oil (tel)

Several types of oil are used in Indian cuisine, depending on where the dish comes from. An Indian pantry should contain several oils for different uses. Cold-pressed or refined peanut (groundnut) oil is used in northern and central India and is a good all-purpose oil (use only the refined version for deep-frying). Sesame oil made from raw sesame seeds is used in the South, and mustard oil in the Punjab and Bengal. These oils impart flavour to the dishes in which they are used. Coconut oil is also used in the South where coconut is a major flavouring. It fries well but is very high in saturated fats.