INDIAN FAT BASICS
Fats are a really important cooking category. Fats work as filters on flavour, transforming the overall tonality of aromatics and produce in a dish.
I have an entire pantry shelf full of different fats and oils but the three I use most are those that Indian cooks across the Subcontinent and the diaspora will both be very familiar with: ghee, coconut oil, and mustard oil.
Each of these three fats has a unique impact. All of the three have the ability to hold flavour in the mouth for a long time due to their rich and viscose textures, making them ideal partners for food where spice is the feature.
Learn a little bit more of how to use these three different fats and in what quantity by reading the tips below.
INDIAN FAT BASICS:
Ghee is a fat that is sweet, creamy, rich and buttery. Use ghee in the base of dishes where there is heavy spicing and you would like to smooth it over a little. OR when you’re looking to make a dish with an end result that is softly spiced, with less sharp aromatic contrast. SUGGESTION: when panfrying fish, or to temper spice for a gentle dal.
Mustard oil is available at Indian grocers, and some Asian grocers. Use mustard oil in dishes where you want to create heat. OR use mustard oil to help make a dish whose spice bed is dirtier, darker, and has a strong and pungent aromatic impact. SUGGESTION: add to vegetable oil when frying to create tang and heat with eggplant, or use to marinate pork ribs with chilli and soy sauce to intensify heat and sweetness.
Coconut oil is a tropical, cooling, and high tone fa. Use in dishes where you want to lighten a dark spice mood, or to create very jazzy and vibrant streets food-style flavours. SUGGESTION: use coconut oil with bitter vegetables like kale to lift the flavour, or with prawns and gently acidic spice on a barbecue to create a charred summertime treat.