Share
In many Indian households, mustard oil has been a staple as a desi nuska to treat ailments, help with colds, and, of course, this extends to the kitchen as well. Use it in dishes like the beloved Bengali macher jhol, dal tadka and stir fries like jeera aloo, and you will have a dish that is tinged with the pungency of mustard oil. This oil can be quite heady and will make your dishes more flavourful yet nourishing as the rains turn everything gloomy around you. So, here are some ways you can use mustard oil in your dishes, beyond just frying pakodas on days when the rain pelts a bit too hard.
The Pickle Magic
Mustard oil is the go-to oil, always when it comes to making pickles, because it brings out the best of the masala and the main ingredient – assorted vegetables, mangoes, and garlic. It has been a long-standing tradition to make pickles and store them in large glass jars, to aid in fermentation. Pick the season’s best raw mangoes or garlic and a generous helping of mustard oil to pickle them.
Mustard Oil For Tadka (Tempering)
Mustard oil is essential in many households for adding tadka to dishes like daal. Some recipes take it up a notch, and mustard seeds are added to the smoking mustard oil for another layer of flavour, until they pop. This is a must for many recipes to capture the essence of the spices; more get added later, especially for daal. In dishes like aloo jeera, after heating the mustard oil, jeera is added for that trademark jeera flavour, coating the aloo. Talking about comfort food, there’s also khichdi, and for most recipes, a mix of jeera and hing is used to add flavour to the dish.
Using It The Dough
Mustard oil isn’t just meant for curries, tadka, and stir fry; it can also be used in the dough of rotis and other items like naans. A spoonful added while kneading dough makes it softer and gives the final roti or paratha a distinct smell. It will also help the dough last longer, which is handy during humid, rainy days when everything seems to spoil faster than usual. Think of it as replacing ghee with mustard oil; you might just like this addition and make it a regular fix in your home.
Adding A Punch To Fillings
Whether it’s aloo paratha, dishes like the Bihari litti, or even bhindi, adding mustard oil to any of the stuffing mix adds a little kick to it, for mustard oil has its own presence. It also helps coat the spices evenly, gives the mixture a nice feel, and makes sure that the inside of your stuffed dish isn’t bland or lacking in flavour when you bite into the dish. Just sauté your filling ingredients in a little mustard oil and watch how the flavour deepens.
Roasting Vegetables
Mustard oil works quite well in roasting vegetables aside from the regular meat, fish and poultry. Just replace the regular vegetable oil, seed oil or olive oil and toss cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, or any other vegetables, whatever you’ve got on hand, with a bit of mustard oil, turmeric, other spices and salt. Roast till they’re golden, and you’ll end up with vegetables with crisp edges, a deep flavour that is perfect for pairing with rotis and even an accompaniment to rice and daal.
Marinating Meats and Veggies
Mustard oil stands out among other oils for its robust flavours, so it tends to lend a richness to marinades. This is perfect for prepping any kind of meat or fish, which will soften thanks to the marinade and infuse it with bold flavours. In many Indian kitchens, it's the not-so-secret ingredient for marinating chicken for tandoori, fish for frying, or even chunks of paneer before grilling. Just warm the mustard oil slightly before mixing it with curd, spices, ginger-garlic paste, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Salad Dressing
Mustard oil in a salad might sound unexpected, and borderline crazy, but once you try it, you’ll keep going back to it. A drizzle of raw mustard oil, combined with a dash of lemon juice, salt, and a little bit of jaggery or honey, can create a sharp and flavorful dressing that will add body to the leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, boiled potatoes and even meat. This is especially great for monsoons when you're craving something fresh but want something that is still rooted in bold, desi flavours.
Why stop here? Experiment and try mustard oil in making soups and broths that share similar pungent properties, like ginger, garlic, and seafood. You can also try adding them to salads and wholesome curries, and more.
