Oils and ghee form the basic needs of any Indian cooking be it North Indian, South Indian or Bengali cooking. Oils add their own distinctive flavour depending on their origin of extraction, and ghee ofcourse makes the food very special, rich and aromatic. I say aromatic because ghee has this quality of really bringing out strongly, the aroma of the spices and condiments used in the dishes.
OILS:-
The different regions in India have their own choice of cooking oils catagorised according to their origin of extraction. It is common knowledge that the Bengalis are very particular about using the Mustard Oil. This has a strong smell. The Gujaratis prefer the Groundnut oil(Peanut Oil, very tasty), the Tamilians from Chennai use the Til(Sesame) Oil whereas the Malayalis from Kerala and even the Goans prefer using a lot of coconut and Coconut oil in their cooking which add to the taste and flavour of cooking.
I believe that apart from having a particular preference about the kind of flavour you want, one has also to keep’three’ important things in mind when you purchase a cooking oil:
(1)The DATE of manufacture is exremely important for oils, as they have a limited shelf life(three months at the most), especially the coconut oil. It is for this same reason that crispies like the banana chips from Kerala, made with Coconut oil need to be consumed quickly, before they develop the stale oil taste and smell.
(2) The APPEARANCE of the oil should be clear if is refined oil, and not cloudy.
(3) The HEALTH angle. I consider this to be the most important, especially for today’s health conscious generation. Today’s fast life of stress and strain, leaves very little time for relaxation or exercise. And so the choice of the right food, right oil, goes a long way in keeping you fit and healthy. Oils made from nuts like the groundnut oil or coconut oil are too rich and should be avoided by those who are calory concious, who like to watch their weight and those with heart problems. These oils tend to increase the LDL and HDL in your blood leading to blockages in arteries or high cholesterol. In this respect the Sunflower oil, Vegetable Oils, and to some extent the Olive oil is safer and preferable. Olive oil has a good percentage of Monounsaturated fats which is effective in lowering the cholesterol in your blood, which makes it safe for heart patients. The same can be said about Corn Oil.
GHEE:-
There are two types of Ghee available in the market-the Cow Milk Ghee and the Buffalo Milk ghee. The former is definitely lighter for digestion than the latter. But except using the Ghee in typical indian sweet dishes where it is a necessity, it is best avoided in cooking for the simple reason that it is Saturated Fat and makes the food too heavy and rich. Most importantly, I have learnt that 1 teaspoon of Ghee equals 4 teaspoons of Oil! And that’s something worth pondering over. is’nt it?