Diwali Sweets and Snacks: Why Cold Pressed Oil Makes All the Difference

The Oil Is the Flavour

In fried snacks, the oil is not a neutral medium. It is an active ingredient.

When you fry mathri in cold pressed mustard oil, the dough absorbs a small amount of oil during frying. That absorbed oil carries flavour — the warm, slightly pungent, deeply savoury character of kachi ghani sarson ka tel. The mathri does not just taste of flour and ajwain. It tastes of something older and more complex.

When you fry chakli in cold pressed sesame oil, the same thing happens. The sesame oil's rich, nutty warmth becomes part of the chakli's flavour. You can taste it in every bite.

Refined oil, by contrast, is designed to be neutral. It has been bleached, deodorised, and chemically processed specifically to remove flavour. When you fry in refined oil, the oil contributes nothing. The snack tastes only of its dry ingredients.

For everyday cooking, neutral oil has its uses. For Diwali snacks — where the goal is maximum flavour and the tradition is specific — cold pressed oil is the correct choice.

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Cold Pressed Mustard Oil vs Cold Pressed Sesame Oil: Which for What

Both oils are traditional Diwali frying fats. They have different flavour profiles and suit different snacks.

Cold pressed mustard oil (kachi ghani sarson ka tel):

• Flavour: warm, pungent, assertive
• Best for: mathri, namkeen, shakarpara, gujiya (fried version), aloo chips, besan sev
• Regional tradition: North India — Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar

Cold pressed sesame oil (kachi ghani til ka tel):

• Flavour: rich, nutty, slightly sweet
• Best for: chakli, murukku, til ke ladoo, sesame brittle (til chikki), South Indian Diwali snacks
• Regional tradition: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh; also used in North Indian til-based sweets

If you are making a mixed Diwali snack box — mathri, chakli, namkeen, and sweets — consider using mustard oil for the savoury North Indian items and sesame oil for chakli and til-based sweets.

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Diwali Recipes with Cold Pressed Oil

Mathri (Flaky Savoury Crackers)

Mathri is the centrepiece of the North Indian Diwali snack box. Made correctly — with cold pressed mustard oil in the dough and for frying — it is one of the finest things you can eat.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups maida (all-purpose flour)
• 4 tablespoons cold pressed mustard oil (for the dough)
• 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1 teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds)
• Salt to taste
• Water to knead
• Cold pressed mustard oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Mix flour, ajwain, kalonji, and salt. Add 4 tablespoons cold pressed mustard oil and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs — this is the moyan (fat rubbed into dough) that creates flakiness.
2. Add water gradually and knead into a firm, stiff dough. Do not over-knead. Rest for 20 minutes.
3. Roll into small rounds, about 3mm thick. Prick all over with a fork.
4. Heat cold pressed mustard oil in a kadhai to about 150–160°C (medium-low heat — mathri fries slowly).
5. Fry in batches for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp.
6. Drain on paper and cool completely before storing.

Why cold pressed mustard oil: The moyan creates the flaky layers. Cold pressed mustard oil's natural flavour compounds — glucosinolates and volatile esters — become part of the mathri's flavour during the slow fry. The result is a mathri with a warm, savoury depth that refined oil cannot produce.

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Besan Namkeen Sev

Ingredients:

• 2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
• 1 teaspoon ajwain
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons cold pressed mustard oil (for the dough)
• Cold pressed mustard oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix besan with ajwain, red chilli, black pepper, salt, and 2 tablespoons cold pressed mustard oil.
2. Add water gradually to make a smooth, pipeable dough — slightly softer than mathri dough.
3. Heat oil to 170°C. Press dough through a sev press (or chakli press with fine plate) directly into the hot oil.
4. Fry until golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Drain and cool.

Why cold pressed mustard oil: Besan has a natural nuttiness that pairs perfectly with mustard oil's pungency. The combination produces a sev with a flavour that is distinctly different — and better — than the same recipe made in refined oil.

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Chakli with Cold Pressed Sesame Oil

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice flour
• ½ cup urad dal flour (roasted)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons cold pressed sesame oil (for the dough)
• Cold pressed sesame oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix all dry ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons cold pressed sesame oil and rub in well.
2. Add warm water gradually to make a smooth, pliable dough.
3. Press through a chakli press into spiral shapes on a plate.
4. Heat sesame oil to 170°C. Carefully slide chakli into the oil.
5. Fry on medium heat for 4–5 minutes until golden and crisp.

Why cold pressed sesame oil: Chakli's rice flour base is neutral. Cold pressed sesame oil's rich, nutty flavour becomes the chakli's primary flavour note — creating the distinctive taste that makes homemade chakli so different from packaged versions.

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Til Ke Ladoo (Sesame Seed Balls)

These are not fried, but cold pressed sesame oil plays a role in the binding.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sesame seeds (til)
• 1 cup jaggery (grated)
• 1 tablespoon cold pressed sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder

Method:

1. Dry roast sesame seeds on low heat until golden and fragrant. Cool.
2. Melt jaggery in a heavy pan with 2 tablespoons water until it reaches soft ball stage (about 115°C).
3. Add sesame seeds, cardamom, and cold pressed sesame oil. Mix quickly.
4. While still warm, shape into balls with greased palms.

Why cold pressed sesame oil: The oil adds a layer of sesame flavour that amplifies the roasted seeds. It also helps with binding and gives the ladoo a slight sheen.

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Shakarpara (Sweet Diamond Biscuits)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups maida
• ½ cup sugar (powdered)
• 3 tablespoons cold pressed mustard oil
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• Milk to knead
• Cold pressed mustard oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix flour, powdered sugar, cardamom, and cold pressed mustard oil. Rub in well.
2. Add milk gradually to make a firm dough. Rest 15 minutes.
3. Roll thin (about 3mm), cut into diamond shapes.
4. Fry in cold pressed mustard oil at 150°C until pale golden — shakarpara should be light, not dark.
5. Cool completely. The sugar crystallises as they cool, creating the characteristic crunch.

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Frying Tips for Diwali Snacks with Cold Pressed Oil

Temperature control is everything. Most Diwali snacks fry at 150–170°C — lower than you might expect. Too hot and the outside browns before the inside cooks through. Use a kitchen thermometer if you have one, or test with a small piece of dough: it should rise to the surface slowly and steadily, not immediately.

Heat the oil first, then reduce. For cold pressed mustard oil, heat to just smoking (about 180°C), then reduce to your frying temperature. This removes the raw pungency and stabilises the oil for frying.

Do not overcrowd the kadhai. Frying too many pieces at once drops the oil temperature and produces greasy, soft snacks instead of crisp ones. Fry in small batches.

Reuse carefully. Cold pressed oil can be reused 2–3 times for frying if it has not been overheated or contaminated. Strain through a fine mesh after each use and store in a cool, dark place.

The moyan ratio matters. For mathri and shakarpara, the fat-to-flour ratio in the dough (the moyan) determines flakiness. The standard ratio is 1 tablespoon fat per ½ cup flour for a moderately flaky result. More fat = flakier, more crumbly. Less fat = harder, less layered.

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Making Your Diwali Snack Box

A traditional North Indian Diwali snack box typically includes:

• Mathri — the anchor, always present
• Namkeen sev or mixture — for crunch and spice
• Shakarpara — sweet counterpoint to the savoury
• Chakli — spiral crunch, especially if you have South Indian family or friends
• Til ke ladoo or besan ladoo — the sweet element

All of these can be made with cold pressed mustard oil (savoury items) and cold pressed sesame oil (chakli and til-based sweets). Made this way, the snack box has a coherence of flavour — a warmth and depth that comes from using real, unrefined oils throughout.

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Diwali 2026 Dates

Diwali 2026 falls on 20 October 2026. The full festive period runs from Dhanteras (18 October) through Bhai Dooj (22 October).

Start your Diwali snack preparation 1–2 weeks before Dhanteras. Most fried snacks keep well for 2–3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature — longer if stored in a cool, dry place.

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Get Cold Pressed Oil for Your Diwali Kitchen

Dune Aura cold pressed mustard oil and cold pressed sesame oil are manufactured at DSS 53, Sector 9A Market, Gurugram — extracted below 45°C, FSSAI certified, zero additives.

Order at duneaura.com/shop for free same-day delivery across all Gurgaon sectors, or call +91 99995 55242.

Make this Diwali's snacks the way they are supposed to taste.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which cold pressed oil is best for making Diwali snacks?

Cold press mustard oil is the traditional choice for savoury Diwali snacks like Mathri, Namkeen, Shakarpara, and Chakli. It gives these snacks their characteristic flavour and helps achieve the right crunch. For sweet Diwali preparations like Halwa and Ladoo, ghee is traditional, though cold press coconut oil works well as a substitute.

Can I deep fry Diwali snacks in cold pressed oil?

Cold press mustard oil with its 250 degree Celsius smoke point is the best cold pressed oil for deep frying Diwali snacks. It handles the sustained high temperatures of deep frying without breaking down. Cold press sesame, coconut, and groundnut oils are not suitable for deep frying due to their lower smoke points.

Does using cold pressed oil make Diwali snacks healthier?

Using cold press mustard oil instead of refined oil for Diwali snacks is a meaningful health improvement. Cold press oil retains natural antioxidants that protect against oxidation during frying, and its Omega-3 content is preserved. However, deep-fried snacks remain calorie-dense regardless of oil type - moderation is still important.

How much oil do Diwali snacks absorb during frying?

Properly fried snacks at the right temperature (170 to 180 degrees Celsius) absorb 8 to 15 percent of their weight in oil. Frying at too low a temperature causes excessive oil absorption. Using cold press mustard oil at the correct temperature produces crispier snacks with less oil absorption than frying at lower temperatures in any oil.

Can I reuse cold press mustard oil after frying Diwali snacks?

Cold press mustard oil can be reused 2 to 3 times for frying if it has not been overheated or heavily contaminated. Filter through a fine mesh strainer after each use, store in a dark container, and check for off smells before reusing. Discard oil that has darkened significantly or developed a bitter smell.

Order Cold Pressed Mustard Oil for Diwali in Your City

Dune Aura delivers kachi ghani sarson ka tel to all major cities — order by 25 October for guaranteed Diwali delivery:

• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Gurugram — same-day delivery
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil — Delhi NCR Hub
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Jaipur
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Kanpur
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Patna
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Gorakhpur
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Kolkata
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Mumbai

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best oil for frying Diwali mathri? Cold pressed mustard oil is the traditional and best choice for mathri. Its high smoke point (250°C) keeps it stable during frying, and its characteristic pungency is what gives authentic mathri its flavour. Refined oils produce a flat, lifeless result.

How much mustard oil do I need for Diwali snack preparation? For a family batch of mathri, namkeen, and chakli (enough for gifting and home consumption), plan for 2–3 litres of mustard oil. Dune Aura's 2-litre and 5-litre packs offer better value for festive bulk cooking.

Can I use cold pressed mustard oil for Diwali diya (lamp)? Yes. Mustard oil is the traditional fuel for Diwali diyas in North India. Cold pressed mustard oil burns cleanly and is considered auspicious.

Dune Aura cold pressed mustard oil is available from ₹150 for 500ml. Delivered pan-India.