Ashu’s Curiosity
Since knowing the benefits of Olive oil, Aashu is curious about using olive oil in Indian cuisine, which is getting bigger day after day. He is trying to convince his mother of olive oil’s reputation for its health benefits and distinct taste. He now wants to experiment with this ingredient in classic Indian recipes.
Traditionally, Mediterranean cuisines are preferably prepared in Olive oil but Aashu is excited to see how it can be seamlessly integrated into Indian cooking. Let’s see the uses of olive oil to prepare different Indian recipes:
“Eat olive oil and massage it over your bodies since it is a holy (Mubarak) tree“.
– Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Uses of Olive Oil in Indian Dishes
Indian curries have a unique aroma, flavour and taste that can make your mouth watery. Let’s see how Olive Oil can be used to prepare Indian dishes without compromising on the Flavour and taste:
Palak Paneer Shurba
Enjoy the nutrients of spinach & olive oil in one dish. If you are non-allergic to dairy products then you can add pieces of cottage cheese (paneer) for extra richness.
Other ingredients that are used to prepare palak paneer shurba such as bay leaves, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, cumin seeds & chopped ginger-onion also boost your intake of vital vitamins & minerals. .
You can have this flavourful & delicious dish with roti or rice. For a healthier option, you can serve it with multigrain roti or brown rice if you’re watching your diet.
Tandoori Chicken
If you love chicken but want something to be prepared in olive oil then tandoori chicken can be a good option.
Marinate chicken in yoghurt & Indian spices. You can make this dish healthier by replacing the butter or vegetable oil with olive oil.
This small change will make the dish lower in calories and better for your diet.
Olive oil can help you in preserving the taste, flavour & juiciness of the chicken meat. Enjoy it with roti, Naan or rice as you like it.
Vegetable Salad
Having salad in the lunch is a great choice if you’re looking to trim your waistline. But it is essential that your lunch should be nutritious & can keep you satiated for a longer period.
Bursting with flavours & have multi-textured ingredients, vegetable salad, made with olive oil can fulfil your requirements.
Just mix up beans & veggies in a bowl & have a dressing of olive oil. You can add capsicum, carrots, cabbage & onions to the salad along with nuts & dry fruits.
Dosa
If you are a South-Indian food lover, dosa must be a dish on your favourite list. Dosa’s can be a good option for the lunch of school-going kids. It is a great option as it takes less time to prepare than other dishes. To make it a healthier option, just avoid using regular oils & have olive oil instead.
Dosa prepared in olive oil also have the same taste, Flavour & texture as it is prepared in other oils. You can enjoy a dosa with sambhar, green chutney, coconut chutney or any South Indian veg curry.
Bundi Laddu
Sweets are an integral part of Indian festivals & you can have these sweets prepared in olive oil as well. Laddu is the most common sweet preferred in festivals or celebrations & you can easily prepare them at home with the help of olive oil.
There can be an avoidable change in the taste & aroma when you have besan laddu prepared in olive oil rather than ghee or regular oils. But it wouldn’t spoil your mood of celebration. You can add nuts & dry fruits to have more minerals with the sweetness of the laddu & olive oil.
Aloo Paratha
No other delicacy than Aloo paratha can make your Sunday morning more pleasant. Throughout North India, Parathas of various stuffing like Potato, cauliflower and Paneer (Indian cheese) are considered staples for breakfast. But we must remember that preparing parathas with edible oils like sunflower and palm oil can hurt your weight loss goals.
Adding virgin olive oil can be a great way to enjoy aloo parathas without concern about calories. Also, to make your paratha healthy, try to use only 1 teaspoon of olive oil on the paratha while cooking. Due to its fruity taste, you can feel a slightly bitter taste.
Dalia
We usually get the advice of including Dalia in our daily meal to replace other high-carb foods. It has various names such as cracked wheat or broken wheat, prepared by crushing raw wheat grains. The process of making Dalia makes it a great source of Fiber and Protein.
When you use virgin olive oil in preparing Dalia, you eliminates any unhealthy fats that are present in other edible oils. You must add other vegetables such as onion, tomato, bell pepper & carrot to make it healthier and nutritious.
Vegetable Pulao
Flavorful and Delicious, Vegetable pulao is a great dinner option in Indian cuisine. Rice is high in carbohydrates but at the same time it can provide you with a lot of other nutrients as well. When you replace edible oils with virgin olive oil while preparing Vegetable Pulao, you can lower down the calorie content.
Rice in the Pulao is also an easy digestive food because it carries a lot of Fiber and starch helpful in smooth movement of food. You can even add nuts such as Cashews, Pistachio & Saffron to make dish more nutritious and flavourful.
Olive oil vs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you search in the market, there are a variety of olive oils available in the market majorly they are olive oil, virgin olive oil & Extra virgin olive oil. They all are extracted from the same olive fruit but the major difference is the level of processing used to reach the final product.
As per studies, Extra virgin olive oil is more beneficial for health as it has preserved the antioxidants & vitamins that are usually destroyed while processing. On the matter of taste, extra virgin olive oil is much of either bitter or sweet in taste while regular virgin oil is flavourless.
Conclusion
Seeing so many delicious Indian dishes prepared in olive oil Aashu can now convince his mother that the authentic taste & flavour of Indian cuisine can be maintained by using olive oil as well.
You can also serve Indian dishes to your guests, virgin olive oil benefits along with the taste and aroma of an oil that is mostly used in Mediterranean cuisines. There are even prominent restaurants in Indian cities that are known for the use of olive oil in preparing their signature dishes.
