Food database · Legumes & beans
Protein content
11.4 g of protein in 1 cup cooked (168 g) of pigeon peas, or 5.6 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.6 g |
|---|---|
| Protein per 100 g | 6.76 g |
| Protein per serving | 11.4 g in 1 cup cooked (168 g) |
| Calories from protein | 22% |
| Leucine per serving | 0.81 g |
| Rank in legumes, per 100 kcal | 35th of 54 |
| Rank of all foods, per 100 g | 537th of 796 |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 23% per serving |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
One 1 cup cooked, 11.4 g protein.
Every 100 kcal of pigeon peas brings 5.6 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 35th of the 54 legumes in this database and 433rd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 6.76 g per 100 g ranks 45th in its group.
Around 22% of the calories in pigeon peas come from protein, so it is moderately protein-dense. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.
USDA lists 0.38 g of fat per 100 g of pigeon peas, too little for a protein-to-fat ratio to mean much.
Set against canned pinto beans, another legume entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (canned pinto beans has 11.9 g per 1 cup drained and rinsed).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving quoted here is measured by volume at 168 g, and it covers about 23% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
| Portion | Weight | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 6.76 g | 121 kcal |
| 1 cup cooked (serving used here) | 168 g | 11.4 g | 203 kcal |
The USDA record lists no other household measure for this food; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
| Amino acid | Per 100 g | Per serving | mg per g protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| leucine | 0.483 g | 0.81 g | 71 |
| lysine | 0.474 g | 0.8 g | 70 |
| valine | 0.292 g | 0.49 g | 43 |
| isoleucine | 0.245 g | 0.41 g | 36 |
| threonine | 0.239 g | 0.4 g | 35 |
| phenylalanine | 0.579 g | 0.97 g | 86 |
| methionine | 0.076 g | 0.13 g | 11 |
| histidine | 0.241 g | 0.4 g | 36 |
| tryptophan | 0.066 g | 0.11 g | 10 |
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
Related
Highest-protein legumes per serving · Most protein-dense foods · Highest protein per 100 g
Quick answers
6.76 g. The 1 cup cooked serving used on this page weighs 168 g and so carries 11.4 g.
5.6 g. That figure divides its 6.76 g of protein per 100 g by its 121 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
No. On its own, the protein in pigeon peas is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.
About 23%. One 1 cup cooked serving has 11.4 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #172437 (Pigeon peas (red gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.