Dal makhani with naan — 822 kcal, and where they actually are

The verdict

People order this believing dal is the healthy choice. The lentils are 132 calories. The rest is not.

Component by component

Per 1 katori dal makhani + 2 naan. Estimates.

Black urad dal and rajma

1 katori base · ~45 g

132

Carbs20 g

Protein10 g

Fat1 g

Fibre9 g

Ten grams of protein and nine of fibre for 132 calories. Excellent on its own.

Computed from IFCT B004 black gram whole 35 g + B018 rajmah 10 g, dry

Worth eating

Cream and butter

— · ~50 g

195

Carbs1 g

Protein1 g

Fat21 g

Fibre0 g

More calories than the lentils. This is the entire difference between dal makhani and dal.

Computed from butter 15 g + cream 35 g, standard reference — IFCT lists only four milk products and holds neither

Where the damage is

Naan

2 pieces · ~125 g

495

Carbs85 g

Protein12 g

Fat11 g

Fibre3 g

As with butter chicken, the bread outweighs everything.

Computed from IFCT A018 wheat flour refined 115 g + oil or butter 10 g

Where the damage is

Three ways to fix it

Ordered by what you give up.

Option 1 · One naan, go easy on the cream−300

One naan. Request less cream where the kitchen will do it.

Still the dish. Most of the calories gone.

Taste cost: Low

Option 2 · Change the dal−195

Dal tadka or dal fry with two roti.

Same legumes, a fraction of the fat. The honest framing: you are ordering a different dish.

Taste cost: Real — a different dal

Option 3 · Home version−400

Slow-cooked with 1 tbsp butter and no cream, finished with a spoon of curd.

Long cooking builds the texture that cream shortcuts. Takes hours, and gets genuinely close.

Taste cost: Moderate

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