Kachi Ghani- Cold Pressed Mustard Oil

Mustard is primarily a Rabi crop in India, with the country being one of the leading producers of mustard seeds globally. India grows several varieties of mustard, including yellow mustard (Brassica juncea) and black mustard (Brassica nigra). Both Black and Yellow mustard are known for their high oil content and adaptability to different agro-climatic conditions.

Mustard seeds are one of the primary oilseeds used to extract edible cooking oil also commonly called ‘Sarson ka tel’ in Hindi and ‘Kadugu Ennei’ in Tamil. Traditionally, mustard oil is extracted from the seeds using traditional cold pressing methods using a traditional wooden ghani to obtain the best quality oil that involves the following parameters:

Extraction Method: Cold pressed mustard oil is extracted from the highest quality mustard seeds through mechanical pressing in a traditional wooden ghani or stone chekku without the use of toxic heat or chemical solvents. The wooden press is rotated at low rpm without any application of additional heat.

Single Press: Good quality mustard oil will be 'virgin' meaning that the oilseeds are ‘single-pressed’, (without the mustard oilcake being pressed a multitude of times) ensuring superior quality often graded as "Grade A" oil.

Natural Sedimentation: After extraction, the oil is naturally settled for a few days before filtration and packaging in glass bottles, preserving its natural aroma and freshness.

Nutrient-dense: Minimal heat application retains its original flavour and aroma. The cold pressed mustard oil extraction eliminates processes like solvent and refining, bleaching, and deodorizing thereby keeping intact the original nutritional richness, including essential fatty acids, phytonutrients, and antioxidants.

No blending or addition of preservatives: Pure cold pressed mustard oil will be 100% from mustard seeds without mixing any additional oils or other mediums. It would be ideally free of additives or preservatives as well.

Cold pressed or kachi ghani sarson ka tel is usually characterised by a deep golden colour, mild to pleasant pungent odour and a distinctive flavour. The unique and more popular pungent odour of the mustard oil actually comes from ‘allyl isothiocyanate’ - a naturally occurring antimicrobial compound found in plants such as mustard.