Cooking Oil Names in Indian Languages, and Which Dish Each Oil Suits
By Alyaara Naturals team · Updated
Groundnut oil is mungfali ka tel in Hindi, sesame oil is til ka tel, mustard oil is sarson ka tel, coconut oil is nariyal ka tel and sunflower oil is surajmukhi ka tel. The table below gives the names in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu too, followed by the dishes each oil is traditionally used for.
Oil names at a glance
| Oil | Hindi | Kannada | Tamil | Telugu |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groundnut / peanut oil | मूंगफली का तेल (mungfali ka tel) | ಕಡಲೆಕಾಯಿ ಎಣ್ಣೆ (kadalekai enne) | கடலை எண்ணெய் (kadalai ennai) | వేరుశనగ నూనె (verushanaga nune), palli nune |
| Sesame / gingelly oil | तिल का तेल (til ka tel) | ಎಳ್ಳೆಣ್ಣೆ (ellenne) | நல்லெண்ணெய் (nallennai) | నువ్వుల నూనె (nuvvula nune) |
| Mustard oil | सरसों का तेल (sarson ka tel) | ಸಾಸಿವೆ ಎಣ್ಣೆ (sasive enne) | கடுகு எண்ணெய் (kadugu ennai) | ఆవ నూనె (aava nune) |
| Coconut oil | नारियल का तेल (nariyal ka tel) | ಕೊಬ್ಬರಿ ಎಣ್ಣೆ (kobbari enne) | தேங்காய் எண்ணெய் (thengai ennai) | కొబ్బరి నూనె (kobbari nune) |
| Sunflower oil | सूरजमुखी का तेल (surajmukhi ka tel) | ಸೂರ್ಯಕಾಂತಿ ಎಣ್ಣೆ (suryakanti enne) | சூரியகாந்தி எண்ணெய் (sooriyakanthi ennai) | పొద్దుతిరుగుడు నూనె (poddutirugudu nune) |
Other names you will hear: groundnut oil is shengdana tel in Marathi; mustard oil is shorshe tel in Bengali; coconut oil is velichenna in Malayalam; sunflower oil is suryaphool tel (सूर्यफूल तेल) in Marathi.
Groundnut oil (mungfali tel): for deep frying and everyday sabzi
Golden with a nutty aroma, cold pressed groundnut oil is the everyday oil of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Use it for deep frying pakoras, puris and vadas, tadka for dal, and everyday sabzi. Our groundnut oil is kachi ghani pressed from Karnataka groundnuts.
Sesame oil (til ka tel, nallennai): for South Indian cooking
Black sesame oil is darker, with a stronger roasted flavour than white sesame oil. In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka it goes into idli podi, kuzhambu, pickles and chutneys, and it is the traditional oil for head and body massage (abhyanga). See our black sesame oil.
Mustard oil (sarson ka tel): for pickles and North and East Indian dishes
Sharp and pungent, kachi ghani mustard oil defines Punjabi, Bengali, Bihari and Odia cooking: achar, sarson da saag, macher jhol and aloo dishes. Many cooks heat it until it just starts to smoke, then lower the flame before tempering, which mellows the pungency. See our black mustard oil.
Coconut oil (nariyal tel, velichenna): for Kerala and coastal cooking
Cooking coconut oil pressed from dried copra has a full, toasted coconut flavour, used for avial, thoran, fish curry, appam and coconut chutney. It turns solid below about 24°C, which is normal. See our wood pressed coconut oil.
Sunflower oil (surajmukhi tel): when you want a mild taste
Cold pressed sunflower oil is light and mild, so it suits dishes where you do not want the oil to taste of anything: sabzi, parathas, dal tadka and shallow frying. See our cold pressed sunflower oil.
Cold pressed or refined?
Every oil above comes in both forms. Read cold pressed vs wood pressed vs refined oil to see what the difference is, or browse all our wood pressed oils.