Oil is a viscous liquid that is an essential cooking ingredient in many cuisines around the world and especially in Indian cooking. The beauty about oil is that it is hydrophobic which literally means scared of water and thus in most of our cooking we see the hide and seek game, that oil and water play. As a cuisine that uses a lot of natural ingredients, oil is one of the most unique ingredients used in cooking as it both helps to bind ingredients together and separate them. Recently, I made a bunch of bajjis (bajjis are vegetable fritters) at home, and what I saw stunned me. The oil I used was groundnut oil and the way the oil heated up to cook the veggies and batter together and at the same time separated the many from sticking with each other was like a symphony to watch. What was unique about the oil I used though, was that it was cold pressed oil. Chekku Groundnut Oil is a very unique oil as it is great for cooking in high temperatures and also super aromatic and authentic in taste. 

Depending on the region we are in India, the oil being used to cook might vary. This is a fact as many cultures use the produce of their homelands. For example, Kerala cuisine will predominantly use coconut oil as it is the most easily found variety of oil in their region. Groundnut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, mustard oil, olive oil ( not so much in India, though it is largely being imported) , and sunflower oil are some of the variety of oils that are used largely in Indian cooking. Imagine potato chips, french fries, bajjis, pakodas, all kinds of North Indian snacks like Aloo Bhujia, Moong Dal, Bombay Mixture, all of which are prepared using oil. Indian Traditional sweets such as jangri, jalebi, laddoo, adhirasam are all made using oil as the binding factor. The distinguishing factor between different oils is their viscosity and ability to withstand high temperatures and of course the flavour & aroma they bring to the food. 

At Aha Bazaar we have two newly added organic oils that are cold pressed. What is this unique method some may ask but it would shock you to know that in essence it is a heritage process. In the olden times we would have oxen pull a mortar that will grind the product and separate the fibre from the oil. Today, cold pressed oil is extraction of oil at room temperature which is usually twenty seven degrees and retains the nutrients in them along with being non-acidic. This process has a natural precipitation and filtration method and there is no need for the method of refinement. Hot pressed oils that are made commercially use high temperature to extract oil and that gives them a high acidic value along with losing nutrients in the process of refining the oil. If you want to choose from heritage oils we have the VVV Chekku Groundnut oil & VVV Chekku Sesame oil. Choose good health, great taste and a fantastic aroma that you don’t want to miss. Choose the practices of our ancestors and find that connection that will take you back to your roots. Choose heritage oils and live a life that is healthier and happier.