Uzhavan

Uzhavan takes its name from the Tamil word for a farmer or ploughman, and its range draws on the traditional ingredients of Tamil farming country. The line we carry is gingelly oil, known in Tamil as nallennai, which simply means good oil, and still the everyday cooking oil across much of Tamil Nadu.

Uzhavan sits in our gingelly (sesame) oil collection, part of oils and ghee. Gingelly oil is pressed from sesame seeds and is lighter and more golden than the toasted sesame oil used in Chinese and Korean cooking, so it can be used for frying and tempering, not just for drizzling at the end.

A spoonful of gingelly oil starts most Chettinad and Madurai kuzhambus, crackling mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves before the tamarind goes in. It is mixed into idli milagai podi at the table, poured over vatha kuzhambu, and used in mango and lime pickles, where it keeps the surface sealed. Many families also prefer it for frying vadai and appalam for its gentle sesame flavour.

Keep gingelly oil tightly capped and away from heat and light, since sesame oils can turn rancid if left open by the stove. Buy a size you will use within a few months. For comparison, see our groundnut oil and coconut oil collections, or the Idhayam shelf.