Those who grew up in the 80s and 90s were the ones most likely to have been brought up on refined oils. Ancient Indian cooking for the most part relied on oils that were derived from locally cultivated seeds and nuts which then added to the flavour of the cuisine of that area. For eg; coconut oil in Kerala and mustard oil in West Bengal.
Those who grew up in the 80s and 90s were the ones most likely to have been brought up on refined oils. Ancient Indian cooking for the most part relied on oils that were derived from locally cultivated seeds and nuts which then added to the flavour of the cuisine of that area. For eg; coconut oil in Kerala and mustard oil in West Bengal.
With increased influences of the modern world, it is the diet that began to see a shift. A change that slowly led to health practices that required no thought to what we were putting into our bodies. An industry that seemed to flourish very quickly was that of the refined cooking oils. Odourless, pale oils were advertised as being the best cooking medium forsaking all else that existed before.
Since the past few years as again several western studies show the importance of including a different range of cold pressed, virgin and extra-virgin oils into the diet, we Indians are scrambling back to learn that which we had cast aside!
A mara chekku derived oil or a cold pressed oil is one wherein the nutrients of the ingredient are kept intact, to the best possible extent during the extraction process. Refined oils are those that are stripped of nutrients by applying a chemical process and are therefore just not good for health.
While coconut oil has been a part of the South Indian diet and said to contain 90% saturated fat, one must be educated that not all saturated fats are created equal. Coconut oil will not raise LDL because of it’s specific molecular and chemical make-up which differs from other unhealthy saturated facts. It is a good choice for tempering specific dishes like pori, agathi poo poriyal, thaenga saadham etc.
Peanut oil has a high smoking point and can be used while making dosais and other South Indian staples. It has a high calorific value so 1 or 2 Tbsp per day is ideal.
Sesame oil or ‘nallennai’ has linoleic acid that offers anti-bacterial benefits and fights against inflammations. It is rich in minerals and antioxidants that boost overall health. Again we refer to the ochre coloured, fragrant nallennai that has not been processed. Use the refined version to light your lamps and not in your food.
An oil that is largely overlooked these days is undoubtedly our velakennai or castor oil. It’s a safe and natural laxative and formed the core of ‘patti vaidhyam’ in almost every Indian family back in the day. It fights everything from fungal infections, skin and hair maladies to providing topical pain relief. A friend of mine who is well versed in traditional Indian cuisine never cooks her meat dishes without adding a spoon of castor oil to her cooking pot. It apparently helps break down the fibres for easy digestion.
The new entrant to Indian kitchens is undoubtedly the Extra Virgin Olive oil. It is great for a salad dressing or even to drizzle on some whole grain bread or boiled eggs/steamed veggies etc. It’s made by crushing the olives and EVOO as it is known is supposedly the first extraction. The others that go by the name,’pure’, ’pomace’, ’virgin’ are all extremely diluted versions and contain almost no health benefits.
Thanks to increased awareness and demand there are many people who have re-started production of these healthy oils in their farms. This is one kitchen ingredient that can be bought directly from source.
For those interested there is a handy oil maker that is available for home use. Just add the nuts or seeds of choice and within a few minutes it will churn out the aromatic oil.
The word cold pressed means that the oil has not been subjected to a specific amount of heat which will cause it to simmer or boil thereby destroying the nutrients. A small of heat does form due to the churning or pressing process.
The bottom line is to use a variety of these MUFA and PUFA rich cooking oils as part of the everyday diet based on what goes best with each dish and cooking technique. Experimenting with unusual oils like walnut and flax are also great options.
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