Olive Oil For Cooking: Dos And Donts To Keep In Mind - NDTV Food 8/8/20, 2:03 PM

Olive Oil For Cooking: Do's And

Don'ts To Keep In Mind

Good for heart, cholesterol and digestive purposes, olive oil is slowly making
inroads into the culinary circuit as one of the most loved oils. Apart from its
umpteen health benefits, this Mediterranean wonder oil is also linked
with cutting down depression and improving brain health for the decent
amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that it contains. Despite being
deemed as one of the healthiest oils, it has raised many eyeballs for its use in
cooking.

Many believe that olive oil is unsuitable for cooking because of unsaturated
fats. When exposed to high heat, the intrinsic properties of fats and oils may
get altered. This is probably the reason why you may have heard many being

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Olive Oil For Cooking: Dos And Donts To Keep In Mind - NDTV Food 8/8/20, 2:03 PM

weary of using olive oil for cooking. Turns out, you can indeed use olive oil
for mild cooking, and cooking in olive oil may also provide many health
benefits. However, it is best to take some caution. It is important to
understand the grades of olive oil, and only then proceed to use this oil for
cooking. The highest grade of olive oil is the extra virgin olive oil, followed by
virgin oil, and finally refined oil. These grades are defined by their ways of
extraction and further use of chemical solvents and processing.

(Also Read: Olive Oil: Amazing Benefits of Olive Oil for Health, Hair, Skin & Its
Wonderful Uses)

Olive oil is profuse with Mono-saturated fatty acids which is good for heart health

Extra virgin and the standard virgin olive oil are extracted directly from the
olive fruit by grinding the olives, which preserves the natural taste, flavor,
pungency and maximum amount of benefits. This method of extracting the
oil directly from the fruit is called 'cold-pressing'. This helps the oil retain its
flavor which it may lose when the oil is exposed to high temperatures. The

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Olive Oil For Cooking: Dos And Donts To Keep In Mind - NDTV Food 8/8/20, 2:03 PM

oils that are further processed and undergo blending of chemical solvents,
lose the original high grade quality of the extra virgin oil, and are clubbed in
the 'refined' variants of olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil tends to have a subtle golden-green hue with a light
peppery flavour. Because it is taken straight out of the fruit and is not refined
it has a beautiful crude and pungent smell too. Macrobiotic Nutritionist
Shilpa Arora ND says, "Always use a good quality extra virgin oil to get all its
benefits. It does not have a very high heat point, therefore it is not quite
recommended for frying and heavy cooking."

Dr. Rupali Datta, advises, "It is better to use extra virgin olive oil only for raw
or cold cooking. Indian cooking needs are not suited to substitute this oil for
our regular vegetable oil. You can use it in salads, as dressings, for making
breads and dips. Light sauteing can also be done using extra virgin olive oil."

There is another variant of olive oil available in the market called the olive
pomace oil. Once the typical, cold-pressed extraction of olive oil from the
olive fruit is done with, about 5 to 8 percent of the oil still remains in the
leftover olive pulp or the "pomace." This oil is called the pomace oil, and the
extraction process used to extract this oil is called olive pomace oil
extraction. It has a slightly better heating point than olive oil, hence used
more for cooking related purposes. However, the olive oil that is most often
used for cooking is pure olive oil. Pure olive oil may have the tag of 'pure' but
it is often a blend of standard virgin oil and refined oil, which is used widely
for cooking for its slightly higher burning point.

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Olive Oil For Cooking: Dos And Donts To Keep In Mind - NDTV Food 8/8/20, 2:03 PM

Therefore, for its low heating point olive oil is definitely not recommended for
deep frying, roasting, or stir- frying in a wok. However, here some tips to
keep in mind when handling olive oil.

1. For salads and pastas

Olive oil balances the acidity in high-acid foods, such as tomatoes, vinegar,
and lemon juice, and adds excellent depth to your salads. Drizzle it over
salad or mix it into salad dressing and spruce up your greens and cooked
pasta with oodles of health benefits.

2. For Marinades

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Olive Oil For Cooking: Dos And Donts To Keep In Mind - NDTV Food 8/8/20, 2:03 PM

You can also use it in marinades or sauces for meat, fish, poultry, and
vegetables.

3. Post cooking depth and flavour

You can drizzle some olive oil after you finish cooking for a burst of flavor.

Olive oil can be used for adding depth to the dish after it is cooked

4. For your sides and appetizers

Mix some boiled beans, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor; top it with
fresh herbs for a yummy and healthy dip. You can also toast your bread or
baguette and rub them lightly with a half cut garlic clove, drizzle some olive
oil on top and enjoy.

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Olive Oil For Cooking: Dos And Donts To Keep In Mind - NDTV Food 8/8/20, 2:03 PM

Sprinkle your toasted bread with some olive oil and witness a burst of flavours

5. For sauces

Get a healthy blend of sauces with a dash of olive oil. It is flavourful and
healthy, if the ingredients don't blend well, whisk thoroughly. Olive oil will
help emulsify, or blend, the watery ingredients with the oil in the sauce.

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Olive Oil For Cooking: Dos And Donts To Keep In Mind - NDTV Food 8/8/20, 2:03 PM

Olive oil can add healthy flavours to sauces

Olive oil is packed with several health benefits. Bangalore-based Nutritionist

Dr. Anju Sood says "It is good for your heart, hair, skin and veins."
Macrobiotic Nutritionist and Health Practitioner Shilpa Arora ND adds to it,
"Olive oil is loaded with heart-protective polephenols that lower cholesterol.
It is also packed with anti-inflammatory properties. The mono-saturated
fatty acids boost metabolism and aid weight loss." Therefore, there is no
reason why you should refrain from the health benefits of the wonder oil.

About Sushmita SenguptaSharing a strong penchant for food, Sushmita

loves all things good, cheesy and greasy. Her other favourite pastime
activities other than discussing food includes, reading, watching movies and
binge-watching TV shows.

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