From Our Kitchen
Authentic Indian cooking that showcases the flavour and nutritional depth only pure cold-pressed oil can deliver — from everyday dals and quick stir-fries to slow-cooked festival feasts. Organised by oil, time, and dietary preference.
The distinctive pungency of unrefined mustard oil is what makes this Punjabi winter staple sing. We break down the chemistry behind why refined oil simply cannot replicate the authentic flavour — and give you the recipe used in traditional North Indian households for generations. Served with makki ki roti, white butter, and jaggery.
View Full Recipe →Groundnut Oil · Dal · Vegan
The tarka is everything in a good dal. Cold-pressed groundnut oil's mild nuttiness amplifies cumin, mustard seeds, and curry leaves without competing with the lentil.
Mustard Oil · Pickle · Vegan
Cold-pressed mustard oil's natural allyl isothiocyanate acts as a preservative — making it the only oil suitable for traditional raw achaar. Ready in 24 hours.
Coconut Oil · Fish Curry · Non-Veg
A traditional Kerala fish curry with raw coconut milk. The coconut oil's lauric acid creates an authentic richness that refined coconut oil simply cannot deliver.
Sesame Oil · Dressing · Vegan
Cold-pressed sesame oil's deep aromatic character transforms a simple warm salad into something extraordinary. Used unheated to preserve its full sesamol content.
Groundnut Oil · Snack · Vegan
The secret to a light, non-greasy kachori is oil that's genuinely hot before the dough goes in. Cold-pressed groundnut oil, with its high smoke point and clean flavour, is the only choice.
Coconut Oil · Breakfast · Vegan
Appam requires coconut oil at every step: the fermentation, the cooking, the serving. Use cold-pressed for the authentic flavour that bottled aroma compounds cannot replicate.
Mustard Oil · Bengali · Vegan
A deceptively simple Bengali staple where the oil is the flavour. Sliced aubergine, turmeric, salt, and the unmistakable heat of cold-pressed mustard oil make this a five-ingredient classic.
Sesame Oil · South Indian · Non-Veg
Chettinad cuisine from Tamil Nadu is one of India's most aromatic culinary traditions. The base of cold-pressed sesame oil carries the kalpasi, marathi mokku, and Chettinad spice blend beautifully.
Sesame Oil · Sweet · Vegan
The traditional Makar Sankranti sweet — toasted sesame seeds set in jaggery syrup, with a thin coat of sesame oil to prevent sticking and add a final layer of nutty depth.
Groundnut Oil · Breakfast · Vegetarian
The iconic Mumbai street omelette — green chilli, onion, coriander, tomato — cooked in cold-pressed groundnut oil that adds a clean, neutral base so every spice comes through sharp and vivid.
Groundnut Oil · Rajasthani · Vegan
Ker (desert berries) and sangri (dried desert beans) slow-cooked in groundnut oil with whole spices, yoghurt, and dried chillies. A dish that transforms extreme austerity into extraordinary flavour.
Mustard Oil · Bengali · Non-Veg
The most celebrated dish in Bengali cuisine: hilsa fish marinated in mustard paste, steamed or shallow-fried in cold-pressed mustard oil. The oil is not background — it is the dish.
Coconut Oil · Condiment · Vegan
The final tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in cold-pressed coconut oil is what separates an authentic South Indian coconut chutney from an imitation. The oil carries the aromatics into the paste.
Groundnut Oil · Everyday · Vegan
The secret to non-slimy okra is high heat and dry oil from the start. Cold-pressed groundnut oil, with its high smoke point, gets the pan genuinely hot so the bhindi crisps rather than steams.
Groundnut Oil · Mughlai · Vegetarian
A rich, fragrant Mughlai korma with nine vegetables, nuts, and dried fruits in a cream and cashew gravy. The fried onion base — cooked in groundnut oil — is what gives this dish its signature depth.
Coconut Oil · South Indian · Vegan
Thengai sadam is a temple prasad staple in Tamil Nadu — cooked rice mixed with fresh coconut and tempered in coconut oil with cashews, chana dal, and green chillies. Pure, simple, perfect.
Mustard Oil · Bengali · Vegan
One of Bengal's most beloved home dishes: cubed potatoes cooked slowly in cold-pressed mustard oil with a paste of posto (poppy seeds), green chilli, and a hint of sugar. Deeply comforting.
Sesame Oil · Noodles · Vegan
Cold-pressed sesame oil tossed through rice noodles with ginger, garlic, tamari, and spring onion — a recipe where the oil is used as the dressing, not the cooking medium. Full flavour, zero heat needed.
The Festival Table
Each festival has its oils, its rituals, its recipes. These collections bring together the traditional dishes of India's greatest celebrations — cooked the way they were always meant to be.
October / November
From chakli and mathri fried in groundnut oil to besan laddoo cooked in ghee, and the puris that begin the festival meal — Diwali is India's greatest frying festival. Plus: oil lamp guide.
August / September
The 26-dish Onam Sadhya feast is Kerala's most elaborate meal — served on banana leaf with everything from avial to payasam. Coconut oil runs through every dish without exception.
January
Sesame is the sacred grain of Makar Sankranti — the winter harvest festival celebrated across India as Pongal, Lohri, and Uttarayan. Til everywhere: chikki, laddoo, pongal.
Oct / Nov · 9 Days
Nine days of fasting, nine days of sattvic cooking. Kuttu ka atta, sabudana, singhara flour — all fried in groundnut oil. Pure ingredients, pure preparation, pure intention.
Cook's Notes
Understanding how to use each oil at its best — the right temperature, the right method, the right moment — is what separates good Indian cooking from great Indian cooking.
Cold-pressed mustard oil should be heated until it just begins to smoke before adding ingredients — this is called the "kachchi ghani" method. This brief smoking breaks down the pungent allyl isothiocyanate, releasing the nutty, mellow base while keeping the oil's depth. Add your spices when the smoke clears.
Cold-pressed groundnut oil has a smoke point around 160–180°C — high enough for deep frying without breakdown. The key to non-greasy fried food is maintaining this temperature throughout. If the oil is too cool, food absorbs it; too hot, it burns before cooking through. Use a thermometer or test with a small cube of bread (should turn golden in 30 seconds).
Cold-pressed sesame oil's most valuable compounds — sesamol, sesamin, sesamolin — are heat-sensitive. For South Indian cooking, use it for tempering at low-medium heat. But for maximum nutritional and flavour impact, add it at the end: drizzle over cooked noodles, whisk into dressings, or fold into chutneys after the heat is off. The aromatic compounds stay intact.
Almost every South Indian dish begins with the same sequence in coconut oil: heat oil → add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter → add curry leaves (stand back — they spit) → add dried red chillies. This 90-second sequence is the flavour foundation of a cuisine. Cold-pressed coconut oil carries these aromatics better than refined because its natural compounds interact with and amplify the spices.
Quick Reference
Not all oils suit all cooking methods. Use this guide to choose the right Bharat Oil for the right job — at a glance.
Pungent · Earthy · High heat
Mild · Neutral · Very high heat
Aromatic · Nutty · Medium heat
Tropical · Creamy · Medium heat