High-Protein, Low-GI Indian Foods
Protein slows digestion and blunts blood-sugar spikes, while keeping you full for longer — which is why high-protein, low-GI foods are a winning combination for both diabetes and weight loss. These Indian foods are all low or medium GI and rich in protein, ranked from highest protein down.
Updated · ranked by protein per serving · How we source our data
Short answer
For non-vegetarians, chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and fish (25–35g protein per serving, almost no carbs) top the list. For vegetarians, the best high-protein, low-GI foods are paneer (18g protein, GI 10), boiled soybean (17g, GI 16), Greek yogurt (15g), palak paneer (14g), dal makhani (12g) and moong dal chilla (11g). Adding one to each meal lowers its overall blood-sugar impact.
Anchor each meal with one high-protein food (dal, paneer, curd, sprouts, egg or fish) — it lowers the meal's overall glycemic load and curbs hunger between meals.
At a glance: GI, GL and nutrition compared
| Food | GI | GL | Serving | Calories | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Tikka | No carbs* | 0 | 6 to 8 pieces | 250 kcal | 35g | 0g |
| Tandoori Chicken | No carbs* | 0 | 2 pieces (leg and thigh) | 260 kcal | 30g | 0g |
| Butter Chicken | 30 | 3 | 1 bowl | 420 kcal | 28g | 2g |
| Fish Fry | 5 | 0 | 2 pieces | 240 kcal | 28g | 0g |
| Chicken 65 | 15 | 1 | 1 plate | 320 kcal | 28g | 1g |
| Rogan Josh | 35 | 2 | 1 bowl (2 pieces with gravy) | 380 kcal | 28g | 1.5g |
| Chicken Xacuti | 40 | 4 | 1 bowl (2 pieces with gravy) | 340 kcal | 27g | 3g |
| Yakhni (Kashmiri Mutton in Curd Gravy) | 30 | 2 | 1 bowl (2 pieces with gravy) | 330 kcal | 27g | 0.5g |
| Mutton Curry | No carbs* | 0 | 1 medium bowl (2 pieces with gravy) | 300 kcal | 26g | 0.5g |
| Mutton Biryani | 60 | 27 | 1 plate | 580 kcal | 26g | 2g |
| Pork Vindaloo | 35 | 3 | 1 bowl | 380 kcal | 26g | 2g |
| Pork with Bamboo Shoot (Naga Style) | 30 | 2 | 1 bowl | 350 kcal | 26g | 3g |
| Chicken Curry | No carbs* | 0 | 1 medium bowl (2 pieces with gravy) | 250 kcal | 25g | 1g |
| Prawn / Shrimp Curry | No carbs* | 0 | 1 medium bowl | 200 kcal | 24g | 0.5g |
| Macha Besara | 28 | 2 | 1 bowl (2 pieces) | 220 kcal | 24g | 1g |
| Shorshe Ilish | 25 | 2 | 1 bowl (2 pieces) | 280 kcal | 23g | 1g |
| Fish Curry | No carbs* | 0 | 1 medium bowl (1 piece with gravy) | 180 kcal | 22g | 0.5g |
| Keema (Minced Meat) | 5 | 1 | 1 medium bowl | 280 kcal | 22g | 2g |
| Fish Moilee (Meen Moilee) | 30 | 2 | 1 bowl | 250 kcal | 22g | 1g |
| Haleem | 56 | 17 | 1 bowl | 350 kcal | 22g | 4g |
| Machha Jhola | 30 | 2 | 1 bowl (2 pieces) | 210 kcal | 22g | 1.5g |
| Goan Fish Curry (Xitt Kodi) | 40 | 3 | 1 bowl (2 pieces with gravy) | 260 kcal | 22g | 2.5g |
| Masor Tenga (Assamese Sour Fish Curry) | 35 | 2 | 1 bowl (2 pieces with gravy) | 200 kcal | 22g | 2g |
| Chicken Biryani | 60 | 22 | 1 medium plate | 400 kcal | 20g | 1.5g |
| Paneer | 10 | 0 | 4-5 cubes | 260 kcal | 18g | 0g |
| Thukpa (Noodle Soup) | 60 | 27 | 1 bowl | 320 kcal | 18g | 4g |
| Soybean (boiled white soybeans) | 16 | 1 | 1 small bowl (boiled) | 173 kcal | 17g | 6g |
| Egg Biryani | 62 | 28 | 1 plate | 450 kcal | 16g | 2g |
| Soya Chunks (Meal Maker) | 20 | 1 | 30 g dry (about 1 cup cooked) | 103 kcal | 15.6g | 4g |
| Greek Yogurt (Unsweetened) | 11 | 1 | 1 small bowl | 90 kcal | 15g | 0g |
| Misal Pav | 60 | 30 | 1 plate with 1 pav | 400 kcal | 15g | 10g |
| Cheese Pizza | 60 | 27 | 2 slices (medium pizza) | 380 kcal | 15g | 2.5g |
| Palak Paneer | 20 | 2 | 1 medium bowl | 220 kcal | 14g | 3g |
| Egg Curry | No carbs* | 0 | 2 eggs with gravy | 220 kcal | 14g | 1g |
| Rajma Chawal | 55 | 18 | 1 plate (rice + rajma) | 350 kcal | 14g | 9g |
| Masala Omelette | No carbs* | 0 | 1 omelette (2 eggs) | 190 kcal | 13g | 0.8g |
GL and nutrition are per serving. * No meaningful carbohydrate, so GI doesn't apply and the food has minimal direct effect on blood sugar. How these values are sourced
Looking for every option? See the complete list of low-GI Indian foods.
Explore each food
No carbsChicken Tikka
चिकन टिक्का · చికెన్ టిక్కా
Boneless chicken pieces marinated in spiced yogurt and grilled in a tandoor. Almost pure protein with negligible carbs and no meaningful glycemic impact.
No carbsTandoori Chicken
तंदूरी चिकन · తందూరి చికెన్
Yogurt-marinated chicken roasted in tandoor. Zero GI from chicken, and the yogurt marinade adds negligible carbs. One of the healthiest Indian non-veg options.
GI 30· LowButter Chicken
बटर चिकन · బటర్ చికెన్
Murgh Makhani, tandoori chicken simmered in a rich tomato, butter and cream gravy. Low GI overall as carbs are modest, but high in fat and calories.
GI 5· LowFish Fry
फिश फ्राई · ఫిష్ ఫ్రై
Shallow-fried fish fillets or steaks marinated in spices, with a light coating. High in protein with very few carbs and a low glycemic impact.
GI 15· LowChicken 65
चिकन 65 · చికెన్ 65
Spicy deep-fried boneless chicken from South India, marinated with chilli, ginger-garlic and curry leaves. High in protein with low carbs and a low glycemic impact.
GI 35· LowRogan Josh
रोगन जोश · రోగన్ జోష్
Kashmir's famous red mutton curry slow cooked in mustard oil or ghee with Kashmiri chilli, fennel, dry ginger and curd. Mutton and a curd-based gravy contain very little carbohydrate.
GI 40· LowChicken Xacuti
चिकन शकुती · చికెన్ షకూటి
Goan chicken curry in a dark, aromatic gravy of roasted coconut, poppy seeds, dried red chillies and a dozen roasted spices. High in protein; the coconut adds fat rather than sugar.
GI 30· LowYakhni (Kashmiri Mutton in Curd Gravy)
यख़नी · యఖ్నీ
Pale, delicately spiced Kashmiri mutton curry cooked in a curd gravy with fennel, cardamom and dried mint, with no chilli or tomato. High in protein and low in carbohydrate.
No carbsMutton Curry
मटन करी · మటన్ కర్రీ
Goat meat curry, a celebratory dish across India. Zero GI from the meat, but higher in fat than chicken or fish.
GI 60· MediumMutton Biryani
मटन बिरयानी · మటన్ బిర్యానీ
Aromatic basmati rice cooked with tender spiced mutton in the dum style. The rice base gives it a medium glycemic impact alongside rich protein and fat.
GI 35· LowPork Vindaloo
पोर्क विंदालू · పోర్క్ విందాలూ
Fiery Goan pork curry marinated in red chillies, garlic, spices and palm vinegar, slow cooked until the meat is tender. Meat and a vinegar-based gravy contain very little carbohydrate.
GI 30· LowPork with Bamboo Shoot (Naga Style)
बांस की कोंपल के साथ पोर्क · వెదురు చిగురుతో పోర్క్
Nagaland's classic smoked or fresh pork cooked with fermented bamboo shoot, king chilli and ginger, with little oil. High in protein, and bamboo shoot adds fiber with very little carbohydrate.
No carbsChicken Curry
चिकन करी · చికెన్ కర్రీ
Home-style chicken curry with onion-tomato gravy. Protein-rich with low glycemic impact from the chicken itself.
No carbsPrawn / Shrimp Curry
झींगा करी · రొయ్యల కర్రీ
Prawns cooked in spiced coconut or onion-tomato gravy. Very low GI, high protein, and rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
GI 28· LowMacha Besara
माछा बेसरा · మాఛా బెసర
A classic Odia fish curry in a tangy mustard-and-garlic gravy. High in protein and omega-3s with very little carbohydrate, so it has a minimal effect on blood sugar.
GI 25· LowShorshe Ilish
शोरशे इलिश · శోర్షే ఇలిష్
The quintessential Bengali dish of hilsa fish in a pungent mustard-paste gravy with green chillies. Rich in protein and omega-3 fats with almost no carbohydrate.
No carbsFish Curry
मछली करी · చేప పులుసు
Fish in spiced tamarind or coconut gravy. Zero GI from fish, minimal carbs from gravy. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
GI 5· LowKeema (Minced Meat)
कीमा · కీమా
Spiced minced mutton or chicken with peas. High protein, very low GI from the meat. The peas add some carbs but also fiber.
GI 30· LowFish Moilee (Meen Moilee)
फिश मोइली · చేప మొయిలీ
A mild Kerala fish stew simmered in coconut milk with ginger, green chili and turmeric. High in protein and healthy fats with very few carbs, giving it a very low glycemic load.
GI 56· MediumHaleem
हलीम · హలీం
A rich Hyderabadi Ramadan stew of slow-cooked wheat, lentils and meat pounded to a thick paste. High in protein and fiber, though the wheat keeps its GI moderate.
GI 30· LowMachha Jhola
माछ झोल · మాఛ ఝోల్
Odisha's everyday light fish curry of rohu or other freshwater fish in a thin mustard, cumin and turmeric gravy, often with a few potato pieces. High in protein with very little carbohydrate.
GI 40· LowGoan Fish Curry (Xitt Kodi)
गोवन फिश करी · గోవా చేపల కూర
Tangy, orange-red Goan curry of kingfish or pomfret in a ground coconut, red chilli and kokum or tamarind gravy, eaten with rice as the everyday 'xitt kodi'. The fish is pure protein and the coconut gravy has little carbohydrate.
GI 35· LowMasor Tenga (Assamese Sour Fish Curry)
मासोर टेंगा · మాసోర్ టెంగా
Light, tangy Assamese fish curry of rohu or other freshwater fish in a thin gravy soured with tomato, lemon or elephant apple, cooked with very little oil and spice. Mostly fish and vegetables, with very little carbohydrate.
GI 60· MediumChicken Biryani
चिकन बिरयानी · చికెన్ బిర్యాని
Layered rice and chicken dish. Uses basmati rice which has a lower GI than regular white rice, but the portion size matters.
Showing 24 of 36. Every food is in the table above.
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Common questions
What are vegetarian high-protein, low-GI foods in India?
Paneer (18g protein per serving, GI 10), boiled soybean (17g, GI 16), unsweetened Greek yogurt (15g, GI 11), palak paneer (14g), dal makhani (12g, GI 38), moong dal chilla (11g, GI 45) and chana masala (11g, GI 36) are all rich in protein and low GI.
Are eggs low GI?
Eggs contain almost no carbohydrate, so they barely raise blood sugar and have no meaningful GI — we list them as GI 0. One boiled egg has about 6g of protein, making eggs an easy way to add protein to a higher-GI breakfast like poha or upma.
Which Indian foods are high in protein but low-GI?
Paneer, soybean, dals and legumes (chana, moong, rajma, masoor), sprouts, curd, eggs and fish are all high in protein with a low to medium glycemic index, making them excellent for steady blood sugar and weight loss.
Does protein help control blood sugar?
Yes — protein slows down digestion and the absorption of carbohydrates, which blunts the blood-sugar spike after a meal. Adding a protein source to every meal is one of the simplest ways to lower its glycemic impact.
Is high-protein food good for weight loss?
Protein is more filling than carbs or fat and helps preserve muscle while losing weight, so high-protein, low-GI foods help you eat less overall while keeping blood sugar and energy steady.
Sources
- Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2021; 114(5): 1625–1632.
- University of Sydney, Glycemic Index Research Service — GI Database (glycemicindex.com).
- Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad.
- ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024.
- ISO 26642:2010. Food products — Determination of the glycaemic index (GI) and recommendation for food classification.
Many Indian dishes have never been clinically tested, so some values are estimates — each food page shows whether its GI was measured or estimated. See our methodology.
This guide is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Glycemic index values are approximate and individual blood sugar responses vary. Please consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before making changes to your diet — see our full disclaimer.