Topic: Mastard Oil?

[David43]

I was given a fantastic recipe for "Chicken Tikka" by the chef at my local takeaway, works everytime and produces great results. However in the recipe it says use "Mastard Oil"? I don't know if this is just a brand name or what? I always use veg oil anyway and get great chicken tikka, anyone heard of this oil?

David43.

[blade1212]

Probably "mustard oil". Veg oil would be a reasonable substitute in my opinion.

What's the recipe ?

[Yellow Fingers]

Definitely mustard oil. It is the authentic oil to use for tikka. That said I wouldn't eat it if you turned it brown and called it beer, it's bad stuff. I have a friend who moved from South Africa at an early age and she has family all over the place there. One of her uncles went to the doctor with various ailments, mostly heart related, and the doctor told him to stop his wife using mustard oil and particularly to stop using fried mustard seeds.

The moral of this story:

South Africa is where Britain was in the 50's, only women cook?

Don't eat mustard oil ever, and only fry mustard seeds occasionally.

[raygraham]

Mustard Oil is abundant in all of our local Asian supermarkets so seems like it should be widely used and I have used it in one or two non BIR recipes. It is awful stuff and overpowers about every other taste in the dish. Leave it alone I would say. I have read that in certain parts of India they use it for cooking but unless it is used in minute quantities it would spoil it for me.
I do believe Asians buy it for cosmetic or medicinal reasons but apart from this I don't think it has much relevance in the BIR and I certainly haven't seen it in any restaurants.

Ray

[Mark J]

I think Bruce Edwards tikka recipe uses mustard oil, I have some and its marked for external use only, I do use a little in chicken tikka though  ;D

[traveller]

I dont know of any cosmetic purposes or medicinal purposes for mustard oil but I am sure there are some in India.  We never used mustard oil in cooking, just in some pickles that we make.  The smell is so pungent, it would be apparent in any dish in any restaurant and I have never smelled it anywhere.  I will ask my cousin to see what are the real everyday uses in India.

[Mark J]

I doubt the BIR's use it, purely because of cost. (and of course they would be most concerned about any potential health implications to their customers  )

[Curry King]

Here is an interesting thread disscussing mustard oil on egullet:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=23959