Cooking oils used in our kitchen are the most important elements that need the utmost understanding and attention for good health. For good health as well as better taste, there is always a debate between choosing rice bran oil or olive oil. Let’s find out what is the best oil for Indian cuisine!
Rice Bran Oil – high in monounsaturated fats & oryzanol which is good for cholesterol
Olive Oil – lowers the risk of heart disease & breast cancer due to high content of monounsaturated fats
Rice Bran Oil vs. Olive Oil
- More Nutrients. Rice bran oil contains more vitamin E oil, tocopherols and tocotrienol when compared to olive oil, which consists of just tocotrienol and is significantly lesser in amounts than rice bran oil’s. Rice bran oil has heaps of oryzanol which is basically not present in oliveoil.
- Special Compounds Found in Rice Bran Oil. Two most unusual and rare compounds found in rice bran oil and not in olive oil are:
- Oryzanol – these compounds help in blocking cholesterol absorption and also help in lowering LDL levels. Sterols are also found in oryzanol that are generally found in soy.
- Tocotrienols – these are soluble compounds converted into vitamin E. vitamin E has so many health, skin and hair benefits, it is a powerful antioxidant which helps boost your immunity.
- Longer Shelf Life.Rice bran oil wins in this case as it has a higher shelf life compared to other oils foundin our kitchen. Olive oil gets spoilt easily as it is delicate and does not have a long shelf life. In order to prolong the use of olive oil you might have to refrigerate it.
- Smoking Point. Rice bran oil has a high smoke point compared to olive oil, which makes it easy for you to cook food at high temperatures without it breaking down or release smoke and is low is saturates and retains its nutritional value.
Why Rice Bran Oil is best for Indian Cooking
Rice bran oil is more effective when compared to olive oil as it can be considered suitable in all means for Indian cooking for various reasons. It brings out the aroma and enhances the flavours of the foods as Indian cooking uses lots of spices and rice bran oil has the perfect mild nutty flavour, which makes this cuisine standout.
Indian foods are deep fried, pan fried and usually require lots of oil while cooking as it uses masalas in heavy quantities. While olive oil can be used just for salad dressings and splashing over grilled vegetables. And rice bran oil is so versatile –it can be used for deep frying, pan frying, grilling, salad dressings, used in pickles for its nutty flavour as well as in regular Indian curries – it does not over power the flavours or aromas of food prepared, in fact it keeps the food non-sticky, crisp and fresh for a longer time.
Because of its lower viscosity, rice bran oil tends to absorb less oil into the food prepared with it and it is very much ideal for Indian cooking as its nutritional profile matches other oils in the market. Rice bran oil has gained quick popularity in Asian countries including India and it’s also very inexpensive. Freedom Physically Refined Rice bran oil fits the perfect category for eating a healthy heart diet every single day, be it stir-frying, sautéing, deep frying or for regularly switching your oil with it to make curries at home. Regular, moderate consumption might also help in completely lowering cholesterol because of the goodness of gamma Oryzanol present in it. Try it today!