Horse Gram Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Horse gram (*Macrotyloma uniflorum*) delivers approximately 321 calories, 22g protein, and 57.2g carbohydrates per 100g of raw dried seeds — placing it among the most nutrient-dense pulses grown across the Indian subcontinent ^[1]. Once boiled, a 100g serving provides around 118 calories with 8.1g protein, a macro profile well-suited for everyday dal preparations.

What sets horse gram apart from mainstream pulses is its remarkably high calcium content at 287mg per 100g (raw) — the highest among common food legumes ^[2]. It simultaneously provides 8.76mg of iron per 100g, roughly 49% of the daily reference value, making it a particularly iron-dense legume option in regions where it is traditionally consumed ^[1].

Despite being classified as an underutilized crop by the National Academy of Sciences (USA), horse gram has been consumed since approximately 2000 BC, with archaeological evidence of its use during the Sutra period (c. 1500–800 BC) ^[1]. Its resilience to drought, minimal requirement for fertilizers, and rich nutrient profile position it as what researchers call a "potential food source for the future" ^[3].

Among legumes, horse gram has one of the highest concentrations of resistant starch — approximately 10.5% of dry weight — a non-digestible carbohydrate fraction that reaches the large intestine intact and functions as a prebiotic ^[4]. This resistant starch yields butyrate upon fermentation by gut microbiota, a short-chain fatty acid studied for its role in supporting intestinal barrier integrity and overall gut health ^[1].

Total dietary fiber in horse gram measures 21.2% on a dry-weight basis, predominantly insoluble fiber (cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin) ^[4]. The IFCT 2017 reports dietary fiber at 7.9g per 100g of raw whole seeds ^[12]. The insoluble-to-soluble fiber ratio supports both faecal bulking and prolonged satiety, which may benefit weight management goals ^[1].

Notably, the high fiber and resistant starch together contribute to a low glycemic index of approximately 39.8 ^[5]. In controlled studies, soaked and steamed horse gram showed a GI as low as 51 ± 11, while germinated forms exhibited even lower glycemic responses in study participants with elevated fasting glucose ^[5]. This positions horse gram as a functionally relevant option for those tracking carbohydrate response.

In Ayurvedic and traditional Indian cuisine, horse gram has been valued for centuries as a warming food ^[1]. The Bhavaprakash Nighantu (c. 1500–1600 AD) documents its culinary and cultural significance, and modern researchers have begun to investigate the bioactive compounds behind its traditional reputation ^[6].

A decoction of dried horse gram seeds — essentially a concentrated soup or *yusa* — is a traditional preparation across South India ^[1]. The cooked liquor (rasam) is considered thermogenic, which is one reason it remains popular during winter and monsoon months in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

It is important to note that while these traditional uses are well-documented in ethnobotanical literature, rigorous human studies remain limited. The studies investigating specific bioactive compounds are predominantly in-vitro or animal-based. This calculator provides nutritional information only and is not a substitute for professional guidance ^[7].

Beyond basic nutrients, horse gram contains significant quantities of non-nutritive bioactive compounds — phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, and Bowman-Birk inhibitors (BBIs) — that have drawn attention in nutraceutical research ^[1]. The principal phenolic compounds include quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, vanillic acid, and ferulic acid, with total phenolic content measured at 3.579 ± 0.072 mg GAE/g, placing horse gram in the "high phenolic" category among legumes ^[8].

The Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitors (BBIs) in horse gram are of particular scientific interest. HGI-III, the major BBI, is a double-headed inhibitor that independently inhibits both trypsin and chymotrypsin. These inhibitors are remarkably heat-stable (up to 95°C) and acid-resistant (pH 2–12), meaning they survive cooking and digestion ^[1]. BBIs have been investigated in laboratory settings for their enzyme-inhibiting properties, with horse gram showing trypsin inhibitor activity of 9,856 TIA/g — one of the highest among common legumes ^[8].

Ethanolic seed extracts have demonstrated free radical scavenging activity of 64–93% in various antioxidant assays, comparable to established antioxidant standards ^[1]. These bioactive compounds are part of the reason legume-rich diets are associated with favorable nutrient profiles in population studies, though direct causal evidence specific to horse gram in humans requires further research ^[9].

Like most legumes, horse gram contains anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) — phytic acid, tannins, trypsin inhibitors, and oligosaccharides — that can reduce mineral bioavailability and protein digestibility when consumed without proper processing ^[1]. The good news: traditional home-scale preparation methods dramatically reduce these compounds.

Fermentation is the most effective single method, reducing phytic acid by 69.5%, tannins by 69.3%, and oxalates by 66.7% ^[10]. Germination (sprouting for 48–72 hours) reduces phytic acid by 61.6% and tannins by 54.6%, while simultaneously increasing mineral bioavailability — calcium, iron, and copper contents become measurably higher in sprouted forms ^[10]. Even simple soaking for 12–18 hours followed by adequate cooking significantly decreases proteinase inhibitor activity.

For practical purposes, the most accessible approach is overnight soaking (8–12 hours) followed by pressure cooking, which substantially reduces ANFs while retaining protein quality. Discarding the soaking water further lowers oligosaccharide content — the compounds responsible for flatulence ^[11]. Horse gram flour prepared from soaked, germinated, and dried seeds at 70°C has been shown to have an optimized nutrient-to-ANF ratio suitable for regular consumption ^[11].