Groundnut oil is one of the most widely used cooking oils in Indian kitchens — but most households don’t realise that the version they’re buying from the supermarket and the traditional cold-pressed version are almost completely different products.
What Is Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil?
Cold pressed groundnut oil is extracted from peanuts using a slow mechanical press, without applying heat or chemical solvents. The pressing temperature stays below 40°C, which is important because heat destroys many of the nutrients and flavor compounds naturally present in groundnuts.
Refined groundnut oil, by contrast, is extracted with high heat and chemical solvents, then bleached and deodorized — a process that extends shelf life but strips away much of what made the original groundnut valuable.
Key Benefits of Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil
Natural Vitamin E — Groundnuts are naturally rich in Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. Cold pressing preserves this; refining largely destroys it.
Heart-Friendly Fats — Cold pressed groundnut oil has a healthy balance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, similar to olive oil. These fats support good cholesterol levels when consumed as part of a balanced diet.
No Chemical Residues — Refined oil extraction uses solvents like hexane, which can leave trace residues. Cold pressed skips this entirely.
Rich, Authentic Flavor — Cold pressed groundnut oil has a natural, mild nuttiness that adds character to food. Refined groundnut oil is intentionally flavorless.
Stable for Cooking — With a smoke point around 160°C, cold pressed groundnut oil handles everyday sautéing, tempering, and medium-heat cooking comfortably.
How to Use Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil in Your Kitchen
It’s one of the most versatile oils you can keep on hand. Use it for daily tadka and tempering — the mild nuttiness complements most Indian spices without overpowering them. It works well for shallow frying, stir-fries, and vegetable dishes. Some people also use it raw, drizzled over salads or chapati dough, where the natural flavor comes through most clearly.
For very high-heat deep frying, any unrefined oil has a lower smoke point than its refined counterpart — so if you’re deep frying regularly at very high temperatures, keep that in mind.
How to Identify Genuine Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil
Look for these on the label: single ingredient (groundnuts only), extraction method stated as “cold pressed” or “wood pressed” or “ghani pressed,” no mention of “refined,” “bleached,” or “deodorized,” and a natural golden color rather than a perfectly clear appearance.
Genuine cold pressed groundnut oil often looks slightly deeper in color and has a faint, pleasant nuttiness when you smell it — unlike refined oil, which is designed to have no smell at all.
Why Kadiri Groundnuts?
Not all groundnuts are the same. Kadiri, in Andhra Pradesh, is known for producing some of India’s highest-quality groundnuts — prized for their oil content, flavor, and size. Sourcing from Kadiri specifically means starting with better raw material, which makes a meaningful difference in the final oil.
At Sunsa Organics, our cold pressed groundnut oil is made from Kadiri groundnuts, pressed in small batches, with no additives or preservatives. The result is an oil that tastes like groundnuts actually taste — which, once you’ve tried it, makes going back to refined oil difficult.
Freshly pressed, honestly made.