Mustard Oil in Rajasthani Cooking: Traditional Recipes and Uses

Rajasthani cuisine is shaped by geography. The Thar Desert's extreme heat, scarce water, and limited fresh vegetables created a cuisine built around preservation, bold spicing, and cooking fats that could withstand the climate. Mustard oil — with its natural antimicrobial properties and high smoke point — was one of the answers.

Rajasthan uses both mustard oil and groundnut oil, depending on the region and the dish. Eastern Rajasthan (Jaipur, Bharatpur) uses more mustard oil; western Rajasthan (Jodhpur, Jaisalmer) uses more groundnut oil. Both are used cold pressed — the tradition of refined oils is relatively recent.

Here are the essential Rajasthani recipes that use mustard oil.

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Dal Baati Churma

The most iconic Rajasthani dish. Three components — dal (lentil curry), baati (baked wheat balls), and churma (sweet crushed wheat) — served together.

Dal (Panchmel Dal):

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup each: toor dal, chana dal, moong dal, urad dal, masoor dal
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander and lemon juice

Method:

1. Pressure cook all dals together with turmeric and salt for 4 whistles.
2. Heat mustard oil until it smokes briefly. Add cumin seeds and dried red chillies.
3. Add onions. Fry until golden.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Cook until oil separates.
5. Add spices. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add cooked dal. Simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Finish with lemon juice and coriander.

Baati:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
• ½ cup semolina (sooji)
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil (for moyan)
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed

Method:

1. Mix flour, semolina, salt, and mustard oil. Rub oil into flour.
2. Add water to make a stiff dough.
3. Divide into balls. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through.
4. Alternatively, cook on a traditional wood fire or in a tandoor.
5. Break open and pour ghee over the hot baati before serving.

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Ker Sangri (Desert Bean and Berry Curry)

Ker (a desert berry) and sangri (desert bean) are preserved ingredients that define Rajasthani cooking. This dish is made with mustard oil and a bold spice paste.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 100g dried ker, soaked overnight
• 200g dried sangri, soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Drain soaked ker and sangri. Boil in fresh water for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat mustard oil until it smokes briefly. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dried red chillies.
3. Add ker and sangri. Mix well.
4. Add all spices. Mix to coat.
5. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add amchur. Cook for 2 more minutes.

Note: This dish improves significantly over 24 hours as the spices penetrate the ker and sangri. Make a day ahead if possible.

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Gatte Ki Sabzi (Chickpea Flour Dumplings in Curry)

Gatte are steamed chickpea flour dumplings cooked in a yoghurt-based curry. Mustard oil is used for the tadka.

Ingredients (serves 4):

For gatte:

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
• 2 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• ½ tsp ajwain
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed

For curry:

• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 cup thick yoghurt, whisked
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

Gatte:

1. Mix besan, mustard oil, ajwain, red chilli, and salt. Add water to make a stiff dough.
2. Roll into cylinders (about 1cm diameter).
3. Boil in salted water for 10 minutes. Remove and cut into 2cm pieces.

Curry:

1. Heat mustard oil. Add cumin and mustard seeds.
2. Reduce heat. Add whisked yoghurt slowly, stirring continuously.
3. Add all spices. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add gatte. Simmer for 10 minutes.

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Laal Maas (Red Meat Curry)

Rajasthan's most famous meat dish — a fiery red lamb curry that uses mustard oil as the cooking fat.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 500g lamb, cut into pieces
• 4 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 15–20 Mathania red chillies (or Kashmiri red chillies for milder version), soaked and ground
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 cup yoghurt, whisked
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander

Method:

1. Heat mustard oil until it smokes. Reduce heat.
2. Add onions. Fry until deep golden (15–20 minutes — don't rush).
3. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 3 minutes.
4. Add lamb. Fry on high heat until browned on all sides.
5. Add ground red chilli paste and turmeric. Mix well.
6. Add yoghurt slowly, stirring continuously.
7. Add 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
8. Open and cook on high heat until oil separates and gravy thickens.
9. Garnish with fresh coriander.

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Rajasthani Kadhi

A thin, tangy yoghurt curry — lighter than Punjabi kadhi, with a distinctive mustard oil tadka.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 cups thin yoghurt (or yoghurt diluted with water)
• 2 tbsp besan
• 3 tbsp cold pressed mustard oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Whisk yoghurt with besan, turmeric, and salt until smooth.
2. Heat in a pan, stirring continuously, until it comes to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. For tadka: heat mustard oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chillies, and curry leaves.
4. Pour tadka over the kadhi.
5. Serve with rice or bajra roti.

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The Role of Mustard Oil in Rajasthani Preservation

One of mustard oil's most important roles in Rajasthani cooking is preservation. The desert climate made fresh food scarce, and mustard oil's natural antimicrobial properties (from allyl isothiocyanate) made it the ideal medium for preserving vegetables, meats, and legumes.

Traditional Rajasthani pickles (achaar) — particularly the famous Rajasthani mixed vegetable pickle — are preserved in mustard oil. The oil's antimicrobial properties, combined with salt and spices, allow these pickles to last for months without refrigeration.

This preservation tradition is why mustard oil became so deeply embedded in Rajasthani cooking — it wasn't just a cooking fat, it was a survival tool.

Order Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Rajasthan

Dune Aura delivers kachi ghani sarson ka tel directly from its Gurugram facility to all Rajasthan cities:

• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Jaipur — the Pink City
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Jodhpur — the Blue City
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil — Delhi NCR Hub
• Cold Pressed Mustard Oil in Agra

Dune Aura cold pressed mustard oil is available from ₹150 for 500ml. Pure kachi ghani extraction, delivered across Delhi NCR.