Mustard Oil
Sharp, pungent mustard oil, sarson ka tel, the cooking fat behind Bengali fish curries, Punjabi saag, Bihari litti-chokha and North Indian pickles.
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The nose knows mustard oil before the eyes do. Its sharp, eye-watering smell drifts out of Bengali kitchens frying fish, Punjabi ones making sarson ka saag and almost every North Indian home on pickle-making day.
Much of the mustard oil sold for cooking is described as kachi ghani, meaning it was pressed without high heat, which keeps the pungency. Many cooks heat it until it just begins to smoke and then let it cool slightly before adding spices, a common household practice that mellows the bite. It is the classic oil for jhol, aloo posto, litti-chokha mash and oil-based achar.
Before you buy, confirm the bottle is labelled and sold as edible oil. Read whether it is single-source or a blend, and look for the licence number FSSAI issued, the manufacturer's address and the two dates. Keep it capped and in shade, as sunlight dulls the flavour.