vatana, boiled)
सूखे हरे मटर · ఎండు బటాణీలు
Dried whole green peas (vatana), boiled as the base for ghugni and ragda. A low-GI pulse high in fiber and plant protein, popular in Bengali and Maharashtrian street food.
GI 25· LowHorse Gram (Kulthi / Ulavalu, cooked)
कुलथी · ఉలవలు
A hard, reddish-brown legume cooked into curries and rasam. Horse gram has a very low glycemic index and is prized in traditional Indian medicine for weight management and metabolic health.
GI 26· LowMasoor Dal (Red Lentils)
मसूर दाल · మసూర్ పప్పు
Red/orange lentils that cook quickly. One of the most affordable protein sources in India. Low GI with good iron content.
GI 28· LowRajma (Kidney Beans)
राजमा · రాజ్మా
Red kidney beans, a North Indian staple especially in Punjabi cuisine. Excellent protein source with low GI.
GI 28· LowKala Chana (Black Chickpeas, boiled)
काला चना · నల్ల శనగలు
Whole brown-black chickpeas, boiled. A protein- and fiber-rich legume with a low glycemic index, popular across India as a salad base, curry, or snack.
GI 28· LowPalakura Pappu
पालकूरा पप्पु · పాలకూర పప్పు
Telugu spinach dal of toor dal cooked with plenty of palak, tomato and green chilli, finished with a garlic tempering. Protein from the dal and fiber from the greens make it very low GI.
GI 29· LowToor Dal (Arhar)
तुअर दाल · కందిపప్పు
Split pigeon peas, the most widely consumed dal across India. Used in sambar, dal fry, and rasam.
GI 30· LowUrad Dal (Black Gram)
उड़द दाल · మినపప్పు
Split black gram, base of idli/dosa batter and dal makhani. Very high in protein and iron. Low GI.
GI 30· LowWhole Green Moong (Sabut Moong, cooked)
साबुत मूंग · పెసలు
Whole green gram cooked with skin intact. One of the lowest-GI and most easily digested legumes in India, used in dals, salads, and khichdi.
Showing 12 of 19. The rest are in the ranked table above.
Related guides
Common questions
Which dals and legumes are best for diabetes?
Most are fine in sensible portions: 19 of the 19 dals and legumes on GlycemicIndia are low GI. The best picks for blood sugar are Chana Dal (8), Soybean (boiled white soybeans) (16), Soya Chunks (Meal Maker) (20), Dried Green Peas (Vatana, boiled) (22), Horse Gram (Kulthi / Ulavalu, cooked) (25).
Which dals and legumes should sugar patients limit?
The highest-GI dals and legumes are Dalma (40), Cholar Dal (40), Moth Beans (Matki, sprouted and cooked) (35), Black-Eyed Peas (Lobia) (33), Chole (Chickpeas) (33). You don't have to give them up entirely: keep the portion small, have them after a meal rather than on an empty stomach, and pair them with protein, fiber or curd.
Sugar ke mareez ke liye kaun si dal sabse acchi hai?
Chana dal, soyabean, soya chunks, dried green peas jaise options sabse behtar hain, kyunki inka GI kam hai aur yeh sugar dheere badhate hain. dalma, cholar dal, matki kam matra mein hi lein, aur dal, sabzi ya dahi ke saath khayein.
Building a full meal? Add foods to the meal calculator to see the glycemic load of the whole plate, or browse the complete list of low-GI Indian foods.