Protein in Milk, Paneer, Khoa and Curd per 100 g
General information: This article is information about food data. No dietitian or doctor has reviewed it, and it is not a substitute for their advice.
Short answer: per 100 g, IFCT 2017 gives paneer 18.86 g of protein, khoa 16.34 g, buffalo milk 3.68 g and cow milk 3.26 g, and USDA gives plain whole-milk curd 3.47 g. By our weights, 50 g of paneer gives about 9 g, a 150 g katori of curd about 5 g and a 200 g glass of cow milk about 7 g.
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Paneer, milk, curd and khoa are all "dairy", but they carry very different amounts of protein per 100 g because they hold very different amounts of water. This guide puts them in one table, per 100 g and per 100 kcal, from IFCT 2017 and one USDA record, and says where no table has a record.
Protein per 100 g: paneer, khoa, milk and curd
The milk, paneer and khoa rows are IFCT 2017 Table 1 rows, per 100 g as listed in the book; energy is IFCT's kJ divided by 4.184, rounded. IFCT Table 1 has no curd or yogurt row, so curd is the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy record for plain whole-milk yogurt (FDC 171284, read 4 Nov 2026), which a home-set dahi is not identical to. Protein per 100 kcal is our arithmetic: protein per 100 g divided by kcal per 100 g, times 100.
| Food | Source row | Protein per 100 g | Fat per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk, whole, cow | IFCT L002 | 3.26 g | 4.48 g | 73 kcal | 4.5 g |
| Milk, whole, buffalo | IFCT L001 | 3.68 g | 6.58 g | 107 kcal | 3.4 g |
| Paneer | IFCT L003 | 18.86 g | 24.78 g | 305 kcal | 6.2 g |
| Khoa | IFCT L004 | 16.34 g | 20.62 g | 316 kcal | 5.2 g |
| Curd (plain whole-milk yogurt) | USDA 171284 | 3.47 g | 3.25 g | 61 kcal | 5.7 g |
Per 100 g, paneer (18.86 g) and khoa (16.34 g) have roughly four to six times the protein of milk (3.26 to 3.68 g) because they hold much less water (IFCT water per 100 g: paneer 51.96 g and khoa 42.51 g against 86.64 g in cow milk). Per 100 kcal the gap narrows: paneer 6.2 g, curd 5.7 g, khoa 5.2 g, cow milk 4.5 g and buffalo milk 3.4 g. Buffalo milk has more protein than cow milk per 100 g (3.68 against 3.26 g) but also more fat and energy.
What a glass, a katori or a piece gives
The weights below are ours (an assumption, not an IFCT or USDA figure); change the weight and the protein scales in proportion. Protein = per 100 g x grams / 100, rounded to a whole gram.
| Serving (weight is ours) | Source row | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| One glass of cow milk: 200 g | IFCT L002 | 3.26 g x 200 / 100 = 7 g |
| One glass of buffalo milk: 200 g | IFCT L001 | 3.68 g x 200 / 100 = 7 g |
| One katori of curd: 150 g | USDA 171284 | 3.47 g x 150 / 100 = 5 g |
| One serving of paneer: 50 g | IFCT L003 | 18.86 g x 50 / 100 = 9 g |
| One piece of khoa: 30 g | IFCT L004 | 16.34 g x 30 / 100 = 5 g |
| 100 g of paneer | IFCT L003 | 18.86 g x 100 / 100 = 19 g |
For paneer in cooking see how much protein is in paneer, for the two milks cow vs buffalo milk, and for paneer against egg and dal egg vs paneer vs dal. A paneer bhurji or kheer made from khoa adds oil, sugar and other ingredients, which these raw rows do not include.
What this table leaves out
IFCT 2017 Table 1 has no row for curd, buttermilk, cheese, skimmed milk or toned milk, so we give no IFCT number for them; read the label on your pack for those. Homemade paneer and khoa vary with the milk and how long they are cooked.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
How much protein is in 100 g of paneer?
IFCT 2017 row L003 gives paneer 18.86 g of protein per 100 g, with 24.78 g of fat and 305 kcal. By our weight of 50 g, a serving gives about 9 g. This is general information, not medical advice.
Which has more protein, milk or curd?
Per 100 g, IFCT 2017 gives cow milk 3.26 g and buffalo milk 3.68 g, and USDA's plain whole-milk yogurt record (171284) gives 3.47 g, so curd and milk are close per 100 g. A home-set dahi is not identical to the USDA record. This is general information, not medical advice.
Does buffalo milk have more protein than cow milk?
On the IFCT 2017 rows, yes per 100 g: 3.68 g for buffalo milk (L001) against 3.26 g for cow milk (L002), but buffalo milk also has 6.58 g of fat against 4.48 g and 107 kcal against 73 kcal. This is general information, not medical advice.
Which dairy food has the most protein for its calories?
On this page's rows, paneer: 6.2 g of protein per 100 kcal, ahead of curd (5.7 g), khoa (5.2 g), cow milk (4.5 g) and buffalo milk (3.4 g). The ranking is our arithmetic from the table, and it does not include cheese or toned milk. This is general information, not medical advice.
How much protein is in khoa?
IFCT 2017 row L004 gives khoa 16.34 g of protein per 100 g, with 16.53 g of carbohydrate and 316 kcal. By our weight of 30 g, a piece gives about 5 g. Khoa sweets add sugar and other ingredients that this row does not include. This is general information, not medical advice.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), Table 1 (Proximate Principles and Dietary Fibre), protein, fat, carbohydrate and energy (kJ divided by 4.184) per 100 g: milk whole buffalo L001, milk whole cow L002, paneer L003 and khoa L004 (PDF page 57).
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, per 100 g, opened 4 Nov 2026: FDC 171284 (Yogurt, plain, whole milk): protein 3.47 g, fat 3.25 g, carbohydrate 4.66 g, energy 61 kcal.
The serving weights (200 g milk, 150 g curd, 50 g paneer, 30 g khoa), the protein per 100 kcal figures and the sentences comparing the rows are NYUS's own assumptions or arithmetic, not from a study.