Best and Worst Cooking Oils in India: The Truth About Ghee and Refined Oils

India's Complicated Relationship with Cooking Fat

Few topics in Indian nutrition cause more confusion than cooking oil. For decades we were told ghee was dangerous and refined vegetable oils were good for the heart. Then the advice shifted and ghee was back in favour. Now coconut oil is trending, cold-pressed oils are fashionable and rice bran oil is sold as the best choice for the heart.

Under the marketing the picture is fairly clear. The answer is not "all natural fats are good" or "all vegetable oils are bad". It depends on the fatty acid profile of the oil, how it is processed and how you cook with it.

The Types of Fat and What They Do

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats, found in ghee, coconut oil and animal fats, were the villain of the 1980s to 2000s, blamed for raising LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk. More recent meta-analyses have revised that picture. Swapping saturated fat for refined carbohydrates, which is what most people did, did not lower heart disease risk. Swapping it for unsaturated fat from nuts, seeds and fish does help. Moderate amounts of saturated fat from foods like dairy and coconut are not the crisis they were made out to be.

Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA)

Oleic acid is the primary MUFA, found in high quantities in olive oil and to a lesser extent in mustard oil. MUFAs are linked with lower LDL cholesterol and better heart health. The Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, is one of the best-studied eating patterns for the heart.

Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFA)

PUFAs include both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3s (fatty fish, flaxseed, walnuts) help keep inflammation down. Omega-6s (sunflower, soybean and corn oil) are needed in small amounts, but a diet very heavy in them and light in omega-3 is not ideal. Many urban Indian diets are skewed that way, with omega-6 to omega-3 ratios often quoted at 15:1 or higher against a suggested 4:1 or lower.

Trans Fats

Industrial trans fats (hydrogenated vegetable oils, vanaspati, and many commercial fried and baked foods) are harmful. They raise LDL and lower HDL. FSSAI has capped industrial trans fat at 2% of total oils and fats in packaged food since January 2022, but partially hydrogenated oils can still turn up in cheap baked and fried foods. Check ingredient labels for "partially hydrogenated".

The Best Cooking Oils for Indian Kitchens

Ghee

Ghee (clarified butter) is India's traditional cooking fat. It is about 65% saturated fat, which is why it got such a bad name. It also contains butyrate, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and its high smoke point (around 250°C) suits high-heat cooking.

Our view on ghee: 1 to 2 teaspoons a day is reasonable for most healthy adults. The quantity matters more than the fat. Traditional Indian cooking used ghee in modest amounts, not the heaps that both its critics and its fans sometimes imagine. If you have high cholesterol or heart disease, ask your doctor how much suits you.

Cold-Pressed Mustard Oil

Traditional cold-pressed mustard oil (kachi ghani sarson ka tel) has a good fatty acid profile: about 60% monounsaturated fat (mostly erucic acid, with some oleic acid), a useful amount of plant omega-3 (ALA) and little saturated fat. Its omega-3 to omega-6 balance is better than most common cooking oils. Erucic acid has been a concern because of studies in animals at very high doses. Moderate cooking amounts are generally considered fine, but the evidence is debated, so use it as one oil among several.

Mustard oil has a high smoke point and a strong flavour that defines much Bengali and North Indian cooking. Cold-pressed (kachi ghani) is a better choice than refined mustard oil.

Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil

Coconut oil divides opinion. It is about 90% saturated fat, the highest of any commonly used oil. Much of that is medium-chain fat such as lauric acid, which the body handles a little differently from the long-chain saturated fat in butter or meat. Even so, coconut oil raises both LDL and HDL cholesterol.

Virgin or cold-pressed coconut oil is fine in moderate amounts for medium-heat cooking. It has a lower smoke point than mustard oil or ghee, so it is not the best for high-heat frying. It is central to cooking in Kerala, Goa and coastal Karnataka, and it suits that food. Using it as one of several oils is sensible. The evidence does not support using it as your only oil.

Til (Sesame) Oil

Cold-pressed sesame oil (til oil) has a balanced mix of MUFA and PUFA and contains sesamol and sesamin, which are antioxidants. Its nutty flavour is central to South Indian cooking, especially Tamil cooking, and it is a good oil to keep using there.

The Problematic Oils

Refined Sunflower Oil

Refined sunflower oil is the most commonly used cooking oil in urban India, and the one to cut back on first. It is roughly 65 to 70% omega-6 linoleic acid. In the quantities Indian cooking uses, it pushes the omega-6 to omega-3 balance the wrong way. Polyunsaturated fats also break down when heated hard, and that produces harmful compounds such as aldehydes.

It is cheap and easy to find, which is why it fills so many kitchens. Nutritionally it is one of the weaker options. Cutting back and moving to mustard oil, ghee or cold-pressed oils is one of the simpler changes a family can make.

Refined Soybean Oil

It has a similar profile to refined sunflower oil: high in omega-6, not stable at cooking temperatures and heavily processed. Restaurants and packaged foods use it widely. The same concerns apply.

Vanaspati (Partially Hydrogenated Oil)

Vanaspati is the solid, shelf-stable vegetable fat used in cheap fried foods and commercial baked goods. It can contain industrial trans fats, so avoid it where you can. It is increasingly restricted but still appears in some commercial products and street food frying.

Palm Oil

Palm oil is widely used in packaged food in India. Check ingredient labels: it turns up in biscuits, instant noodles and many other products. It is about 50% saturated fat and 40% MUFA. The saturated fat is a concern in large amounts. Palm oil production is also linked to deforestation. For health, small amounts are not a big worry, but eating fewer packaged foods that contain it is a good idea for both reasons.

The Practical Oil Strategy for Indian Homes

• Daily cooking tadkas and sabzis: Cold-pressed mustard oil (for North and East India) or cold-pressed coconut/sesame oil (for South and West India)
• High-heat frying: Ghee or refined groundnut (peanut) oil, which hold up better at high temperatures
• Salad dressings and finishing: Extra-virgin olive oil (increasingly affordable in India)
• Daily amount: Total added fat of 3 to 4 teaspoons a day. Many Indian kitchens use well above that, and trimming it is worth doing

No oil is perfect, and using a few different ones makes sense because each gives a different mix of fats. Traditional Indian oils (ghee, mustard, sesame, coconut) in moderate amounts are a better bet than large amounts of refined vegetable oil.

Sources: FSSAI order limiting industrial trans fat to 2% from 1 January 2022; ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians for general advice on limiting added fat and using a variety of oils.

FAQ

Which cooking oil is best for Indian cooking?

There is no single best oil. Cold-pressed mustard oil suits North and East Indian cooking, coconut or sesame oil suits South and West Indian cooking, and ghee or refined groundnut oil holds up better for high-heat frying. Using two or three oils and keeping the total amount modest works well.

Is ghee healthy?

In moderate amounts, yes for most healthy adults. About 1 to 2 teaspoons a day is a reasonable range. It is high in saturated fat, so if you have high cholesterol or heart disease, ask your doctor how much suits you.

Is refined sunflower oil bad for you?

It is not poison, but it is high in omega-6 fat and breaks down when heated hard. If you use it for most of your cooking, rotating in mustard oil, ghee or groundnut oil is a simple improvement.

How much cooking oil should I use in a day?

This guide suggests about 3 to 4 teaspoons of added fat a day in total. Many Indian kitchens use more, so measuring with a spoon for a week can be an eye-opener.