5 Cold Pressed Oils to Stock Up on Before the Festive Season

The best cold pressed oils for festive cooking are groundnut, coconut, sesame, mustard and extra virgin olive oil. Each one suits a different heat level and a different kind of dish, from frying snacks to baking, tempering and finishing. Keep two or three on hand and pick the oil to match the dish.

Festive cooking means big batches, long guest lists and a stove that hardly gets a break. Your oil works harder in these weeks than at any other time of year, so it helps to choose it before the rush begins. This guide covers the best cold pressed oils to keep in your kitchen, what each one is good at, and how to store them so they stay fresh.

Why Cold Pressed Cooking Oils Suit Festive Kitchens

Cold pressed cooking oils are made by pressing seeds, nuts or kernels without added heat or chemicals. Gramiyaa's wood cold pressed oils are single cold pressed, which means the seeds are pressed only once, in wood and stone mills. The oil is unrefined, has zero trans fat and carries no preservatives. Every batch is lab-tested and traceable, so you can scan the QR on the pack or visit trace.gramiyaa.com to see where your oil came from.

One reason is how the meal feels afterwards. Because Gramiyaa oils are single cold pressed, they are big on flavour and light on the stomach, so you can enjoy a long festive feast without the post-meal bloat. 

Flavour is the other reason. Oil is the first thing in the pan, so it shapes everything that follows. A festive menu has strong dishes and gentle ones side by side, and a single oil rarely suits both.

The Best Cold Pressed Oils for Festive Cooking at a Glance

Five Cold Pressed Oils for Indian Cooking This Festive Season

1. Groundnut oil for frying and tempering

If you only buy one oil, make it this one. Wood cold pressed groundnut oil has a light nutty flavour and a smoke point of 210°C, the highest in this list. That extra room for heat helps when you are frying one batch of snacks after another. It also works for tempering and sautéing, so the same pack covers the frying station and the everyday sabzi.

The flavour stays light, which lets the spices and the dough taste like themselves. We have a full frying guide in our Diwali deep-frying blog if you want to go deeper.

2. Coconut oil for sweets, bakes and slow cooking

Wood cold pressed coconut oil has a mild coconutty flavour and works well for sautéing, baking and slow-cooking. Many South Indian kitchens already cook with it daily, and it fits a pot of slow-cooked vegetables or a tray of festive bakes just as easily. Prefer a sweeter coconut note for baking? Our virgin cold pressed coconut oil is an option, and it shares the same 190°C smoke point.

Coconut oil has a shelf life of 9 months, so check the date on the pack when you buy and pick a quantity you can finish in  that time.

3. Sesame oil for tempering and dressings

Sesame oil has a mild earthy flavour that comes through in a tadka. Use it for sautéing and tempering, or drizzle it over a salad or a bowl of cooked grains. A small pour goes a long way, so one pack usually stretches across many meals.

4. Mustard oil for marinades and frying

Mustard oil brings a moderately pungent edge and a 200°C smoke point. It is a natural pick for marinating paneer, vegetables or meat before they go on the grill or into the pan, and it handles sautéing and frying as well.

5. Extra virgin olive oil for salads and finishing

Gramiyaa's extra virgin olive oil is a Tunisian single origin oil, made from Chemlali olives and pressed within hours of harvest. It tastes fresh and fruity, with a balanced, buttery finish. At 185°C, it suits sautéing and garnishing. Spoon it over a salad, a dip or a hot soup just before serving, so the flavour stays front and centre. It also keeps the longest, at 18 months.

Which Cooking Oil Goes With Which Festive Dish

Not sure where each oil fits? This table matches cooking oils for festive season menus to the right bottle.

Traditional Cooking Oils and How to Store Them Before the Rush

Wood and stone mills are the older way of pressing oil, and these traditional cooking oils do best when you look after them. Gramiyaa oils come in opaque, oxygen-flushed packs that block out light and air, which keeps the oil fresh for longer without any preservatives. You can store the oil in the same pack, so there is no need to transfer it to another container. A few simple habits help:

• Store the pack in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.

• Keep the cap closed after every use.

• Skip any pack that looks bloated or is leaking.

• Check the shelf life before you buy, and pick quantities you will finish in time.

If you are cooking for guests, read the allergen note on each pack. The oils are made in a facility that also handles tree nuts, coconuts, peanuts and sesame seeds, and each pack names the ingredient it contains.

Build Your Festive Oil Shelf

Big on flavour and light on the stomach, Gramiyaa's single cold pressed oils are ready for every festive feast. Pick the oils that match your menu, and you will not have to think about the pan once the guests arrive. Explore the full range of cold pressed oils at Gramiyaa, then scan the QR on your pack to trace your batch at trace.gramiyaa.com

FAQs

What is the best cold pressed oil for cooking?

It depends on the dish. Groundnut oil is a good all-rounder, with a light nutty flavour and a 210°C smoke point that suits frying, tempering and sautéing. Sesame, mustard, coconut and olive oils each fit specific dishes, so many kitchens keep more than one.

What is the best cooking oil for festive cooking?

Groundnut oil covers most festive needs because it handles frying and tempering well. Add coconut oil for bakes and slow cooking, mustard oil for marinades and olive oil for finishing, and you have a set that fits the whole menu.

Can you deep fry in cold pressed oil?

Yes, if the oil has a high enough smoke point and you keep the temperature below it. Gramiyaa groundnut oil has a 210°C smoke point and mustard oil has 200°C, and both are suited to frying.

Which cold pressed oils are best for Indian cooking?

Groundnut, sesame, mustard and coconut oils are the usual choices for Indian cooking. They suit tempering, sautéing, frying and slow cooking. Olive oil works for garnishing salads and finishing dishes.

How long do cold pressed oils last?

Shelf life depends on the oil. Gramiyaa groundnut, sesame and mustard oils last 12 months, coconut oil lasts 9 months and extra virgin olive oil lasts 18 months. Store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, with the cap closed.