Extra virgin olive oil is a very good oil, but it is not automatically better than Indian cold pressed oils. It is richer in monounsaturated fat, while groundnut, sesame and mustard oils carry flavours that suit Indian dishes and are grown and pressed in India. Use olive oil where its taste fits, and Indian oils for everyday cooking.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026 | Shop cold pressed groundnut oil
Olive oil has a reputation as the “healthy” oil, and many Indian households have wondered whether they should be using it instead of groundnut, sesame or mustard oil. The question deserves a straight answer based on what the oils actually contain and how they behave in an Indian kitchen, not on reputation.
We press Indian cold pressed oils on a wooden ghani in Nagpur, so we are not neutral. We have tried to give olive oil its due, because it has real strengths, and to be clear about where the comparison is closer than the marketing suggests.
Quick answer
- On fat profile, olive oil is richer in monounsaturated fat than groundnut or sesame oil. Mustard oil is the closest Indian oil to it.
- On heat, extra virgin olive oil sits at or a little above unrefined groundnut and sesame oil, so it is not worse for ordinary cooking.
- On flavour, Indian cold pressed oils are usually the better fit for tadka, sabzi and pickles. Olive oil suits salads, dips and gentle sauteing.
- On provenance, most olive oil sold in India is imported, while groundnut, sesame and mustard are grown here and can be pressed close to where they are sold.
- On health, neither choice is a cure for anything. How much oil you use and what else you eat matters more than which bottle it comes from.
Fat profile and smoke point side by side
The table uses approximate published reference values. Different sources report slightly different figures for the same oil, because seed variety, olive variety and processing all change the numbers, so read it as a guide:
| Oil | Saturated fat | Monounsaturated fat | Polyunsaturated fat | Approx. smoke point (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra virgin olive oil | 14% | 73% | 11% | 190 |
| Mustard oil | 13% | 60% | 21% | 250 (reference value) |
| Groundnut (peanut) oil | 18% | 49% | 33% | 160 (unrefined) |
| Sesame oil (unrefined) | 14% | 43% | 43% | 177 |
Three things follow from the table. First, olive oil really is the richest of the four in monounsaturated fat. Second, mustard oil is the closest Indian match, and it also carries a little plant omega-3 (about 6 per cent of its fat, against under 1 per cent for olive oil). Third, groundnut and sesame oils contain more polyunsaturated fat, which is one reason they are best used with some care over high heat and stored away from light.
All four are mostly unsaturated. None of them is a “bad” fat choice in the way that industrial trans fat or heavy use of hydrogenated fat is. The differences between them are real, but they are differences of degree.
What “extra virgin” actually guarantees
Extra virgin olive oil is a defined grade. By international standards it must be extracted by mechanical means, at low temperature and without solvents or refining, it must have free acidity of no more than 0.8 per cent, and it must taste of olives without defects. That is a clear, checkable definition, and it is one genuine advantage of olive oil over Indian oils, where “cold pressed” and “wood pressed” are not tightly regulated terms. We discuss what that means for buyers in how to check if cold pressed oil is pure.
The grade matters, because not everything sold as olive oil is extra virgin. A bottle labelled simply “olive oil” is generally a blend of refined and virgin olive oil, and “pomace” oil is extracted from the leftover pulp, usually with solvents. Read the grade on the label before you assume you are paying for an unrefined oil.
Is olive oil healthier than Indian cold pressed oils?
Olive oil is one of the most studied oils because of its place in Mediterranean diets, and its monounsaturated fat and polyphenols are genuine strengths. Extra virgin olive oil also supplies vitamin E, as do groundnut oil and most other unrefined oils. But it would be a stretch to say that switching from cold pressed groundnut, sesame or mustard oil to olive oil improves your health on its own.
Studies of diet patterns reflect everything that surrounds the oil: more vegetables, legumes and fish, and less processed food. Indian cold pressed oils are also unrefined, mostly unsaturated and rich in the aroma compounds of their seed. What tends to change health outcomes is the quantity of oil you cook with, how often you fry, and whether oil is reused repeatedly, which is why we say that no oil prevents or cures disease.
Heat, frying and tadka
On smoke point alone, extra virgin olive oil at about 190°C sits above unrefined groundnut oil (around 160°C) and unrefined sesame oil (about 177°C) in the reference values, so olive oil is not at a disadvantage for everyday cooking. The same rules apply to all of them: heat gradually, take the pan off if it smokes, and do not reuse frying oil repeatedly. We cover this in detail in smoke point of cooking oils and deep frying.
Where the two diverge is flavour. Extra virgin olive oil tastes grassy, peppery and sometimes bitter, and those notes sit well in a salad or on bread but compete with the spices in a tadka or a curry base. Heat also dulls the delicate flavours and polyphenols that justify choosing a good extra virgin oil in the first place, so using a premium bottle in a hot, spiced pan is rarely the best use of it.
Which oil for which dish?
| Dish or use | Olive oil | Indian cold pressed oil |
|---|---|---|
| Tadka, dal, sabzi | Works, but the flavour competes with spices | Groundnut, sesame or mustard suit it well |
| Rotis and parathas | Fine in small amounts | Groundnut or sesame oil is traditional |
| Pickles | Not traditional | Mustard or sesame oil |
| Chutneys and podis | Not traditional | Sesame oil |
| Salads and dressings | Excellent | Sesame or flax oil, used raw |
| Pasta, bread dips, grilling | Excellent | Groundnut oil works for sauteing |
| Home deep frying | Possible, but a poor use of a premium oil | Groundnut oil, with care |
For a fuller guide to matching oils to dishes, see our guide to cooking oils for Indian cooking.
Provenance and freshness
Most olive oil sold in India is imported, so it has travelled and been stored for some time before it reaches your shelf. Olive oil is at its best when fresh, which is why good producers print a harvest date. Buy in a dark bottle, look for the harvest date and not just a best-before date, and keep the bottle away from light and heat.
Groundnut, sesame and mustard are grown in India, and a producer that owns its own mill can tell you which seed it used and when it was pressed. That traceability is worth asking for. At our mill in Hudkeshwar, the seed is cleaned, pressed in a wooden ghani, filtered, rested and bottled on the same site, and you can see the steps on our Nagpur oil mill page. The method itself is explained in what is lakdi ghani oil.
Our view: do you need to switch?
Not on health grounds alone. If you enjoy olive oil, a good extra virgin bottle is worth keeping for salads, dips and gentle cooking. If you cook mostly Indian food, an Indian cold pressed oil does the job better and is a closer match to the flavours of the dishes. Many households sensibly use both.
If you want an Indian oil to start with, cold pressed groundnut oil is the most versatile, sesame oil is excellent for chutneys and southern dishes, and mustard oil is the closest Indian oil to olive oil in fat profile. If you want to understand the labels you will meet on shelves, wood pressed vs cold pressed vs kachi ghani vs refined oil walks through each term, and cold pressed oil vs refined oil explains the wider trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is olive oil better than groundnut oil?
Olive oil has more monounsaturated fat and a defined extra virgin grade, which are real advantages. Groundnut oil is also mostly unsaturated, supplies vitamin E, and suits Indian cooking better. Neither oil is a cure for anything, so choose on flavour and cooking method, and use whichever you will cook with sensibly.
Can I use extra virgin olive oil for Indian cooking?
Yes. Its smoke point of about 190°C is comfortable for ordinary cooking. The main drawback is flavour: its grassy, peppery notes compete with the spices in a tadka or curry. Many people keep extra virgin olive oil for salads and gentle sauteing and use an Indian oil for the kadhai.
Is olive oil cold pressed?
Extra virgin olive oil is extracted mechanically at low temperature without solvents, so it is cold extracted by definition, and the grade is clearly defined. Indian cold pressed oils use a similar principle, but the term is less tightly regulated, so it is worth checking who presses the oil and where.
Which Indian oil is closest to olive oil?
Mustard oil is the closest in fat profile, with roughly 60 per cent monounsaturated fat against about 73 per cent for olive oil. Groundnut and sesame oils carry more polyunsaturated fat. In flavour, none of them resembles olive oil, because each carries the distinct aroma of its own seed.
What is the difference between extra virgin and regular olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is unrefined, extracted mechanically at low temperature, with free acidity of no more than 0.8 per cent and no taste defects. A bottle labelled simply olive oil is generally a blend of refined and virgin oil, so it has been through more processing and tastes milder.
Do I need to switch from Indian oils to olive oil?
Not for health reasons alone. Both are mostly unsaturated fat, and the quantity you use and how often you fry matter more than the bottle. Olive oil is a good addition for salads and dips, but an Indian cold pressed oil is usually the better match for everyday Indian cooking.
Written by Dushyant Waghmare, founder — Parampara Naturals, who operates a wooden ghani oil mill in Nagpur.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026