Cooking oil -3

What oil is healthy?

         For good health, our bodies need a variety of healthy fats that are found naturally in different oils. Therefore use different oils that will fulfill different needs of the body. When cooking, it’s essential to know which oils are best for baking, sautéing and frying — and which are healthiest used raw. This guide will help you choose the right oils for delicious meals and proper health.
        There is so much confusion about using refined and unrefined oils, cold pressed and expeller pressed oils etc. We will try to help you to make your choices.

Un-refined Oils

       Unrefined oils are just that—left in their virgin state after pressing.  Unrefined oils are “whole” oils and their flavor, color and fragrance are more pronounced than in refined oils. Like unrefined whole grain flours, unrefined oils are more nutritious and have a shorter storage life than refined. Unrefined oils when undergo refining process lose their rich nutrients. For instance, the peppery tingle from unrefined olive oil comes from antioxidant-rich polyphenols which are largely destroyed during any kind of refining.
         Unrefined oils are best used unheated in dressings, or in very light sautéing or baking. The natural resins and other beneficial particles in them burn easily and develop unpleasant flavors and unhealthful properties if overheated. If you choose to bake with unrefined oils, expect the flavor to be more pronounced.
         The drawback to unrefined oils is they have a lower smoke point than refined oils. An oil’s ‘smoke point’ indicates how high a heat the oil can take before, literally, beginning to smoke. When an oil smokes, it releases an acrid odor into the air and free radicals within the oil. For the healthiest approach, discard any oil that has gone beyond its smoke point.

Refined oils
       Refined oils, oils that have had impurities filtered out, can stand a much higher heat on the stove. So refined peanut oil or High Heat Canola Oil would be a more appropriate choice for a stir fry or high heat sauté than Organic Tuscan Olive Oil.

       Naturally refined oils are more thoroughly filtered and strained than unrefined, usually with some additional heat, but without harsh or damaging chemicals. Refining reduces the nutrient level and flavor. It also removes particles and resins and makes naturally refined oils more stable for longer storage, more resistant to smoking, and a better choice for high-heat cooking and frying. Fully refined peanut oil, for example, is a traditional choice for very high heat cooking and even deep-frying.

      Other refined oils recommended for high heat cooking and deep-frying are “high oleic” forms of safflower and sunflower oil. These are from plants bred to be high in monounsaturated fats instead of polyunsaturates, which oxidize easily and aren’t suited for high heat.

Best Tip:
Add a pinch of turmeric powder in the frying oil which is a powerful anti-oxidant that prevents the free radical generation in the fried food to a greater extent. Only disadvantage is the yellow coloration of foods.

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