Frequently Asked Questions
Wood Churned oil is extracted by crushing oilseeds in traditional wood churner. The churner rotates at a slow speed due to which the temperature does not rise beyond 40-45 degree during the extraction. Oil extracted using such traditional method remains true to its natural form.
Rejected oil seeds can be used in production of refined oil as the extraction heavily depends on chemical processes of distillation, deodorizing, de-colouring and bleaching. Refined oil also consists of palm oil and mineral oil which is harmful for the body in longer run. These oils have induced health issues in the current society and reduced the average life span.
Yes, most of these oils have high smoking point making it excellent for Indian cuisine high heat cooking. In fact, these are the only oils used traditionally in Indian recipes.
Most oilseeds have 40-50% oil content. Hence, extraction of 1 litre of oil requires approx. 2 kgs of oilseed. The price of wood pressed oil depends on the price of the oilseed. However, a 40% reduction in consumption balances the cost factor well.
Yes, these oils have high density and are more viscous than Refined oil. On heating cold pressed oil, they expand and remain stable. Hence, the amount of oil required for sauté, tadka, deep frying can be reduced. On an average, 40% reduction of oil consumption can be achieved by switching over to traditional wood churned oil.
The colour of the jaggery plays an important role in identifying purity. Ideally the colour of the jaggery should be dark brown. Most vendors add chalk powder in jaggery, hence, in order to check for its presence, all you need to do is take a transparent bowl of water and dissolve a piece of jaggery in the water. You will see the powder settling down in the water. There is a chance that artificial colour is used to give jaggery the right colour.
The jaggery contains approximately 60-85% sucrose, 5-15% glucose and fructose.
The difference between Jaggery and sugar is their composition. Sugar is the simple form of sucrose which gets digested faster and energy is released immediately whereas Jaggery is made up of longer chains of mineral salts, sucrose, and fiber. Since, Jaggery is prepared in iron vessels, it is rich in iron. It also acts as a cleansing agent as it helps clean the lungs and respiratory tract. So, it is advisable to substitute sugar with Jaggery.
Jaggery does not spoil, the white stuff is normal. Pure jaggery will be crystalline, the jaggery sold in markets usually has its pure sugar crystals removed. To test the purity of jaggery, break it and you should be able to see clear crystallised shine.
Salt is hygro-scopic, means it gets easily moist. It should be stored in an air tight container. Prefer a cool, dry and dark storage space.
Easiest way is to add few grains of rice to the salt shaker. Raw rice grains absorb the moisture, thus avoiding formation of salt lumps.
It is suggested to include both the types of salts in daily diet. Trace minerals available in rock salt whereas iodine from regular table salt, both are equally necessary for the body.
Turmeric does not ‘thin the blood’ – it can slow clotting (coagulation) time.
Because of its blood-thinning effects alone, pregnant women should avoid taking turmeric supplements. Adding small amounts of turmeric as a spice to food shouldn’t be a problem.