VKS

VKS is a label we carry for pure sesame oil, the gingelly oil that Tamil, Telugu and Sri Lankan Tamil cooks treat as their main cooking fat. The brand is on our shelf in the large-format container, which tells you who it is for: families who fry and temper with sesame oil daily, and caterers who get through it fast.

Our VKS line sits in the gingelly (sesame) oil collection, part of oils and ghee. Because it is the bulk size, it pairs well with a smaller kitchen bottle that you refill as you go, so the main stock stays sealed and fresh.

In Tamil Nadu it is the oil for puli kuzhambu, vatha kuzhambu and ellu sadam, and for frying murukku and seedai for Krishna Jayanthi. Sri Lankan Tamil cooks use it for tempering dhal curry and for frying vadai, and Andhra cooks rely on it for gongura and avakaya pickles, where a thick layer of oil protects the fruit for months. A drizzle over hot rice with podi is a meal in itself on a busy night.

Store the large container in a cool, dark place with the cap tight, and decant a week or two of oil at a time into a clean bottle by the stove. If the oil smells sharp or paint-like, it has gone rancid and should not be used. To compare sesame oils, browse the Uzhavan shelf and our groundnut oil collection.