10 Best Cooking Oils in India 2021 (Vedaka, Saffola, and more)

Ruchi Wadhwa is a certified Nutritionist with a keen interest in Ayurvedic sciences. She has a wholesome, holistic, and sustainable approach to nutrition. You can reach out to her on Facebook, Instagram, or quora.

In this section of the article, we will take you through the best cooking oils available online in India, catering to different cooking techniques. We have included the best oils from brands like Vedaka, Dabur, Bertolli, and more.

Before we begin with the product list on how to choose the best cooking oil, let us first take you through the importance of choosing the right cooking oil. Cooking oil has a direct relation with your health, especially your heart health. 

Cooking oil is used in almost all types of recipes in Indian cooking. Therefore, you should not compromise on its quality. Choosing an unhealthy cooking oil may lead to complications like heart blockage, diabetes, high cholesterol, weight gain, inflammation, etc. 

Concerning this, it is advisable to choose oils that are cold-pressed and unrefined as they are highly nutritive. As far as refined oils are concerned, according to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, refined oils are totally safe to be used as cooking oil.

However, it is advisable to limit the use of it and increase the use of unrefined versions. The process of refining leads to an increased amount of polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), and these fats do not hold up well in high heat. As a result, they emit a high amount of free radicals which may lead to health complications.

Cooking oil is directly linked to your health and you must choose the right one. Few factors have to be taken care of while choosing the right type. What are they? Our buying guide will answer this. So, keep reading!!

Cooking oils, as mentioned earlier, are made of fats derived from plants and animals. Different types of fats have different effects on your health. The type of fats found in cooking oils is monosaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans fats.

There are two types of unsaturated fats. They are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fats contain one or more double or triple bonds between the molecules. These fats are liquid at room temperature and found in oils like olive, canola, avocado, sunflower, soybean, safflower, grapeseed, corn, peanut, etc.

Unsaturated fats are an important part of a healthy diet. These fats are known to reduce the risk of heart-related diseases and reduce the level of bad cholesterol, i.e., LDL (low-density lipoprotein). Polyunsaturated fat contains essential fatty acids like omega 3 and omega 6. Adequate consumption of unsaturated fats ensures high HDL (high-density lipoprotein) which can lower the risk of heart-related diseases.

Saturated fats are fats with no double bonds like unsaturated fats and are solid at room temperature. These fats are mostly derived from animal fats and are known to increase the risk of heart diseases and stroke. Saturated fats raise the bad cholesterol, i.e., LDL, and can cause cholesterol to built-in your arteries. 

Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. And any kind of blockage in the arteries will make it difficult for the blood to flow through them, which in turn results in various health and heart-related issues. Some of the examples of saturated fats are lard, palm oil, coconut oil, ghee, etc. However, all saturated fats are not bad for you. Ghee and coconut oil are known to promote weight loss and good health.

Trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid oils to make them solid and increase their shelf life. These fats are known to increase bad cholesterol and are also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Examples of trans fats are shortening, margarine, vanaspati, etc. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the amount of trans fat in cooking oil should be less than 5%.

Have you ever wondered that every oil has a particular smoke point? Yes, but before we move ahead with further details, let's first understand what a smoke point is? The smoke point of cooking oil is referred to as the temperature at which the oil starts burning. 

This not only gives a smoky and burnt flavor to your dish but also if you heat oil beyond its smoke point, it forms free radicals. As a result, the oil loses its beneficial nutrients and also generates toxic fumes. Also, when the oil reaches its smoke point, the chance of it catching fire is high.

Therefore, it is recommended to use oils with a high smoke point for high heat cooking like deep frying. And oils with a low smoke point are best for low heat cooking like sauteing, baking, drizzling on salads, etc.

Some of the examples of oils with high smoke point are refined safflower oil (270 degrees C), refined almond oil (221 degrees C), refined canola oil (230 degrees C), refined coconut oil ( 204 degrees C), Clarified butter (250 degrees C), refined olive oil (210 degrees C), etc.

Oils that have a medium to low smoke point include extra virgin olive oil ( 160 degrees C), unrefined flaxseed oil (107 degrees C), unrefined coconut oil (177 degrees C), unrefined peanut oil (160 degrees C), etc. 

Choosing an oil based on the type of cooking is highly advisable. Taking into consideration the smoke point of different oils mentioned above, it is recommended to choose oils with a high smoke point for high heat cooking like deep frying, grilling, and stir-frying. Any cooking method that uses the heat of 190 degrees C is considered high heat cooking. 

However, as per the studies are concerned, oils that are high in saturated fats and monounsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc. are the best for high heat cooking. Because they are the most stable and more resistant to oxidization. 

Oils rich in polyunsaturated fats contain short-chain fatty acids and break apart more easily when heated, releasing more free radicals. In Indian homes, refined sunflower oil is one of the best choices for high heat cooking. But, the high levels of PUFA in it can form toxic compounds when heated and lead to health complications.

Medium to low heat cooking includes cooking techniques using temperatures ranging from 50 degrees C to 190 degrees C. Oils like sesame oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc are advisable to be used for such style of cooking. These oils can also be used for drizzling over salads and used in dips. 

You must have heard the term 'kachi ghani' used often with oils. Have you ever wondered what does this term mean? It refers to an oil that is cold-pressed and unrefined. These oils are healthier than refined oils as they retain antioxidants that help combat free radicals. Cold-pressed oils are also a good source of vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory and healing properties. 

In the process of cold pressing, the oil is extracted by pressing the seeds without any application of external heat. This process helps to retain all the essential vitamins and minerals the plant has in its oil. In the process of refining, most of the nutritive capacity of oils is lost as they are exposed to high heat.

However, these types of oils are not recommended for high heat cooking as they have a very low smoke point. Exposing them to high temperatures can break down their unsaturated fats, making them unsafe for consumption.

The type of oil used in the recipe plays a key role in its final taste. E.g., an authentic style of Bengali 'macher jhol' has a very distinctive flavor of mustard oil. Similarly, in South Indian cuisine coconut oil has a very special role. 

Apart from this, if you are making a recipe that needs neutral-flavored oil, e.g., for baking, canola or sunflower oil is the best pick because these oils do not impart any flavor to the dish. When it comes to drizzling over salads, olive oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil, etc. are recommended.

These oils give a very nice aroma and a nutty flavor to the salad. Furthermore, for making a variety of parathas, biryanis, etc. ghee is the preferred choice as it holds up well on high heat and makes dishes aromatic. 

Are looking for more kitchen appliances or kitchen-related products? If so, do check out the below-mentioned links to help yourself find the best products available online. The articles will also give you an insight into the latest trends and products. 

We hope you find the article useful in finding the best cooking oil for you. Whichever brand and product you like, be sure to check the fat content and check if the product adheres to the regulations set by FSSAI. Happy Cooking!! 

Author: Sashmita