It's all about your and your family's health

If you have ever had plain oil, you would have known it does not have any taste of its own. Yet, we continue to use it in our cooking. That's because the industry has conditioned us to think – No Oil, No Taste! And this has been done to such an extent that we can't even imagine cooking without oil. The good news is it is entirely possible to do so.

Our body does need a certain amount of fat, which is easily available in whole foods such as nuts, beans, seeds, avocados etc. When you eat coconut or peanuts, you get fat in a natural form, as opposed to refined oil, which is devoid of fibre, heated, and extracted with solvents! Your taste buds will adapt to oil-free cooking pretty soon, and your body will heave a sigh of relief.

Let us help you to transition to zero-oil cooking with a few steps

Don't keep cooking oil at home

When there is no oil at hand to use, you will realise how unnecessary an ingredient it is in cooking delicious food.

Water is the new oil

To saute onions, heat a steel pan, and simply add them in. If they start sticking, sprinkle a few drops of water and that's it! Another way is to sprinkle some salt, so the onions automatically release their own water. They will easily brown in that.

Tempering

Remember mustard seeds have oil within. When you heat your pan to temper, simply add the seeds and they will begin to pop. The same can be done with cumin, curry leaves etc. If you are tempering with powdered spices like asafoetida, turmeric and others, turn off the stove to dry roast them to prevent them from burning.

Oil-induced flavours

When you sprinkle peanut powder or grated coconut or roasted sesame powder in your dish, their fats release and add flavour to the dish.

Baking or air-frying

For samosas, vadas, fritters and more, baking or air-frying is the ideal option. Simply add peanut butter in your dough and the magic is done! For cakes, replace oil with mashed bananas or apple sauce. For savouries or French fries steaming first and then baking or air-frying is the key.

Peanut butter magic

To make dosas, pancakes and chillas, simply smear your iron tava with a muslin cloth bag filled with peanut butter. Even your parathas turn out delicious when you add peanut butter to the dough.

Nuts and seeds

Add nuts and seeds to your salads, instead of their oils. Add fresh olives rather than olive oil.

Think before ordering

While eating out, go for steamed options and avoid the deep-fried ones. Request the chef to use no oil, which he may not fully comply with, but at least he will be aware and reduce the oil.