There are some ingredients that can never be replaced in the Indian kitchen as not only they are essential in creating various regional delicacies, their uses are manifold and extend beyond the confines of the kitchen. One such example is mustard oil. While it does take some “getting used to” to familiarise yourself with the pungency, get past it and you will soon learn to appreciate its unique flavour.

In Eastern and North Eastern India, it is hard to imagine life without a bottle of mustard oil at home. It is believed to have miraculous properties, and therefore is used as a remedy to treat cold, boost immunity, encourage hair growth, provide nourishment to skin (especially in case of babies who are massaged with mustard oil during winters and made to sunbathe for a dose of Vitamin A & D and also to strengthen the bones), oral health, so on and so forth.