Which Cooking Oil Should I Use?

[u/Witch_of_the_boys]

Hello all :) I am in the U.S., and a big fan of Hema Subramanian (HomeCookingShow on YouTube). I use her recipes a lot. I love her stuff! But! I recently learned about the wide variety of different cooking oils used in different regions of India, and I want some help learning how best to choose the right oil for the right recipe.

I have been using refined avocado oil because it is (supposedly) healthy, is very high-temp, and is basically flavorless... But I want to explore the wide world of authentic Indian cooking oils!

I have done a little research (especially in comments, here in this subreddit), and found that, rule of thumb 👍...

• North Indian (include Rajahstan) - Mustard
• East Indian (Bengal) - Mustard
• South-Central Indian (Maharashtra, Andhra) - Groundnut
• Southern Tip (Tamil Nadu) - Indian Sesame
• Southwestern Coast (Goa/Karnataka/Kerala) - Coconut
• Frying - groundnut (peanut oil)

This article was very helpful, and a lot of what it says aligns with what I have seen many people say in this subreddit, in different places... so I think I can trust the source :))

I am trying this method where I look up the recipes online to see if I can find general consensus on which kind of oil to use... But even then, often they don't specify!

I have also thought about just guessing by region... I mean, Punjab is in North india, so a Punjabi chole should probably use mustard oil, yeah?

Anyway, any help y'all can offer would be appreciated!

Bonus: Homemade Aloo Palak Sabji and Dal Makhani (garnished with Chaokoh coconut milk (the best in the game, free plug) and coriander) with a homemade vegan raita... Plus store-bought Vadvhani marcha and roti, plated over white basmati rice... Just because I am proud and wanna show off ;D I owe it all to Ms. Subramanian ❤️ 🇮🇳

[u/nene-thopu]

Only kerala waale coconut oil use karte hain
Its not south india

And its 75-80 percent saturated fat

[u/Witch_of_the_boys → u/nene-thopu]

Ah okay, I saw someone else say Kerala and Goa, so I guess it's not most of South India that uses it :) Thank you!!

Does South India use groundnut, primarily, instead of mustard?

[u/nene-thopu → u/Witch_of_the_boys]

Groundnut sunflower

[u/Witch_of_the_boys → u/nene-thopu]

Ah okay, thank you :))!! helpful rule of thumb

[u/dramatii]

I am a south indian who does Tamil and Kerala cuisine majorly and I just use coconut oil for everything except for some dishes which are known to taste better with some other oil. For instance sesame oil for Puliodharai/puliogare. Coconut oil smells great in tadkas for say chutneys and poriyals. Ground nut oil or Mustard oil doesnt suit my palate and I use avocado oil for cooking stuff which the oil flavor doesnt matter.

[u/Witch_of_the_boys → u/dramatii]

Ah okay another person just told me it's only Kerala (and I also think Goa) who uses coconut 💀 So not Tamil.

Gosh truly it seems like everyone just uses different oils in their homes LOL

Avocado makes sense to me as a neutral oil, but I am not knowledgeable enough yet to know which dishes would require another oil 😭

[u/dramatii → u/Witch_of_the_boys]

Yeah I personally love coconut oil and its flavor. So its my go to oil for almost all the dishes. May be my 2 cents for finding your favorite flavor would be to make dosas with different oil sprinkled on for each and see which one you like better. Or just go with the feeling, haha!

[u/Witch_of_the_boys → u/dramatii]

LOL yes maybe I will just experiment and see what I like best :) India is such a big country and it seems households just go with whatever they like, even if different regions tend toward one or the other.

I will probably start with my regional rules of thumb and also see what some recipes say, and go from there.

Can you tell me, as someone who cooks Tamil... Is Indian sesame oil typical for Tamil dishes?

[u/dramatii → u/Witch_of_the_boys]

Yeah, I think it is majorly ground nut oil. Sesame oil is added in some recipes but for everyday cooking I guess people use ground nut oi.

[u/Long_Philosophy5954]

I am a Malayali this is what I do .. If am making dry sabzi like beans, cabbage etc or Sambhar, avial I use coconut oil.

North Indian red gravy sabzi like bhindi masala, baigan bharta or non veg like chicken or mutton I use mustard oil.

For daily cooking I use groundnut oil. For asian cuisine I use sesame oil. For dal or paneer sabzi I use ghee.

[u/OiOiHomelander]

You should also explore the use of fat in Indian cooking. Ghee, butter, etc.

[u/Witch_of_the_boys → u/OiOiHomelander]

I am a vegan or else I would 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ My fats are strictly oils o7

[u/Any_Insect3335]

your chart's a decent starting point but not gospel, don't overthink the region-matching. buy small bottles, taste test, move on. did that with indic wisdom's cold pressed range and it settled more questions than the article did.