Lakdi ghani oil, also called wood-pressed or kolhu oil, is crushed from seeds in a slow-turning wooden press. The seeds are squeezed rather than heated or treated with solvents, so friction heat stays low and the oil keeps its natural aroma. It is then filtered and bottled. It is a traditional Indian method, now usually motor-driven.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026 | Shop wood pressed groundnut oil
If you have seen “lakdi ghani”, “kolhu” or “chekku” on an oil bottle and wondered what it means, this guide explains it from the mill floor. We run a wooden ghani mill in Hudkeshwar, Nagpur, so what follows is how the method works in practice: the equipment, the steps, which seeds suit it, what the oil looks and smells like, and why it costs more to make than refined oil.
What does “lakdi ghani” mean?
Lakdi is the Hindi and Marathi word for wood, and ghani means an oil press, so lakdi ghani is simply a wooden oil press. The same type of press has regional names: kolhu in Marathi, chekku or marachekku in Tamil, and ganuga in Telugu. When a bottle says “lakdi ghani”, “wood pressed” or “kolhu”, it is describing the equipment used to extract the oil.
Do not confuse it with “kachi ghani”, a term used mostly for mustard oil that means the seed is pressed raw, without pre-heating. The two ideas overlap and often appear together on a label, but one describes the press and the other describes how the seed is handled before pressing.
How a wooden ghani works
A ghani is a large mortar and pestle. Seeds are fed into a hollow wooden vessel, and a heavy wooden pestle turns slowly inside it, crushing the seeds against the walls. Pressure and friction force the oil out, and it drains through an opening at the base. What is left is the oilcake, known as khali, which has traditionally been used as cattle feed. In villages the pestle was turned by a bullock walking in a circle. Today most mills, including ours, use a motor that turns the pestle at low speed.
The slow speed is the point. Faster presses generate more friction, and friction means heat. By turning slowly, a wooden ghani keeps processing heat low, which is why the oil keeps its natural aroma and colour. The steps at our mill look like this:
- Sourcing and cleaning. Whole raw seeds are sourced from Indian farmers and cleaned of dust and stones. No pre-processed or refined seed stock is used.
- Loading. Seeds go into the wooden vessel of the ghani.
- Slow pressing. The pestle turns slowly and the oil drains out as the seeds are crushed.
- Filtering. The raw pressed oil is filtered to remove sediment.
- Resting. The filtered oil is left to settle before it is packed.
- Bottling. The oil is bottled and labelled at the same site where it is pressed.
Nothing is added at any stage and there is no solvent extraction, bleaching or deodorising. You can see the process on our Nagpur oil mill page.
Is a motor-driven wooden ghani still traditional?
The principle is unchanged: seeds are crushed slowly between wood, and the oil is separated without chemicals. Bullocks have been replaced by motors for practical reasons, mainly hygiene, consistency and the volume needed to supply customers beyond a single village. A motor that turns the pestle at low speed reproduces the slow crushing action without the heat of a fast machine. The oil-pressing families who ran ghanis for generations passed on the technique; the power source is the main thing that has changed.
Wooden ghani vs steel expeller vs refinery
Three methods account for most of the edible oil sold in India. They differ in speed, heat and what happens after the oil leaves the press:
| Wooden ghani (lakdi ghani) | Steel expeller | Solvent plant and refinery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction | Slow crushing between wooden surfaces | Screw press at higher speed | Solvent (hexane) extraction, often after pressing |
| Friction heat | Lowest of the three | Higher; varies with the machine | Heat applied at several stages |
| After extraction | Filtering and resting | Filtering, sometimes more | Degumming, neutralising, bleaching, deodorising |
| Oil from each kilo of seed | Lowest | Moderate | Highest |
| Aroma and colour | Strong natural aroma and colour | Noticeable, often milder | Pale and near-odourless |
| Typical scale | Small batches | Medium to large | Industrial |
For a full side-by-side of the four labels you will meet in shops, see wood pressed vs cold pressed vs kachi ghani vs refined oil, and for the comparison with refined oil specifically, cold pressed oil vs refined oil.
Which oils can be pressed in a wooden ghani?
The method suits seeds and nuts with a high oil content. Groundnut, sesame, mustard, coconut (dry copra), flax and sunflower are all pressed this way, along with almond. The table shows roughly what to expect. The figures are approximate and vary with seed variety, moisture and quality:
| Seed | Oil in the seed (approx.) | Typical yield in a wooden ghani | Seed needed for one litre (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groundnut | About 45% | 35–40% | 2.5–3 kg |
| Sesame | About 40% | About 35% | 2.5–3 kg |
| Mustard | About 35% | 28–32% | 3–3.5 kg |
| Flax | About 35% | 28–32% | 3–3.5 kg |
| Coconut (dry copra) | About 60% | 50–55% | About 2 kg |
Because a wooden ghani leaves more oil behind in the cake than a solvent plant would take out, it uses more seed per litre. That is the main reason wood-pressed oil costs more to make. Small-batch production adds to the cost.
What lakdi ghani oil looks, smells and behaves like
- Colour and aroma. Expect the natural colour of the seed and a clear aroma: nutty for groundnut, toasty for sesame, sharp for mustard. A colourless, odourless oil sold as wood pressed deserves a second look.
- Fine sediment. Unrefined oil may throw a little sediment at the bottom of the bottle. That is seed material settling, and it is normal.
- Clouding in cool weather. Some oils turn cloudy or thicken when it is cold, and coconut oil solidifies at cooler room temperatures. This is natural and reverses as the oil warms.
- Batch variation. Seed changes with season and crop, so colour and aroma can differ a little from batch to batch.
- Shorter shelf life. Natural compounds that give flavour can also oxidise, so store the bottle away from light and heat and use it within the labelled date.
How to cook with wood-pressed oil
Wood-pressed oils work in everyday Indian cooking, because they carry flavour into the dish. Groundnut oil suits tadka, sabzi, farsan and shallow frying. Sesame oil is a classic in southern kitchens and chutneys. Mustard oil is traditional for pickles and many regional dishes. Coconut oil suits coastal cooking. Heat the oil gently, and do not reuse frying oil repeatedly. For help matching an oil to a dish, see our guide to cooking oils for Indian cooking.
If you are choosing a first bottle, cold pressed groundnut oil is the most versatile. Sesame oil and mustard oil are good second choices for specific dishes.
A word on claims
Wood pressing is a process, not a medical treatment. It gives you an oil that is less processed and richer in aroma, and it keeps more of the seed's natural compounds than refining does. It does not cure or prevent illness, and we would be wary of any brand that says it does. Because “wood pressed” is not a tightly regulated label, ask who presses the oil and where, and use the checks in our guide to testing cold pressed oil at home.
Frequently asked questions
What is lakdi ghani oil?
Lakdi ghani oil is oil extracted from seeds in a slow-turning wooden press. Lakdi means wood and ghani means oil press. The seeds are crushed rather than heated or treated with solvents, so friction heat stays low. The oil is then filtered and bottled, and it keeps the natural colour and aroma of the seed.
Is lakdi ghani oil the same as cold pressed oil?
Lakdi ghani oil is a type of cold pressed oil. Cold pressed means the oil is extracted mechanically without added heat or solvents, using any kind of press. Lakdi ghani refers specifically to a slow wooden press, which generates less friction heat than a fast steel expeller. Every lakdi ghani oil is cold pressed, but not the reverse.
Why is lakdi ghani oil more expensive than refined oil?
A wooden ghani presses slowly and leaves more oil in the seed cake than a solvent plant would extract, so it needs more seed for every litre. Small-batch production adds further to the cost. Refined oil benefits from industrial scale and higher yield, which lowers its cost per litre.
Which oils can be made in a wooden ghani?
High-oil seeds and nuts work best. Groundnut, sesame, mustard, coconut copra, flax and sunflower are all commonly pressed in a wooden ghani, as is almond. Each yields a different amount of oil per kilo of seed. Seeds with little oil are usually extracted with solvents instead.
Why does wood-pressed oil have sediment or turn cloudy?
Unrefined oil is only filtered and rested, so fine seed particles can settle at the bottom of the bottle. Some oils also turn cloudy or thicken in cool weather because their natural fats begin to solidify. Both are normal and do not mean the oil has gone off. If the oil smells sharp or stale, discard it.
Is a motor-driven wooden ghani still traditional?
Yes. The method is the same: seeds are crushed slowly between wood and the oil is separated without chemicals. Motors replaced bullocks for reasons of hygiene, volume and consistency. A motor turning the pestle at low speed reproduces the slow crushing action, which is what keeps friction heat low and the oil’s natural character intact.
Written by Dushyant Waghmare, founder — Parampara Naturals, who operates a wooden ghani oil mill in Nagpur.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026