Folate-Rich Vegetarian Foods in India: 28 Foods Ranked (IFCT 2017)
Pulses, green leaves and seeds come up when vegetarians look for folate. This guide ranks 28 foods by total folates per 100 g using Table 2 of the ICMR-NIN Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), then shows what a serving we chose holds. It ranks the folate in the food, not how much the body absorbs, which IFCT does not report.
The short answer
By IFCT 2017, dry moth bean has the most total folates of the 28 foods here at 349 µg per 100 g, then brown rajmah at 330 µg and brown soybean at 297 µg. Whole chana has 233 µg and chana dal 182 µg. Raw spinach has 142 µg and wheat atta 29.22 µg. Whole cow milk has 7.03 µg per 100 g. Our reading: the dry whole pulses lead per 100 g, but a bowl of cooked dal is not 100 g of dry pulse, so look at the serving table too.
28 foods ranked by total folates per 100 g
Each row is one IFCT 2017 Table 2 row (water soluble vitamins), the Total Folates (B9) column, in µg per 100 g edible portion as listed in the book, mean value as printed. Pulses, seeds and grains are dry or raw; leaves are raw; milk is as sold. Where IFCT lists several varieties we use one row and name it.
| Food (IFCT 2017 Table 2 row) | Total folates (B9) per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Moth bean, dry (B016) | 349 µg |
| Rajmah, brown, dry (B019) | 330 µg |
| Soybean, brown, dry (B024) | 297 µg |
| Bengal gram, whole, dry (whole chana) (B002) | 233 µg |
| Cowpea, brown, dry (lobia) (B005) | 231 µg |
| Red gram, whole, dry (whole toor) (B022) | 229 µg |
| Bengal gram dal, dry (chana dal) (B001) | 182 µg |
| Horse gram, whole, dry (kulthi) (B012) | 163 µg |
| Colocasia leaves, green, raw (arbi leaves) (C018) | 159 µg |
| Green gram, whole, dry (whole moong) (B011) | 145 µg |
| Spinach, raw (palak) (C033) | 142 µg |
| Black gram, whole, dry (whole urad) (B004) | 134 µg |
| Gingelly seeds, white (white sesame, til) (H011) | 131 µg |
| Gingelly seeds, black (black sesame, til) (H009) | 127 µg |
| Red gram dal, dry (toor dal) (B021) | 108 µg |
| Paneer (L003) | 93.31 µg |
| Green gram dal, dry (moong dal) (B010) | 92.11 µg |
| Ground nut (peanut), raw (H012) | 90.87 µg |
| Black gram dal, dry (urad dal) (B003) | 88.75 µg |
| Linseeds (flaxseed, alsi) (H014) | 86.50 µg |
| Sunflower seeds (H020) | 81.79 µg |
| Fenugreek leaves, raw (methi) (C020) | 75.26 µg |
| Amaranth leaves, green, raw (chaulai) (C002) | 70.33 µg |
| Lentil dal, dry (masoor dal) (B013) | 49.99 µg |
| Jowar (sorghum) (A005) | 39.42 µg |
| Wheat flour, atta (A019) | 29.22 µg |
| Rice, raw, milled (A015) | 9.32 µg |
| Milk, whole, cow (L002) | 7.03 µg |
Several other rows, such as parsley, mustard leaves and niger seeds, also have high total folates per 100 g in IFCT 2017, but they are eaten rarely or in small amounts, so they are left out of this ranking.
Total folates in a serving, with weights we chose
IFCT lists food per 100 g, so a serving needs a weight, and these are ours. Each figure is total folates per 100 g times the grams, divided by 100, to the nearest 0.1 µg.
| Serving (weights are ours) | Total folates |
|---|---|
| 30 g rajmah, dry (B019) | 99.0 µg |
| 30 g whole chana, dry (B002) | 69.9 µg |
| 30 g chana dal, dry (B001) | 54.6 µg |
| 30 g whole moong, dry (B011) | 43.5 µg |
| 30 g toor dal, dry (B021) | 32.4 µg |
| 30 g moong dal, dry (B010) | 27.6 µg |
| 30 g urad dal, dry (B003) | 26.6 µg |
| 30 g masoor dal, dry (B013) | 15.0 µg |
| 100 g raw colocasia leaves (C018) | 159.0 µg |
| 100 g raw spinach (C033) | 142.0 µg |
| 100 g raw fenugreek leaves (C020) | 75.3 µg |
| 100 g raw amaranth leaves (C002) | 70.3 µg |
| 10 g black sesame (H009) | 12.7 µg |
| 20 g peanuts (H012) | 18.2 µg |
| 20 g sunflower seeds (H020) | 16.4 µg |
| 40 g wheat flour (atta) (A019) | 11.7 µg |
| 50 g paneer (L003) | 46.7 µg |
| 200 g whole cow milk (L002) | 14.1 µg |
| 30 g raw milled rice (A015) | 2.8 µg |
What the numbers say
- Whole pulses lead. Moth bean has 349 µg per 100 g, rajmah 330 µg and soybean 297 µg, so 30 g of dry rajmah holds about 99.0 µg.
- Whole chana is above chana dal. 233 µg against 182 µg per 100 g. For protein in the same dals, see which dal has the most protein.
- Some raw leaves are around 140 to 160 µg per 100 g. Colocasia leaves have 159 µg and spinach 142 µg, while fenugreek leaves have 75.26 µg and green amaranth leaves 70.33 µg.
- Atta is ahead of rice, and milk is low. Wheat atta 29.22 µg, jowar 39.42 µg and raw milled rice 9.32 µg; whole cow milk 7.03 µg and paneer 93.31 µg.
The same book also ranks iron and vitamin C: see iron-rich vegetarian foods and vitamin C-rich foods.
What the requirement tables say
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note on nutrient requirements for Indians (PDF page 6) lists, for folate, an RDA of 300 µg DFE in its Table 3 (males) and 220 µg DFE in its Table 4 (females), and an EAR of 250 and 180 µg DFE. As we read the brief note, it gives no folate figure for pregnancy or lactation, so this page gives none. Its folate figures are in µg DFE (dietary folate equivalents), while IFCT 2017 lists total folates in µg, so the two are not the same unit and we do not turn the serving figures into a share of the RDA.
What this page leaves out
- Absorption: IFCT 2017 reports the folates in the food, not how much the body takes up, and we did not read a source that gives this for Indian foods, so we make no claim for any single food.
- Cooked values and foods with no IFCT row (cooked dal, roti, curd, tofu), and how cooking changes folate.
- Fortified foods and supplements, including folic acid.
- A pregnancy or lactation requirement, and whether you have enough folate: only a doctor can tell you that.
A note on health
This article is general educational content, not medical advice. It does not say that any food prevents or treats any condition or low folate. Folic acid supplements in pregnancy, or when planning a pregnancy, are a doctor's call, and this page gives no dose. If you are pregnant or planning to be, breastfeeding, follow a restricted diet, have a medical condition, take medicines or have been told your folate is low, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about your own situation before changing your diet or taking any supplement.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
Which vegetarian foods have the most folate?
In IFCT 2017 Table 2, per 100 g, dry moth bean (B016) has 349 µg of total folates, brown rajmah (B019) 330 µg, brown soybean (B024) 297 µg, whole chana (B002) 233 µg and brown cowpea (B005) 231 µg. A 30 g serving of dry rajmah holds about 99.0 µg by our arithmetic. These are dry values; IFCT 2017 has no rows for cooked pulses.
Which dal has the most folate?
Among the split dals here, IFCT 2017 gives chana dal (B001) 182 µg of total folates per 100 g, then toor dal (B021) 108 µg, moong dal (B010) 92.11 µg, urad dal (B003) 88.75 µg and masoor dal (B013) 49.99 µg. The whole forms are higher for chana: whole chana (B002) has 233 µg against 182 µg for chana dal. A 30 g serving of dry chana dal holds about 54.6 µg by our arithmetic.
Which green leaves have the most folate?
Among the raw leaves here, IFCT 2017 gives colocasia leaves (C018) 159 µg of total folates per 100 g, spinach (C033) 142 µg, fenugreek leaves (C020) 75.26 µg and green amaranth leaves (C002) 70.33 µg. A 100 g serving of raw spinach holds 142.0 µg by our arithmetic. IFCT 2017 has no rows for cooked leaves.
How much folate do I need, and should I take folic acid in pregnancy?
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note lists a folate RDA of 300 µg DFE in its table for males and 220 µg DFE for females, with EARs of 250 and 180 µg DFE. Its tables, as we read them, give no figure for pregnancy, and IFCT 2017 lists total folates in µg rather than µg DFE, so we do not compare the two. Whether to take folic acid, including when pregnant or planning a pregnancy, is a decision for a doctor; this page gives no dose. If you think your folate may be low, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017). Table 2 (Water Soluble Vitamins), Total Folates (B9) column (FOLSUM, µg), per 100 g edible portion, rows opened and read from the PDF on 24 Oct 2026: A005, A015 (PDF page 71); A019, B001, B002, B003, B004, B005, B010, B011, B012, B013 (PDF page 72); B016, B019, B021, B022, B024, C002 (PDF page 73); C018, C020 (PDF page 74); C033 (PDF page 75); H009 (PDF page 85); H011, H012, H014, H020 (PDF page 86); L002, L003 (PDF page 87).
- ICMR-NIN, Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, brief note, Tables 3 and 4, PDF page 6.
The serving weights and the serving folate figures are NYUS's own arithmetic, and every sentence starting "Our reading" is NYUS opinion, not from a study. Names in brackets are our matching to the IFCT row names.