Can Olive oils be used for Indian cooking?

I was a little skeptical about whether olive oil can be used for Indian cooking especially when it comes to frying puris and tossing the tadka. But I was amazed when I was invited on Saturday  at a friend’s place for a six-course dinner, which had everything starting from stuffed bhindi, mutton rassalla, mustard fish, biriyani, tandoori chicken and sinful hot gulab jamuns with ice-cream. All the dishes were cooked in olive oil.

My friend had to say that she has switched over to olive oil three years back and the food tastes very authentic too. I got the shock of my life when she said that she even fries pakodas in olive oil. Now I understand why she has such an awesome figure even after having two kids. She said that she does not see it as a challenge for Indian cooking. Frying in olive oil keeps the properties of the food intact by forming a crust on the outside which stops it from absorbing the fat and preventing the loss of nutrients.

With India leading the diabetes and heart attack statistics and people suffering from hypertension having good fat makes sense. Nutritionist, Samridhi Sharma says, “Olive oil enriched diets help in internal cleansing, fighting cancer and diabetes by increasing the sensitivity of insulin and decreasing blood sugar levels. Olive oil also prevents aging." But there are certain things to be remembered while using olive oil and that is do not use olive oil beyond 180 degree centigrade. Do not blend olive oil with any other vegetable oils. The shelf life of olive oil depends on how you store it. Store it in a cool dry place away from strong light. So, do you want one more helping of mustard fish please?