I Care Oils for My Family

From our kitchen

Everyday Indian cooking, with the right oil for each dish

Six recipes from kitchens across India. Each one uses a different strength of our oils, and tells you why.

Kerala avial, finished with coconut oil

Mixed vegetables in a coarse coconut and curd paste, with cold-pressed coconut oil stirred in at the very end, when its fragrance matters most.

Prep
20 min
Cook
20 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

  • 500 g mixed vegetables (drumstick, raw banana, elephant foot yam, carrot, ash gourd, beans), cut into 5 cm batons
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 cup freshly grated coconut
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 small shallots (optional)
  • ½ cup thick curd, lightly whisked
  • 2 sprigs curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp I Care cold-pressed coconut oil

Method

  1. Put the firmer vegetables (yam, raw banana, carrot and drumstick) in a wide pan with the turmeric, salt and ½ cup water. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add the softer vegetables (ash gourd and beans) and cook until everything is just tender but still holds its shape. Very little water should remain.
  3. Meanwhile, grind the coconut, green chillies, cumin and shallots to a coarse paste with a splash of water.
  4. Add the paste to the vegetables, fold gently and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the paste coats the vegetables.
  5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the curd. Do not let it boil after this, or the curd may split.
  6. Crush the curry leaves over the top, pour over the coconut oil, cover for 5 minutes, then mix gently and serve with rice.

Why coconut oil

Avial is finished with raw coconut oil rather than cooked in it. Added off the heat, cold-pressed coconut oil keeps its clean, sweet coconut aroma, and that aroma is what makes the dish.

Macher jhol with mustard oil

A light Bengali fish curry for everyday meals, tempered with kalonji and green chillies in mustard oil.

Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

For the fish

  • 500 g rohu or katla steaks
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt, to taste

For the curry

  • 4 tbsp I Care cold-pressed mustard oil
  • ½ tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
  • 2 green chillies, slit
  • 1 medium potato, cut into wedges
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1½ cups hot water
  • Fresh coriander, to finish

Method

  1. Rub the fish with the turmeric and a little salt, and set aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the mustard oil in a kadai until it just begins to smoke, then lower the heat. Fry the fish for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly golden, and lift out.
  3. In the same oil, fry the potato wedges with a pinch of salt until lightly browned. Lift out.
  4. Add the kalonji and green chillies. When they splutter, add the ginger and tomato and cook until the tomato softens.
  5. Mix the cumin, coriander, chilli and turmeric powders with 2 tablespoons of water. Add this paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the oil starts to separate.
  6. Return the potatoes, pour in the hot water, add salt, cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
  7. Slide in the fish and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes more. Finish with coriander and serve with steamed rice.

Why mustard oil

Mustard oil’s sharp, pungent character is the defining flavour of Bengali fish curry. Heating it until it just begins to smoke softens that sharpness before the fish and spices go in.

Tomato pappu with a groundnut oil tadka

Everyday Andhra dal, soft and tangy with tomato, finished with a crackling tadka of mustard seeds, garlic and curry leaves.

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

For the dal

  • ¾ cup toor dal, rinsed
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 2 green chillies, slit
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

For the tadka

  • 2 tbsp I Care cold-pressed groundnut oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 dried red chillies
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • A pinch of asafoetida

Method

  1. Pressure-cook the dal with the tomatoes, onion, green chillies, turmeric and 2 cups of water for 3 to 4 whistles.
  2. Once the pressure has released, mash the dal well. Add the chilli powder and salt and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, adding hot water if needed for a pourable consistency.
  3. For the tadka, heat the groundnut oil over medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the cumin, garlic, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
  4. Cook until the garlic turns golden, then pour the tadka over the dal.
  5. Stir in the coriander and serve hot with rice.

Why groundnut oil

A tadka needs an oil that stays steady over medium heat and lets the spices speak. Groundnut oil’s mild, nutty flavour sits comfortably under garlic and curry leaves.

Nuvvula annam, sesame rice

A traditional South Indian rice made with freshly roasted sesame powder and tempered in sesame oil. It travels well in a lunch box.

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Serves
3

Ingredients

For the sesame powder

  • ¼ cup white sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp urad dal
  • 4 dried red chillies
  • A pinch of asafoetida
  • Salt, to taste

For the rice

  • 3 cups cooked rice, cooled
  • 3 tbsp I Care cold-pressed sesame oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 1 tsp chana dal
  • 2 tbsp groundnuts (optional)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves

Method

  1. Dry-roast the sesame seeds on low heat until they start to pop and turn lightly golden. Tip them onto a plate.
  2. In the same pan, dry-roast the urad dal and red chillies until the dal is golden. Let everything cool.
  3. Grind the sesame, roasted dal and chillies with the asafoetida and salt to a coarse powder.
  4. Heat the sesame oil and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the urad dal, chana dal and groundnuts and fry until golden, then add the curry leaves.
  5. Add the rice and the sesame powder and mix gently over low heat for 2 minutes. Taste for salt and serve.

Why sesame oil

Sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds share the same nutty aroma, so the oil deepens the flavour of the powder rather than competing with it.

Palli chutney

A breakfast staple across Telangana and Andhra, made for idli and dosa, finished with a groundnut oil tempering.

Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

For the chutney

  • 1 cup raw groundnuts
  • 1 tsp I Care cold-pressed groundnut oil
  • 3 to 4 green chillies
  • ½ tsp tamarind paste
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves (optional)
  • Salt, to taste

For the tempering

  • 1 tbsp I Care cold-pressed groundnut oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp urad dal
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • 1 sprig curry leaves

Method

  1. Dry-roast the groundnuts on medium-low heat, stirring, until the skins blister and they smell toasty. Cool, then rub off the skins.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon of groundnut oil and fry the green chillies for a minute until blistered.
  3. Grind the groundnuts, chillies, tamarind, cumin, garlic and salt with about ½ cup of water to a smooth, thick chutney.
  4. For the tempering, heat the groundnut oil, add the mustard seeds and let them crackle, then add the urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves.
  5. Pour the tempering over the chutney and serve with idli or dosa.

Why groundnut oil

Using groundnut oil in a groundnut chutney keeps the flavour consistent and clean, and its steadiness over medium heat suits a quick tempering.

Moong sprout salad with a lemon and sunflower oil dressing

A crunchy, no-cook salad for warm afternoons, dressed with lemon, roasted cumin and cold-pressed sunflower oil.

Prep
15 min
Cook
None
Total
15 min
Serves
2

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 2 cups moong sprouts
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1 tomato, deseeded and diced
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, grated
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 2 tbsp roasted groundnuts (optional)

For the dressing

  • 2 tbsp I Care cold-pressed sunflower oil
  • 1½ tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
  • ¼ tsp chaat masala
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

  1. If you prefer softer sprouts, steam them for 3 to 4 minutes and let them cool. Otherwise, use them raw.
  2. Whisk the sunflower oil, lemon juice, cumin, chaat masala, salt and pepper together.
  3. Combine the sprouts, cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot and coriander in a large bowl.
  4. Toss with the dressing just before serving, and scatter over the groundnuts.

Why sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is the most delicate of our five oils, so it is at its best without heat. Its light, mild taste lets the lemon and roasted cumin lead.

For healthier, happier families

Cooking one of these this week? Ask us about the oil it uses, pack sizes and current pricing.

Delivery: currently within Hyderabad only.

Ask for pricing on WhatsApp Or call +91 79895 97989