Coconut Oil vs Mustard Oil vs Ghee  Which Asian Cooking Oil Is Right for You?

Indian and South Asian cooking uses a range of fats that are almost entirely absent from the standard Irish kitchen. Kerrygold butter, sunflower oil, and olive oil cover most of what Irish home cooks reach for. But they do not cover what a South Indian fish curry needs, or what a Bengali mustard-tempered dal requires, or what a proper biryani demands to achieve its signature richness.

ghee, mustard oil, and coconut oil Ireland are the three fat pillars of different regional Indian cooking traditions. Each comes from a completely different source, has a completely different flavour profile, and performs completely differently in the pan. Understanding which to use and when is one of the most impactful upgrades you can make to your Indian cooking at home in Ireland.

The Quick Answer

Property	Ghee	Mustard Oil	Coconut Oil
Source	Clarified cow butter	Pressed mustard seeds	Cold or hot pressed coconut
Smoke Point	Approx. 250 degrees C	Approx. 250 degrees C	Approx. 175 to 230 degrees C
Flavour	Nutty, rich, caramelised	Sharp, pungent, earthy	Mild, sweet, tropical
Cuisine Region	Pan-Indian, North India especially	Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Punjab	South India, Kerala, Sri Lanka
Best Uses	Tarka, biryani, chapati, dal	Fish curry, sarson da saag, pickling	Coconut curry, stir-fry, Kerala fish
Raw use	Yes (on bread, in coffee)	Best cooked (raw is very pungent)	Yes (smoothies, baking)
Lactose-free	Yes (milk solids removed)	Yes	Yes
Vegan	No (animal product)	Yes	Yes
Shelf life	12 months at room temp	6 to 12 months sealed	12 to 24 months sealed

Ghee in Detail

Ghee is clarified butter: regular butter heated until the water evaporates and the milk solids are removed, leaving pure golden butterfat. With a smoke point of approximately 250 degrees Celsius, it handles high heat better than regular butter and most refined vegetable oils. The clarification process gives ghee a nutty, slightly caramelised flavour that adds depth to everything it touches.

In North Indian cooking, ghee is the finishing fat. Dal is ladled into bowls and a spoonful of ghee melts on top. Biryani is layered with ghee between the rice and meat. Chapati comes off the tava and is immediately brushed with ghee. Tarka (the hot-fat tempering of whole spices) is done in ghee for maximum spice bloom. It is irreplaceable in these applications.

• Best for: tarka, finishing dal, biryani, chapati, halwa, ladoo
• Use temperature: medium to very high heat
• Can replace butter: yes, in most savoury applications
• Available at Asian House: yes, in the Oil and Ghee section

Mustard Oil in Detail

Cold-pressed from black, brown, or white mustard seeds, mustard oil is the defining cooking fat of Bengali, Odishan, and Bihari cuisines and is also widely used in Punjabi and Kashmiri cooking. The flavour is unmistakable: pungent, sharp, and earthy when raw, transforming into something softer and nuttier when heated.

The traditional method in Bengali cooking is to heat mustard oil to its smoke point (approximately 250 degrees Celsius) before adding any ingredients. This smoke-through step, called the smoking of oil, drives off the most aggressive volatile compounds and mellows the sharpness into a deep, warm earthiness that becomes the aromatic base of the dish. Skip this step and the oil remains too pungent. Do it correctly and the flavour becomes the soul of the curry.

Mustard oil is the only fat for authentic Bengali fish curry (machher jhol), the marinade for tandoor-grilled meats (where it penetrates deeply and flavours the meat from the inside), and sarson da saag (Punjabi mustard greens) where it harmonises naturally with the greens’ own bitterness.

• Best for: Bengali fish curry, sarson da saag, tandoori marinades, pickles, Bengali vegetable dishes
• Use temperature: always heat to the smoke point first before cooking
• Flavour profile: pungent raw, earthy and deep when cooked
• Available at Asian House: yes, in the Oil section

A note on mustard oil and European food regulations: mustard oil sold for cooking in Ireland and the EU is sometimes labelled for external or massage use only due to its erucic acid content. However, mustard oil for cooking is widely and legally consumed across South Asia. If purchasing for cooking, look for products from Indian or South Asian food brands stocked in specialist Asian grocery stores.

Coconut Oil Ireland in Detail

Extracted from the flesh of mature coconuts, coconut oil is the dominant cooking fat in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka. The flavour of virgin (cold-pressed) coconut oil is mild and pleasantly sweet with a tropical quality. Refined coconut oil has a much more neutral flavour. Both have a relatively high smoke point and work well for medium to high-heat cooking.

In South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, coconut oil is not an optional flavour addition: it is the fat that defines the cuisine. Kerala fish curry, avial (a mixed vegetable dish in coconut and yoghurt), Kerala-style chicken stew, stir-fried vegetables with mustard seeds and curry leaves: all of these use coconut oil as the starting fat and the result is a specific flavour profile that no substitute fully replicates.

Beyond South Indian cooking, coconut oil has become one of the most talked-about fats in the health and wellness community globally. Its medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are processed differently by the body than long-chain fatty acids and have been the subject of significant research interest. While the health science is still evolving, coconut oil’s practical cooking properties are well established.

• Best for: South Indian curry, Kerala fish dishes, Sri Lankan cooking, stir-fry, baking
• Use temperature: medium to high heat
• Flavour: mild and sweet (virgin), neutral (refined)
• Available at Asian House: yes, in the Oil section

Which Fat for Which Dish?

Dish	Ghee	Mustard Oil	Coconut Oil
Biryani	Best	Not traditional	Not traditional
Bengali fish curry	No	Best	Acceptable
Kerala fish curry	No	No	Best
Dal tadka	Best	Acceptable	Not traditional
Sarson da saag	Acceptable	Best	Not traditional
Chapati / paratha	Best	Not traditional	Not traditional
South Indian stir-fry	Acceptable	Not traditional	Best
Tandoori marinade	Acceptable	Best	Not traditional
Deep frying samosa	Acceptable	Acceptable	Good
Halwa and Indian sweets	Best	No	Not traditional

Using All Three Together

The most accomplished Indian home cooks do not choose between these fats: they use each for what it does best and keep all three in the kitchen. A Tamil cook in Dublin might use coconut oil for their sambar, ghee for the tadka that goes on top, and mustard oil for the pickle they make on weekends. Each fat serves a different role and the result of using the right one for the right dish is always better than using a generic substitute.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which oil is best for Indian cooking generally?

There is no single best oil for all Indian cooking because different regional traditions use different fats. For North Indian cooking, ghee is the traditional choice for finishing and tarka. For Bengali cooking, mustard oil is essential. For South Indian cooking, coconut oil is the authentic fat. For a general-purpose Indian cooking oil that suits most recipes, refined coconut oil or ghee are both strong choices.

Can I use coconut oil instead of ghee?

For most South Indian dishes: yes. For North Indian dishes where ghee is traditional (biryani, dal tadka, halwa): coconut oil is a reasonable substitute but the flavour will be different. Coconut oil does not add the same nutty, caramelised richness that ghee brings.

Where can I buy mustard oil and coconut oil in Dublin?

Asian House at 71 Belmayne Ave, Belmayne, Dublin 13 stocks mustard oil, coconut oil, and ghee in the Oil and Ghee section. Visit asianhouse.ie or call (01) 829 6460.

Shop Ghee, Mustard Oil, Coconut Oil and More at Asian House Dublin   asianhouse.ie

71 Belmayne Ave, Belmayne, Dublin 13, D13 W7PR   Phone: (01) 829 6460   Mobile: (089) 9660503

Click and Collect: 149 Phibsborough Rd, D07X033 (2pm to 9pm)   Delivery: 2pm to 10pm daily   asianhouse.ie@gmail.com