Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil (Shengdana Tel) - Wood Ghani

Cold pressed groundnut oil, shengdana tel to most Pune kitchens, crushed slowly in a wooden ghani so the seed never heats past the point where it gives up its smell. Pour a spoon into a hot kadhai and the whole house knows.

How we press it

The groundnut comes from our own farmer members around Kasarpimpalgaon in Ahmednagar district, grown on vermicompost from our own plant rather than chemical fertilizer. We press in small lots and clear it by settling, nothing else added. Refined oil has its colour and smell stripped out in a factory. This one stays a little cloudy, and that sediment is groundnut, not a fault.

In the kitchen

This is the fodni oil. Mustard seeds pop cleanly in it and it carries a plain varan bhaat or a pithla much better than a neutral oil does. Families here reach for it when making bharli vangi, thecha, sabudana vada and the tadka on a bowl of usal.

Pack sizes and storage

Available in 1 litre, 2 liter, 3 liter and 4 liter packs. Keep the tin away from the gas burner and the cap shut tight. No preservative goes in, so finish an opened pack within six months.

The rest sits on the wood pressed oil page. Many keep sesame oil beside it for winter, with a pack of thalipeeth bhajani.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between cold pressed and refined oil

Cold pressed oil is crushed at low temperature and only filtered. Refined oil is pulled out with heat and solvent, then bleached and deodorised. At home the difference shows up in smell, colour and taste.

Can I deep fry in cold pressed groundnut oil

Yes, it has been the frying oil in Maharashtra for generations. Heat it steadily instead of on full flame, and strain it once cool if you will use it again.

Why does my bottle look cloudy at the bottom

Groundnut solids settle there because we do not clarify the oil chemically. Shake gently before pouring, or let it stand and pour off the clear part.