The Kitchen & I An Unlikely Love Story

From lipsticks to ladles- Payal Puri's fascinating culinary journeyFrom lipsticks to ladles-Payal Puri's fascinating culinary journey.When I ran into my least favourite aunt at a family lunch recently, she looked at my slimmer-than-shelast-saw-me form and said, 'I suppose you're eating what you cook'. You see, I don't cook (or, didn't). Never had. I didn't ever get around to learning, mostly lived with parents or - thankfully - had a cook, and when I married a couple of years ago, much after the conventional marriageable age, I was an urban independent gogetter who could get everywhere except the kitchen, of course. Fortunately, living in Gurgaon, where apartments and cooks exist in a mutually satisfactory state of capitalism, cooking continued to be strictly optional. Food, on the other hand, has never been. I live for it. I have always loved to go out, eat in, order takeaway, try new restaurants, watch cookery shows, and generally make mealtimes the highlight of my day, despite the fact that all I could satisfactorily do in my own kitchen, till recently, was make a cup of tea and Maggi. Since my husband's cooking skills have matched mine to the dot, we sheepishly agreed to treat the kitchen as "the room that houses the microwave" and left it to its own devices. Till the day I got into an intense food debate with a friend on the difference between pie and tart crusts, as though civilisation's future depended on it, and decided to google the question - thereby landing on Deb Perelman's blog, Smitten Kitchen. I didn't know it then, but this was the woman who was going to teach me to cook. The blog, written out of Perelman's tiny New York kitchen (that is even smaller than my own), attracts a few million readers a year. It also makes a mockery of anyone's claims that they don't have the time, equipment or ingredients to cook: Deb's specific grouse when she first started cooking was that chefs often worked with unpronounceable ingredients, unreplicable techniques and unaffordable tools, so she set about creating recipes that need none of these. It doesn't hurt that her writing is a joy - witty, self-deprecating conversational - and before long I found myself going to her blog every day, while a cheeky voice at the back of my head reminded me that I was now a food-blog stalker who could possibly burn water! But it wasn't till a recipe for apple cake popped up on one of my surfing sessions that the same little voice took a new track, 'You've got a kilo of apples sitting in the fridge. Why can't you make that? What's she got that you haven't?' Apart from the obvious fact from eight million readers, I couldn't come up with a convincing answer. It helped that I was home alone at the time, with no incredulous husband to dissuade me, and had nothing planned for the rest of the afternoon. I looked at the apples. I looked back at the recipe. I checked the ingredient list and found that barring baking powder, I had everything I needed at hand - and with a grocery store in my apar tment block, the missing ingredient could be on my counter in minutes. I gave the urge a few minutes to pass. It didn't.AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

And it began - a year and a half ago, my borderline insane love affair with cooking. I made the apple cake and understood two incredible things that afternoon: the first, that apples improve with baking, and second that Since my husband's cooking skills matched mine to the dot, we sheepishly agreed to treat the kitchen as "the room that houses the microwave" oNE fine DAY... 'You've got a kilo of apples in the fridge. Why can't you make that apple cake?' I made the apple cake and understood two incredible things that afternoon. The first, that apples improve with baking, and second that I could - given the right recipe, an idiot-proof technique, and enough time - cook! Photographs (top): shutterstock/indiapicture I could - given the right recipe, an idiot-proof technique, and enough time - cook! Those who know me best know I have an obsessive streak. By the time my apple cake had been dusted with powdered sugar, and warmed and eaten with vanilla icecream on the side, later that night, I was already plotting my next move: a lemon yogurt cake that had received rave reviews on the site. We ate a lot of cake last summer. It's no coincidence that I've been on a diet for the last three months: the lemon cake (delicious!) was followed by a strawberry summer cake, a red wine velvet cake and banana bread. I started to skip the clothes stores at the mall and instead dashed into food stores, arriving home - with an excitement formerly reserved for shoes - with loaf pans and bundt pans and springform tins and muffin pans. I bought parchment paper and oven gloves; a zester and a hand blender. I made sure we were never out of allpurpose flour and cake flour, as though emergency baking could be called for in the dead of night.

OF SCONES AND BEYOND

And it got crazier. The husband, reading a PG Wodehouse late one Friday night, read out a passage that paid homage t o high tea and mentioned how much he loved scones. I beamed at him as you do at a favourite student. I love scones too, I told him. I should make some. ' Maybe not', he laughed. 'Surely that's best left to professionals,' he said. I gave him a look that could melt glaciers - though he, by now immersed in his book once more, missed it entirely. I then picked up my iPad, fired up Smitten Kitchen, and did a search for scones, fully intending to buy the ingredients the next morning. And discovered I already had what the recipe called for in my kitchen. 'But it 's past midnight,' my rational mind tried to point out. 'What does that have to do with anything,' my hurt ego threw back. 'Is cooking at midnight illegal?' My first-ever scones came out of the oven at 2am and the husband - looking at once hunted and reluctantly impressed - warily picked up one, slathered it with butter and blueberry jam, and took a bite. The hunted look faded. The impressed look stayed. 'My God, these are really good,' he gasped. 'It's no big deal,' I shrugged, as though I had spent the last 30-something years cooking up midnight feasts. Suddenly, I couldn't understand why I hadn't. I was blindsided by the realisation that I loved it. Sure, I had no imagination with recipes, and worried maniacally if I failed to follow an instruction precisely, but I simply couldn't get enough. And then one evening the husband mildly pointed out that while life was wonderful with dessert, a main course or two might not go amiss if I had, in fact, decided to cook. He had a point, I reluctantly admitted to myself. If I were capable of this, what else might be possible?

I trusted no one but Perelman, though; I still wasn't sure I could cook, I was merely convinced she could! And that was when fate intervened for the second time - my mother sent across a stack of books that I hadn't brought over when I married and among them was a cookbook I had received as a gift a few years ago but never opened. It was an unassuminglooking book. But it was Indian cooking, and my hero Perelman didn't do any of that, so I sat down with a cup of tea and Hajra Mohammed's Recipes of Life, For Life and decided to read. An hour later I had the same eureka moment I'd had when Deb's apple cake had called out to me - this was homestyle cooking by a matriarch who knew everything there was to know on the subject. I could tell the food would be superb, if only one followed her instructions - I've found that while the knack for cooking had been absent my whole life, my ability to tell a good recipe from average was well-honed. So I flipped through the slim volume looking for something that I felt like cooking. I found it right away: Mutton Biryani made the Cutchi Memon way. Not quite the ideal dish for the novice cook, but by now Hajra herself couldn't have stopped me. It took me five delightful hours. If she suggested slow-sauteing the onions for 30 minutes, I did it for 40. I was going to be the over-achiever of biryanis. I was making up for my lack of experience with an excess of enthusiasm - and I was rewarded as only first-timers can be. I chopped and sauteed and slow-cooked. I slit chillies and infused milk with saffron. I watched over the cooker like a hawk. I finished the biryani on dum as she suggested, following her instructions to the letter. When I finally opened the pan, I was assailed by possibly the most incredible scent I have ever smelt to this day: the scent of something delicious that had been cooked by me. RECIPE FOR SUCCESS From there to now - it's been a journey I wouldn't trade for any other. I've had disasters in the kitchen and learned to laugh over them rather than collapse in tears - though that has happened too. In the past year, I've made more scones and more cake but also dosa and pasta and sandwiches. I've made pizza dough from scratch and homemade tomato sauce. I've made a forgettable cauliflower soup and an unforgettable French onion one. I've roasted vegetables, fried fish and burnt chicken. In the last month alone, I've made white batter bread ( disaster), beer batter fish and onion rings ( yummy), peanut butter cookies ( delicious), homemade granola bars (superb), and more 1am biryani (though not as good as my first attempt, I admit). Each attempt produces not just food but incredible memories: two days ago, Rajat (my husband) and I spent three hours in the kitchen, he frantically using a "chip-cutter" to chop "fries" out of root vegetables while I tossed them with oil and herbs and flung them in to bake. We ate them hot out of the oven, giggling like teenagers as we plotted a baked-fries business - then moaned and groaned that night as too many potatoes took their toll on the digestion. Just today, I've hunted down a cast-iron skillet so I can make my next food obsession, fritattas: I'm tracking the courier package with the determination of a stalker. I have enough recipes bookmarked to not need a new one for the rest of my life. After years of trawling the aisles of fancy food stores, my first question now on spotting something I like is 'can I make that?' The answer, I'm astounded to find, is often 'yes'.

My Top RecipesThis cherished delicacy might not be every amatuer cooks cup of tea but it's worth when your appetite is big and you?fre patient enough to spend the day in your kitchen . lovingly tending to the mutton. Ingredients: 1 kilo mutton shoulder, cut into pieces; 1.2-3.4 cup cooking oil; 5 cloves, 5 cardamoms, 4 one-inch pieces of cinnamon stick; 3 large onions finely chopped or minced; 1 cup chopped dhania (coriander leaves); 1.2 cup chopped pudina (mint leaves); 2tbsp ginger paste; 2tbsp garlic paste; 3tsp red chilli powder; 1.2 tsp turmeric powder; salt to taste; 4 large potatoes, washed and cut into half; 11.2 cups yogurt; 6 slit green chillies Method: Heat oil in a cooker on medium heat and add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. When they stop spluttering (after a minute or so), add the onions. Cook on lowmedium heat slowly till the onions turn golden brown. When the onions are caramelised, add the coriander and mint leaves and slow cook them again for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ginger and garlic paste and salt to taste, and saute them, sprinkling a little water if needed. Add the turmeric and red chilli powder and cook another five minutes before adding the washed mutton pieces into the cooker. Dry cook the mutton for 10 minutes till all the pieces are wellcoated with the masala. Add 1.4-1.2 cup water (more will be released in the cooking process) and pressure cook for 10 minutes after it reaches gas, open the cooker when the steam has released and add the potatoes. Pressure cook for another 5 minutes after reaching full steam, then turn off and let the steam release. Open the pressure cooker, light the gas again, and add the yogurt. Cook till the oil separates and the water evaporates, leaving thick gravy behind. Drop in the slit green chillies and fold into the mutton. Then turn off the gas and let rest awhile. This tastes fantastic with flaky paranthas or over rice. Note: This recipe also works with chicken, cooking times adjusted. It's also not too spicy so don't worry about the generous amount of chillies; these are tempered by the yogurt and coriander gravy.Crackers are hard to hate. They are perfect finger foods for parties or as snacks for bored evenings and taste delightful with a curd dip or spicy salsa. Ingredients: 13.4 cups maida; 1tbsp chopped rosemary plus extra for sprinkling; 1tsp baking powder; 3.4 tsp salt; 1.2 cup water; 1.3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing; sea salt Method: Preheat oven to 200oC with a heavy baking sheet on the middle rack (you want to get the baking sheet very hot so the base of the cracker comes out crisp). Mix flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add water and oil and bring together with a wooden spoon, then knead dough for a couple of minutes. Divide into three equal pieces, cover two with a damp tea towel, and work with the third. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper roughly the size of your baking sheet and roll out one piece of dough in a rustic rectangle shape as thin as you can. Lightly brush the top with olive oil, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt and additional rosemary and press lightly so they embed into the dough. I use a pizza cutter at this stage to cut into ?gcrackers?h . these could be long and thin like breadsticks, or squares, or any shape you like. Move parchment with rolled out dough to the preheated baking sheet and bake for 8 to 9 minutes until brown at the edges; while they?fre baking, roll out the next on a new parchment sheet. Transfer to an airtight jar when cool. Note: You can also sprinkle thyme, dill or cracked pepper before baking.Make your own health bars as opposed to buying them off the store. Crumble them over a bowl of yoghurt or have them with your morning cereal. They also double up as a health snack . so versatile! Ingredients: 1 2 .3 cups quick rolled oats; 1.2 cup sugar; 1.3 cup oat flour (or 1.3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor); 1.2 tsp salt; 1.4 tsp cinnamon powder; 2-3 cups dried fruit, nuts and seeds of your choice; 1tsp vanilla extract; 6tbsp melted butter; 1.4 cup; 2tbsp honey; 1tbsp water Method: Preheat oven to 180oC. Line a medium rectangle cake pan with parchment paper or foil, then grease it with cooking spray or butter, coating any un-lined bits of the pan as well. Mix all the dry ingredients (nuts, dry fruit, seeds, salt, sugar, oats, oat flour and cinnamon) in one bowl. In another, whisk together the wet ingredients (both quantities of honey, vanilla, melted butter and water). Add the wet ingredients into the dry ones and toss with a wooden spoon till the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread mixture into the prepared pan and press down hard to make it stick together (a good trick is to cut a rectangle of cling film and cover the pan and then press with something heavy). Remove the cling film and bake the bars for 30-40 minutes until the edges and tops are a little brown. They?fll still feel soft but will become firm once cooled. Pull out and allow to cool in the pan or remove using the parchment and cool on a cooling rack. When cool, cut with a serrated knife. If bars seem crumbly, chill the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes, then cut. Since they can get soggy in humid conditions, store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

Reproduced From Good Housekeeping. 2014. LMIL. All rights reserved.

Payal Puri

Vegetable Oil: Demand for New Flavours on the Rise

In recent years, the market for vegetable edible oils has expanded with the demand for new flavours like groundnut, sesame, rice bran and sunflower witnessing a surge

India has truly come to love the concept of experimenting with food and palates, mostly due to the global culinary scenario being played at the forefront of entertainment media for the last seven years. People are delving into the complexities of texture and flavour, among the many facets of cooking.

One of the highest trending ingredients in the market today is flavoured cooking oil. In North India for example, soybean oil and mustard oil is prevalent, whereas in the south, people prefer to cook with coconut oil.

Recently however, the market for vegetable edible oils has expanded. The demand for new flavours like groundnut, sesame, rice bran and sunflower has increased. The culinary oil associations facilitate about a 10% development in business, per annum. The oil industry in India is a substantial industry and the diverse business sector has a distinctive value.

With the rise in demand for new flavours that may or may not be easily available in India, recently there has been quite a hike in the import duty of certain edible oils. This is why brands closer to home take pride in the consistent quality of their products and are seen in the marketplace as responsible corporates, taking food safety, health and hygiene to the commercial kitchens and bakeries. In the current scenario, a compromise on quality is out of the question.

Home cooks and chefs alike are now concerned with all aspects of their ingredients. There is a greater level of awareness among consumers not only about cooking bases but also regarding more new ingredients that they hadn't even heard of in the past.

This sudden surge of interest in the culinary universe has proved to be a boon for the edible oil industry and has made it possible for them to deliver better and innovative products. The idea is simple - if you're trying to sell a product to someone who wouldn't know what to do with it, it's likely that the sale will fall through. But now that people want things that may be a little out of their physical reach, it makes it easier for Indian oil manufacturers to delve into newer markets. Vegetable oil, for instance, has become a large industry but only a handful of leading companies have been able to make a mark in this space. So while cooks and chefs experiment in the kitchen, oil manufacturers are investing the best R&D resources in their own business experiments.

In terms of food safety and reliability, The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified their proposed standards on trans-fats in Vanaspati/Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (PHVO) saying that the manufacturers need to make items with under 10% trans. Additionally, every one of the makers ought to specify the trans content of their product on the labels.

Chefs and food enthusiasts continue to be engaged and have a lot to look forward to in terms of innovative contributions to their own kitchens by edible oil companies such as Kamani Oils - the first organisation to have sustenance well-being affirmation and also the first to manufacture a range of fats and other products for the dessert industry. With the rate at which companies are growing, particularly Kamani Oils, it seems like the edible oil industry is in a good place at the moment with all its bases covered.

Vegetable Oil: 'Sustainable palm oil is not a Premium issue, it's a Survival issue'

In India, much remains to be done to transform the palm oil market to a more sustainable footing. However, some businesses are leading the way - committing to positive change and setting a benchmark for others to follow. Among those is Galaxy Surfactants, a global leader in supplying a wide range of products to some of the world's most famous FMCG brands

Palm oil is a vegetable oil used all over the world for cooking, in foods and everyday products like cosmetics, shampoos, and detergents. Typically grown in tropical areas, palm oil is a 'wonder crop' with a long life-span and high yields, requiring less inputs than many other oilseeds. Its production also brings considerable social benefits and contributes to the economic development of producer countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Palm oil plays a vital role in India's food industry. The country is its largest importer, capturing over 20 per cent of the global supply.

In recent times, a number of stakeholders have sought to find a balance between the economic benefits and environmental and social cost of clearing tropical rainforest to make way for palm oil cultivation. At the forefront of this effort has been the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil - a coalition of business and civil society that has established principles and guidelines for the cultivation and trade of sustainable palm oil. Over 20% of all palm oil production is now certified under RSPO's standards and in many European markets it is considered the minimum requirement for consumers.

Galaxy Surfactants attained certification under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2014, making it one of the first companies in India to achieve this standard. Today, Galaxy has certified manufacturing plants and can now supply RSPOapproved Mass Balance Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) to any of its global customers.

The RSPO mass balance system allows for mixing of RSPO certified palm oil and other palm oil at any stage in the supply chain provided that overall company quantities of each are known and the volume of non certified palm oil does not exceed the volume of certified sustainable palm oil. The model allows flexibility in situations where precise traceability of certified palm oil through a segregated supply chain may not be possible, whilst still allowing companies the ability to achieve more responsible sourcing practices.

Galaxy's move is a significant milestone in the Indian market, reflecting similar developments by companies in overseas markets and a general trend of increasing certification in the Indian market. Two years ago, just one company had RSPO certification in India - now there are nine.

Progressive Grocer spoke with Galaxy's Chief of Operations K Natarajan and MS Sriganesh, the company's Head of Sourcing, to understand the reasons, challenges and opportunities behind this investment in sustainability.

What made you switch to sustainable palm oil with an international standard like RSPO?

K Natarajan: Sustainability is a critical pillar of our strategy. As a business we are part of a global supply chain reaching out to thousands of customers in more than 100 countries. Environment and sustainability are societal issues which impact every one of us and as a responsible participant in the palm value chain, we are clear that we need to be part of the solution. We got initiated into the RSPO through our global customers and considering that it was a multi-stakeholder forum working to address the concern areas, we joined as a member. Over the years our understanding of the subject has improved and as a result we have a committed roadmap to meet the 2020 targets.

Where is this demand coming from? Is it driven by India's consumption or global demand?

MS Sriganesh: Demand for certification is coming from global customers who are leading this initiative in our industry. However, we believe that the trickle-down effect to regional and local customers will happen with a lag. As a vendor to all of them, our agenda is to be ahead of the curve in this journey, keep communicating with our customers on the developments and look to have a larger base of customers as this is a differentiated capability we have vs. our competitor.

Are customers asking for Mass Balance or Segregated RSPO certified sustainable palm oil?

KN: Currently, we are seeing traction emerging in Mass Balance and are already selling Mass Balance surfactants as there is a wide availability of MB-based oleo chemicals at reasonable premiums. Segregated base raw material availability is still limited and the premiums quoted are high, holding back the buyers from trying. We see this as part of the evolution and with more plantations getting certified, easier availability of segregated palm oil will emerge and push down the premiums to levels comfortable for customers to adopt.

What is your customer base like? Is there an emerging demand beyond MNC customers?

KN: We connect with customers all over the globe in more than 100 countries, which is a mix of global, regional and local players. The current traction is largely from global MNC customers who have the advantage of better understanding on this and are driving their own traceability initiatives. Across developed geographies we see even smaller customers speaking of certified materials. At the regional and local level the awareness is low. As the information starts to trickle down, considering the nature of the personal and home care industry, we see other customers also making a shift.

What were the challenges faced during and before the certification process and how long did it take to get certified?

KN: Understanding the process of certification was a challenge initially due to us being located in India and there were no references for us to work with. It required a considerable amount of time and effort to understand the system, for which we travelled to Malaysia, met up with companies leading this front, understood the process and then created our own. As a result our first certification took two years.

Based on this learning our second certification took just three months and the third round of certification just a week. This is why we feel it's important for all early adopters like Galaxy to to create awareness and educate the market. Using industry platforms to share the learning and getting experts to speak on the subject will facilitate customers to understand the relevance and support the same.

If we look at the edible oil industry in India, the largest segment of which is palm oil, the problem of demand for sustainability lies in the nature of the market. Unless there is demand from consumers or government and policy level intervention on certifications, sustainability in edible oil industry is difficult. If big players like China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia come to a consensus on sustainable palm oil, change can happen in edible oil sustainability.

What were the required changes in terms of governance at the organisational level to get RSPO certification? How was it played out in terms of the process?

MSS: We became an RSPO member in 2012. The process involved assessing our value chain in a detailed manner and engaging with suppliers. Our first plant was certified in 2014. This required a top-down approach with cross-functional team sourcing from our manufacturing, quality and IT. We attended trainings with David Ogg & Partners (an RSPO-endorsed Auditor and Trainer) for a deeper understanding of the process, spoke to core players in the segment and started our auditing process. We have come a long way over the last couple of years and now have a 2020 target to attain complete traceability.

What was the financial side of this?

KN: Our plan for certification is part of our committed journey of being prepared ahead of what our customers are seeking from us. While the costs are getting incurred now when adoption rates are low, we believe that business will follow with a lag.

What was the reception to RSPO certification from the industry in terms of impact, inquiries, clients etc.?

MSS: Since we were one of the first companies in our industry to get a certification with this scope, curiosity was the first response from our customers. In terms of impact we see positive responses from global customers who understand the relevance and context. We're also aware that certification is one aspect of our customers' agenda - many global customers have their own system of traceability. If we can help with this as well, then we are well positioned in the market.

Based on your experience, what are the key lessons you can share with other companies to adopt sustainability practices?

KN: There is inadequate understanding of sustainable practices and companies tend to have a skewed view, which is increasing costs. The management of every company in this value chain needs to understand the fact that it is now an industry survival issue and not participating has the potential to impact the future.

Certified palm oil actually enhances long term supply. Through joint initiatives, there can be many solutions for companies to gradually move towards responsible production and sourcing of sustainable palm oil, and the cost is actually manageable, particularly if more companies sign on and volumes increase.

At the origin level, jurisdictional approaches to certification of palm oil production are an interesting development. Using location and point-of-origin to improve traceability based on the knowledge that large production areas have been certified will remove cost barriers to sustainability. Satellite mapping of high priority hotspots of deforestation and a separate production and sourcing plan for those areas would also help to remove supply chain risks for companies.

How have you externalised RSPO and communicated it to your stakeholders?

MSS: We believe in the power of industry collaborations to share knowledge and practical expertise. Galaxy, as a first mover, will help design solutions and give required guidance for similar companies in India. We will continue to engage different stakeholders and all parties along the value chain to promote sustainable palm oil. Now with RSPO looking to reestablish itself in India, we are confident that the way forward is positive.

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Edible Oil: Choose the right oils and fats for delivering both Taste and Health

Vegetable oils and fats have always been an integral part of any Indian diet. Oils and fats are used in foods for several reasons. Primarily, it is the major source of energy and a carrier of essential nutrients, which are vital for growth and metabolism. They also have a strong influence on the palatability and consumer acceptance of finished products. Consumer preferences keep changing and they are demanding healthier, albeit tasty foods. Health and wellness is expected to be the key trend in influencing this demand.

Why do you need oils & fats 

Oils and fats play a vital role in nutrition. They also play an important role in food preparation by enhancing food flavour, adding to the mouth-feel, making baked products crispier, and for conducting heat during cooking. Besides, they also:

* Provide energy: Oils/Fats are the most efficient source of food energy. Each gram of fat provides nine calories of energy for the body, compared to four calories per gram of carbohydrates and proteins.

* Protect our brain cells: Oils/Fats provide the structural components of cell membranes in the brain.

* Help the body use vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the fat in foods helps the body to absorb these vitamins into the body.

* Make hormones: Fats are structural components of some of the most important substances in the body, including prostaglandins, hormonelike substances that regulate many of the body's functions.

* Provide healthier skin: In addition to giving skin its rounded appeal, the layer of fat just beneath the skin (called subcutaneous fat) acts as the body's own insulation to help regulate body temperature.

* Protective cushion for your organs: Many of the vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines are cushioned by fat that helps protect them from injury and hold them in place.

* Provide essential fatty acids: These fatty acids are "essential" because our body is not able to synthesise them. These include omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to lowering triglyceride levels.

Choose your oils and fats smartly

Th ough excess of fat is considered to be the culprit for many lifestyle diseases, the right quality and quantity of fat is required for the normal functioning of body. A diet very low or high in fat may not be optimal for good health. It is very important to choose the correct type of fat. Emphasis should be laid on the quality of fat rather than quantity.

People who try to eliminate fat from their diet tend to substitute it with carbohydrates and end up eating high-carb foods. These carbs eventually get converted to fat and gets stored in the body, leading to obesity, which, in turn, is responsible for many other diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

To further simplify this fat story and help you make wise choices, there are three basic types of fats that you first need to understand: monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) and saturated fats (SAFAs). MUFAs and PUFAs are good fats; TRANS and to some extent SAFAs are bad fats. In general terms, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats tend to lower your risk of heart disease. They are the healthier fats, and they should be included in your diet. Saturated and trans fats are unhealthy fats because they tend to raise your risk of heart disease.

Mantra for the industry

It should be the endeavour of edible oil manufacturers to serve the needs of customers without compromising on either taste and health. We should provide holistic solutions, keeping affordability and sustainability in mind along with food safety and security. In order to cater to the ever-changing needs of modern consumers and to promote healthy eating habits, we, at Kamani Oil Industries Pvt. Ltd., have established ourselves as pioneers in developing trans-free products for the food industry. Ninety-nine per cent of our products are used in bakery, confectionary, frozen desserts, dairy, nutritional and culinary food segments. We are India's first company to manufacture and market a wide range of trans-fat free Bakery Shortenings, Bakery Margarines, and various specialty fats for the food processing industry to facilitate production of healthier and nutritive products.

Selecting the right bakery fat

After a lot of experimentation and research, we are proud to introduce in the bakery segment - K-Lite, Puffl ite and Cakelite, which satisfies the requirements of the bakers and can be used for the whole range of bakery products. K-Lite is a multi-purpose trans-free bakery shortening - a single fat does multiple applications (cookies, cream and cakes), hence there is convenience and better inventory control. There is an overall cost saving in terms of manpower usage and utilities consumption. Pufflite is a trans-free bakery shortening ideally suited for puff products and it meets the requirement of the baker both towards its functional performance, taste and health. Cakelite is also a trans-fat free margarine ideally suited for spongy and fluff y cakes. It has a very good air holding ability during batter making and with an ideal emulsifier blend it yields cakes with an excellent mouth-feel and texture. We also offer a wide range of fats for various bakery applications like biscuits, rusks, croissants, cookies, etc.

Selecting the right culinary oil

There are many options when it comes to selecting oils and fats for cooking. It is not just choosing oils which are healthy, but whether they stay healthy even after cooking or frying in it. At the time of cooking or frying, the temperature of the oil is high (~160-180 deg C), hence oils should be selected in such a way that they remain stable and do not go rancid or get oxidised. When the oil gets oxidised, free radicals are formed that are detrimental to the stability of the oil and in the long run it would be detrimental to health as well. MUFA oils are resistant to oxidation but PUFA oils have low resistance and can be avoided for frying applications where the oil is continuously heated at high temperatures. All MUFA based oils like Groundnut, Canola, Olive, Rice bran are generally preferred for cooking purpose over PUFA based oils like Sunflower, Safflower, and Soyabean.

Selecting trans-fat free culinary oils

Klassic Refined Groundnut oil: Klassic Refined Groundnut oil is an excellent cooking and frying medium. It gives you the advantage of health and nutrition since it is high in MUFA, which helps to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and maintains good cholesterol (HDL)(2). It is also very close to the WHO recommended ratio of SAFA:MUFA:PUFA. Klassic, being MUFA oil, has a better shelf life; it does not leave any greasy residue in the utensils used for cooking whereas PUFA-based oils leave a greasy residue in the utensils.

Kamani Oil Industries, after a lot of experimentation and research, has developed a specialty culinary oil - Foodlite - which is a chef 's delight and has been designed keeping in mind the needs of the customer. It offers health, taste and user-friendliness. Foodlite belongs to a special faction of palm oil. It is manufactured and packed under good hygienic conditions. It is double deodorised and hence absolutely bland in flavour and taste. Foodlite, with a high smoke point (> 235 deg C) and hence does not smoke at frying temperatures which is generally between 160-180 deg C. Foodlite being low in PUFA does not impart any greasiness to the frying or cooking vessel and helps keep the kitchen clean.

Komal Refined Sunflower oil: Komal Sunflower oil is the most preferred oil for general purpose cooking. It is high in PUFA, which is a good source of essential fatty acid called linoleic acid and is essential for good health. They cannot be synthesised by the body and need to be taken from an external source. We recently launched Flax- Omega - a refined flaxseed oil. The oil is unique because it contains both essential fatty acids: alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an Omega -6 fatty acid, in appreciable amounts. Flaxseed oil is the world's richest source of vegetarian Omega-3 Fatty acid (ALA). Apart from reducing cholesterol and for weight management, it is also essential for brain and retina development of foetus during pregnancy. Being Omega-3 (ALA) rich, Flax-Omega is very sensitive to heat, light, and air and hence should be kept away from these and should never be heated.

Selecting confectionery and frozen dessert fats

We are India's first company to establish a whole range of cocoa butter substitutes, cocoa butter replacers and related specialty oils and fats for confectionery. The largest single users of specialty fats are the chocolate and confectionery industries where several factors like meltdown in the mouth, flavour release, etc., are extremely critical and are usually compared with the industry's standard of excellence - cocoa butter. We have specialty fats being used in the icecream and frozen dessert industry. These vegetable fats are dairy fat replacers. Globally, dairy fat is replaced by vegetable fats in many of the food products because of the high nutritional value it delivers.

As a true business partner for industries like bakery, chocolate and confectionery, etc., we have been able to closely work with our customers towards providing creative and innovative solutions, formulating tailor-made products and be globally competitive.

A diet sans trans for a healthier and happier tomorrow

Trans-fats, formed by the process called hydrogenation, are found in bakery products like cakes, biscuits and some snack foods made in hydrogenated oils called Vanaspati. Transfats are also present naturally in meats and some dairy products. In India, the issue of trans-fat is not a big threat and it is not as severe as the Western countries. This is mainly due to the very low per capita consumption of oils and fats in India compared to the Western countries and also because eating habits are very different here. Trans-fats may directly affect the blood cholesterol levels by increasing the LDL level, which is the bad cholesterol and decreasing the good cholesterol, i.e. the HDL, thus leading to cardiovascular disease.

Globally, there has been a trend to produce trans-free/ low trans-containing food products. The American Heart Association and the World health Organization recommend limiting the amount of trans-fats intake to less than one per cent of total daily calories (fat intake should be 20-30% of the total energy). The Food Safety Standards Act of India (FSSAI) has put a limit of 10% maximum for trans-fats in Vanaspati, Bakery Shortening and Margarine. It is now mandatory to declare the content of trans-fats and saturated fats on the labels of packaged foods along with other nutritional information.

In conclusion, selecting the right types of fats and oils can not only change the flavour profile of your meal, but can also make a difference to your health. To lead a healthy and fulfilling life, it is best to cut down trans-fat and saturated fat intake, switch to healthier options, have a balanced diet and supplement it with regular fitness exercises.