Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: mak on November 08, 2011, 03:17 PM
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Hi All, Who uses which oil for their main dishes and why?
What is the healthiest oil to cook with given the reported health risks with Veg oil?
Thanks in advance,
Mak
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I use veg oil, not aware of any reported health risks. Maybe it's better I don't check back on this thread - maybe ignorance is bliss? ;D (which would account for my generally cheery disposition!)
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I use...
Ordinary veg oil, which is Rapeseed.
Sunflower oil
Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil
Olive oil (light)
Olive oil
Stir Fry Oil (Chinese)
Veg Ghee
Animal Ghee
Anchor Butter.
Not sure how healthy that lot is,but its all good in my book ;D
cheers Chewy
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I've been using Rice Bran Oil with good results - base and final dish
Heres some blurb - I found it in Tesco's
http://www.californiariceoil.com/ (http://www.californiariceoil.com/)
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Hi guys, thanks for the replies. Personally I use veg oil but I'm open to other oils to test them out.
Rice Bran Oil sounds like a good alternative to Veg oil - is easily available as well?
Thanks again
Mak
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I use baby oil.........ooops, sorry, wrong forum ::) ;D
I use veg oil for BIR but anything else, olive oil. My mother went to Australia some years ago to stay with childhood friends, and they deep fried their chips in Olive oil. My mam said that they were the nicest chips that she'd ever had. I don't think I could afford to fill up my deep fat frier with olive oil, so I don't think I'll be giving that a go anytime soon but, do any of our Aussie friends know of this method?
I don't know what type of olive oil that they used, and my dear old mother never ask :-\
Ray :)
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Hi Ray,
That would probably be refined or "light" olive oil. I think the Spanish fry their chips in it and it doesn't really have an olive oil taste. I don't think it is expensive either, and probably a healthy choice.
I've just bought a jar of organic butter ghee as I want to try it next time I make a tarka dhal.
I usually use rice bran oil for my curry bases and frying duties.
I don't think there is one best oil but you should be careful what oil you reuse in a deep fat fryer as stuff like rapeseed oil develops toxic compounds over time when heated over and over.
Cheers,
Paul
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That's a thought Paul, is butter ghee a better alternative to veg oil do you think?
I'm not that keen on it but can stomach it in small amounts :)
Cheers
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I just been looking into this recently and I've found that the healthiest is coconut oil. Most oils when heated mutate and create cancer causing agents. Coconut oil from what I gather doesn't do that.
I mostly use olive oil for cooking and curries though unless it;s something like Chinese cooking, then then I use [in order of preference] peanut oil, ground nut oil, sunflower or other veg oil. Rape seed only has health benefits if it is cold pressed and not heated I think I read.
Palm oil, corn oil or anything that has been hydrogenated are the worst kinds for you so I believe.
If you like butter, try and buy butter from grass only fed cows is one tip I remember.
Since looking into coconut oil, I am actually now eating spoonfuls of it every day for its health benefits.
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I was a massive fan of ghee, until I heard on 'Saturday kitchen' it is 5 x more unhealthy than veg oil.
Kinda put me off a bit
Still tastes the best IMO
Regards
Matt
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Coconut oil is one of the best - im looking into it at the moment - and believe it or not living here where there is an abundance of coconuts the oil is expensive - i will keep looking and im sure i can find a supplier - then all my curries will be made with coconut oil
The health benefits that have been documented overall out weigh the others
best, Rich
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Coconut oil is one of the best - im looking into it at the moment - and believe it or not living here where there is an abundance of coconuts the oil is expensive - i will keep looking and im sure i can find a supplier - then all my curries will be made with coconut oil
The health benefits that have been documented overall out weigh the others
best, Rich
Read this blog post and the comments mate : http://180degreehealth.com/2010/11/refined-coconut-oil.html (http://180degreehealth.com/2010/11/refined-coconut-oil.html)
I got a brand called KCT from the Asian supermarket. Has no coconut taste. I gather a lot of this speak of only virgin or extra virgin coconut oil carrying the benefits is mainly all marketing. As long as the brand you buy isn't hydrogenated, then it's good to eat for the health benefits.
Like I say, have a read of that blog post above and see what you reckon.
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Hi Madeinbeats, thanks for the link to that website. I'm reading so much these days that flys in the face of "conventional" medical advice regarding what you eat.
Cheers,
Paul
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Hi Madeinbeats, thanks for the link to that website. I'm reading so much these days that flys in the face of "conventional" medical advice regarding what you eat.
Cheers,
Paul
Alright Paul. You have to do your own research and gather experience from other people these days as billion $ corporation has the money and the power to fund bona fide scientific research and publish the results. A funded study was carried out with coconut oil and was found by this particular study to be much more harmful to us than other cooking oils. What the study didn't make clear was that they were experimenting with hydrogenated coconut oil. Sneeky.
The pharmaceutical industry is the worst for it. If they find something that grows in a hedgerow and eating it, say for example, cured cancer, the pharm industry would then have to try and keep it quiet and replicate the properties of it in a lab, so they could then wack a patent on it and make money because you can't patent something that grows out of the ground. Then again of course, if they did find something that 'cured' cancer, they would stand to lose a lot of money. It sounds really sick, and it is!
Greed runs this world, not love or concern for people's health or welfare, so be wise I say and don't be the kind of person who believes everything the government and people in lab coats and safety glasses tell you, because they might just be getting paid millions by someone to engineer the outcome they want, not what is true.
Bit of a rant there, sorry! :-X
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Thanks for the info guys :)
This looks an interesting buy and I may well go for it...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0013YJVQG/ref=asc_df_B0013YJVQG5169448?smid=A1BF7ZGHVIIOVJ&tag=kelkoompcpc-2nd-kitchen-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22242&creativeASIN=B0013YJVQG (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0013YJVQG/ref=asc_df_B0013YJVQG5169448?smid=A1BF7ZGHVIIOVJ&tag=kelkoompcpc-2nd-kitchen-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22242&creativeASIN=B0013YJVQG)
Cheers
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Description says that...
"KTC Coconut Oil is 100% pure, refined, coconut oil. There are no other ingredients, additives or process aids in this oil.
KTC Coconut Oil is refined in exactly the same way as other, more familiar, vegetable cooking oils. Refining removes any impurities which could be present to produce an oil of the highest quality. Refining also destroys much of the vitamin content of an oil, but as coconut oil contains virtually no vitamins when freshly extracted, this does not affect the nutritional quality of the oil.
The chemistry of coconut oil is unique in that it contains medium chain triglycerides which are the building blocks of the body's immune defence and hormones produced by the thyroid gland. These fatty acids are not affected by the refining process. Nutritionally, refined coconut oil is as good for you as the cold pressed oil. Our oil is not hydrogenated at any point in its production and naturally contains less trans- fatty acids than any other vegetable, animal or marine oils."
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That's the one I got mate. But you might find it cheaper in an Asian supermarket, and I believe some larger Tescos sell that brand, and you might even find it cheaper on the Tesco website.
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Cheers
I did find it cheaper from here: http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Indian-Food-KTC-Coconut-Oil.html#aOGH002_2dp (http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Indian-Food-KTC-Coconut-Oil.html#aOGH002_2dp)
but there's the delivery to add on. Free delivery over ?30 I think so I may top and replace some spices :)
Definitely going to go for this now as I can't find anything negative about refined coconut oil !
Cheers
Mak
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Just a quick update, I did buy the KTC coconut oil from Ebay - It cost me about 9 quid for 2 x 500gm jars.
However, I have found it at 1.99 per 500gm jar at Pak food stores in Rotherham which makes it better value - but still around 4 quid a litre so not the cheapest option.
I am happy to pay that if the health benefits are true.
The oil does have a very slight coconut aroma and I mean slight - you cannot taste it at all in the finished product.
Here is a pic of the oil that I keep in an airtight container in the fridge. It's got a nice yellow tinge to it now that it has been spiced by cooking Bhajis in it - Already started a dish with it ! :)
(http://www.macmillanwebmedia.co.uk/currypics/coconut-oil.jpg)
Hope this is of benefit to someone
Cheers
Mak
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Hi All
Here in the Philippines we have recently been treated to the first edition of 'The Biggest Loser' programme! The nutritionists attached to the programme swear by Canola Oil as the healthiest among the more commonly used oils - Sunflower, Corn oil etc. I've used it in all my bases and main dishes over the past 6 weeks or so and the results are tasty. Mind you, how much of that is down to the recipes is another matter!!
Best
al.
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Canola oil - it depends what you believe. Money sure does talk.
http://www.naturalnews.com/029516_canola_oil_fraud.html (http://www.naturalnews.com/029516_canola_oil_fraud.html)
http://www.naturalnews.com/031550_canola_oil_side_effects.html (http://www.naturalnews.com/031550_canola_oil_side_effects.html)
I use stuff like rice bran oil, virgin organic coconut oil, olive oil and organic butter ghee.
Cheers
Paul
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I still like to substitute a good percentage of oil with water. :o
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PaulP
Thanks for the links about Canola oil......that makes scary reading. Yet another example of an uninformed public being misled by the food industry! Unfortunately they're more inyerested in money than they are in consumers' health!
Looks like it's back to the olive oil!!
al.
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PaulP
Thanks for the links about Canola oil......that makes scary reading. Yet another example of an uninformed public being misled by the food industry! Unfortunately they're more inyerested in money than they are in consumers' health!
Looks like it's back to the olive oil!!
al.
Why not look into Coconut oil mate ? :)
Supposedly the best for cooking at high temperatures and has other health benefits
Cheers guys
Mak
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PaulP
Thanks for the links about Canola oil......that makes scary reading. Yet another example of an uninformed public being misled by the food industry! Unfortunately they're more inyerested in money than they are in consumers' health!
Looks like it's back to the olive oil!!
al.
Why not look into Coconut oil mate ? :)
Supposedly the best for cooking at high temperatures and has other health benefits
Cheers guys
Mak
I used to use Olive Oil in curries many years ago, had no probs.
If you are really concerned about the health risks of eating too much Oil/Fat, reduce & use more water.
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Why not look into Coconut oil mate ? :)
Supposedly the best for cooking at high temperatures and has other health benefits
Cheers guys
Mak
I used to use Olive Oil in curries many years ago, had no probs.
If you are really concerned about the health risks of eating too much Oil/Fat, reduce & use more water.
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Thanks for the suggestion, Mak. I just happen to be making a supermarket trip today so I'll try the coconut oil!
Olive oil has always seemed like a good fallback, Darth....surely the whole population of the Mediterranean cannot be wrong......and with the dangers of an ever expanding waistline, I'll take your advice about reducing oil and using more water! Do you have to compensate with an increased quantity of spices as a result?
Best
al.
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On the spices amounts, you'll have to work that out according to your taste but I
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Darth
Thanks for your view on the spices. I'll follow your advice, basically because I'd hate to reduce the spice infusion into the curry!
I used to use the oven method about 20 years ago when my best curry was a variation on a Madhur Jaffrey recipe! Can't remember now why I stopped, but I do remember the same problem with the tomatoes that you mention!
Meantime, and back on thread, I'm going to be using the coconut oil that was recommended by Mak.
Cheers guys
al.
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sunflower and groundnut have high smokepoints.. aparently heating oil to smokepoint changes the structure and can make it less healthy. I always used veg oil but will probably be changing when I run out.
As for Coconut oil.. your joking right? There was a program a few years ago about the Philippines (I think it was there) very popular national dish which was called 'lamb flaps'. This consisted of a really fatty piece of Lamb cooked in coconut and spices. The program/magazine article focused on the then female politician who was trying to change the nation's eating habit as the country was suffering from a coronary crisis. She was advocating banning this cheap cut of meat and educating the public about excess of coconut.
And since Coconut oil is pretty tastless, why bother?
So, I recon, Olive (low smoke point), Sunflower (which has a high enough smokepoint for curry but maybe not chinese cooking), grounut (good all round) and maybe a tad of mustard oil for flavour if you can find the edible stuff.