A very common stigma around cooking oils is that it is unhealthy! While this is not entirely true, cooking methods like deep frying in oil is definitely not the best choice for your daily diet. The choice of the oil also plays quite the role in contributing to the nutrient factors! Surprising right? Around the world, different cuisines use different oils for different purpose. Like Indians use oils like Groundnut or Sunflower to cook their curries or sauté or the Mexican use Olive oil as salad dressing while the Americans use Palm or Soya bean oil to grill or roast.
Cooking oils when consumed right are extremely healthy and beneficial. They also help in preparing food by amplifying the flavor and texture of the food, adding crispiness to baked items and conducting heat while cooking. Cooking oils are found to have healthy fats like Monounsaturated fats (MUFA’s) and Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA’s) which help reduce bad cholesterol as against Trans fats which are bad for your cholesterol levels. Cooking oils make a major source of energy for the body due to high calories therefore the right proportion can prove super beneficial.
If you know what oil to use for your cooking, you have mastered the art called cooking. At Nakoda we bring you 5 different oils that will serve your different requirements. Organically made with love and care, the range of edible oils is available in various sizes. And if you want to know what oil is best suited for what, you have come to the right place!
1. Mustard Oil Kacchi Ghani –
Strong in flavor and pungent in aroma, Mustard oil is a staple in North Indian cuisine especially for making authentic dishes like Dal Tadka or Sarson ka saag. The Mustard oil is made in the traditional way of cold pressing in a Kacchi Ghani to retain all the nutrients. While Mustard oil can be used for sautéing or stir-frying, it is quite ideal for deep-frying due to its high smoke point.
2. Sesame oil/ Teel Oil –
Talk about Asian cuisine and it’s impossible to not have the presence of Sesame oil popularly called Teel ka tel. Used to make pickles, south Indian sesame rice, chill garlic sauce it is a widely known oil in Chinese, Japanese, South Indian, Mediterranean as well as Korean cuisine. The nutty aroma and taste makes it a common oil used to enhance the flavors of a dish.
3. Sunflower Oil-
Organically made by pressing the oil from sunflower seeds, sunflower oil is consumed widely in Western India for sautéing, roasting, stir-frying and deep-frying. Sunflower oil can be used to make vegetables, dal, Farsan and many more Indian dishes. It can also be used in baking to make cookies, pizza base, baked potato. Overall, sunflower oil is nutritious and heart-healthy.
4. Groundnut Oil-
Groundnut oil finds its use in seasoning, grilling and frying in a variety of Indian dishes with Western India using the oil to make pickles. It is also generally used to make sweets due to its pea-nutty flavor. Extracted from harvested, shelled and crushed groundnuts (peanuts) it is famous in Chinese, South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines.
5. Rice Bran Oil-
Rice bran oil is extracted from rice bran, the outer layer of the rice grain.It’s commonly used as a cooking oil in many Asian countries, including Japan, India, and China. In addition to its culinary uses and unique flavor, rice bran oil has a range of health benefits.
Make your favorite Indian vegetable recipe, using a little rice bran oil to saute the vegetables or deep fry tasty pakodas in them.
