Cooking oil is an important part of cooking especially in Indian cuisine. We have been using oil in our food since forever and we cannot do with it. However, we use only some common cooking oils such as refined oil, vegetable oil, clarified butter(ghee), mustard oil, etc. Olive oil recently joined the list following the healthy lifestyle wave. There is still a wide variety of oils that we do not know about let alone use. For example, sesame oil, safflower oil and linseed oil are rare but highly beneficial. These are better than olive oil for consumption and provide an array of health benefits. Give a new dimension and flavor to your old food with these rare cooking oils.
1. Avocado Oil
Everybody is familiar with avocado but not many know about avocado oil which is good for cooking. This is a cold-pressed oil that helps retain the nutrients of the food. Avocado oil has high levels of Omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids along with Vitamin E and antioxidants. This is a multi-purpose cooking oil that can be used for cooking as well as dressing. Its flavor is slightly grassy and nutty which enhances the taste of the food as well. Those who use it believe that it tastes better than olive oil. So, you can switch to this oil for cooking, salad dressing as well as in roasting.
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2. Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is not new to us as oil but it is definitely a new discovery as a cooking oil. This is extracted from organically-grown sesame seeds to increase its nutrient value. It has zinc and copper which are both essential minerals for the growth and development of a human body. Sesame oil is also good for skin and hair. It has an earthy and nutty flavor which makes it apt for Asian foods. This is a healthy oil that can be used for mild cooking as well as deep frying. It won't shoot up your cholesterol levels like other common oil variants.
Also Read: Garlic Oil Is A Home Remedy For Skin, Hair and Oral Problems
3. Safflower Oil
Don’t confuse this with sunflower oil. Both are poles apart. Safflower oil comes safflower plant and is best to be used in high-temperature cooking such as deep frying. This oil is very mild and doesn’t have a particular flavor to give to a dish. This is a healthy oil.
4. Groundnut Oil
This might sound familiar but it is not really put to use in cooking. Also, known as peanut oil, this oil has a nutty flavor. Just like safflower oil, groundnut oil works best for high-temperature cooking like deep frying. Although, you can use this otherwise too to give a nutty flavor to your food.
Also Read: Try Moringa Oil For Cooking Oil
5. Flaxseed Oil
Lastly, we have flaxseed oil in our list of rare healthy oils. Flaxseed is known to be beneficial for overall health and so is the flaxseed oil. However, this is not good for high-temperature cooking but it is best as a salad dressing oil. Heating this oil would kill the nutrients and it would no longer be healthy thereafter. Drizzle some flaxseed oil on your salad or food to make it nutritious.
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