03 November 2026 · Ehtesham Safeer
Kachi Ghani vs Refined Oil: What's the Difference?
Walk down the oil aisle in any Pakistani store and you'll see two very different kinds of cooking oil: clear, pale, almost odourless refined oils, and golden, sharp-smelling kachi ghani oils like sarson ka tel. They can both go in the same karahi, but they are made in completely different ways. Here's what the difference actually is.
What does "kachi ghani" mean?
Ghani is the traditional oil press, and kachi means raw or unheated. Kachi ghani oil is pressed mechanically from the seed, without chemical solvents and without heavy refining. After pressing, the oil is left to settle and then filtered. That's it. What comes out of the seed is what goes into the bottle.
Because nothing is stripped out, kachi ghani mustard oil keeps its natural golden colour, its strong aroma and the sharp, nutty bite that makes dishes like sarson ka saag and achar taste the way they should.
How is refined oil made?
Most refined oils go through an industrial process designed to get the maximum amount of oil out of the seed and make it neutral in taste and colour. This typically involves:
- Solvent extraction: a chemical solvent (usually hexane) is used to pull the remaining oil from the seed.
- Degumming and neutralising: to remove gums and free fatty acids.
- Bleaching: to remove colour.
- Deodorising: high-temperature steam treatment to remove smell and taste.
The result is a consistent, cheap, neutral oil with a long shelf life. The trade-off is that much of the seed's natural character, and some of its naturally occurring compounds, are removed along the way.
Kachi ghani vs refined oil at a glance
| Kachi ghani oil | Refined oil | |
|---|---|---|
| Extraction | Mechanical pressing | Usually chemical solvent extraction |
| Processing | Settled and filtered | Degummed, bleached, deodorised |
| Colour | Natural golden | Pale, almost clear |
| Aroma and taste | Strong, characteristic of the seed | Neutral |
| Ingredients | One: the seed oil | Often blends of several oils |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
Which one should you cook with?
It depends on what you want from your oil. If you want a neutral oil that disappears into a dish, refined oil does that job. If you want an oil that adds flavour and you prefer knowing exactly what is in your bottle, kachi ghani is the more traditional choice.
Many Pakistani families use kachi ghani sarson ka tel for the dishes where its flavour matters most: tadka, saag, fish, achar and slow-cooked salans. A useful tip: heat mustard oil briefly until it just starts to smoke, then lower the flame before adding your spices. This mellows the sharpness and brings out its flavour.
Whatever you choose, use cooking oil in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
How to tell if your oil is really kachi ghani
- Read the label: it should say kachi ghani or cold pressed, and list only one ingredient.
- Check the colour and smell: real mustard oil is golden and has an unmistakable sharp aroma.
- Be wary of very low prices: pressing without solvents gives less oil per kilo of seed, so genuine kachi ghani costs more to make.
- Buy sealed bottles from a brand that tells you where and how the oil is made.
Try Al Tabi'ah kachi ghani sarson ka tel
Our mustard oil is pressed from mustard seed in Jand, District Attock, then settled, filtered and sealed in 1 litre bottles. One ingredient, nothing blended. See how we make it, or order a bottle with Cash on Delivery anywhere in Pakistan.