Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Oils & fats · Cooking oils

Gingelly oil (untoasted sesame oil)

Pale, untoasted sesame oil (nallennai) used for cooking, tempering and pickles across South India.

Also called: gingelly oil, nallennai, til oil, til ka tel, nuvvula nune, ellenne, untoasted sesame oil, cold-pressed sesame oil, indian sesame oil

Around the world: நல்லெண்ணெய் (ta) · నువ్వుల నూనె (te) · तिल का तेल (hi)

A kind of cooking oil

11 recipes with it

What it is

Oil pressed from raw (untoasted) sesame seeds, traditionally in a wooden ghani press. It is light golden with a mild, nutty aroma, very different from the dark, strongly flavoured toasted sesame oil of East Asian cooking. Tamil and Telugu cooks use it for tempering, for pickles and podis, and to pour over idli podi and rice.

Oil of Sesamum indicum (untoasted)

How it’s used

  • Tempering chutneys, sambar and kuzhambu
  • Long-keeping pickles such as avakaya and thokku
  • Mixed with idli podi or paruppu podi at the table
  • Sautéing vegetables for poriyal and thogayal

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, gently nutty and slightly sweet.
Aroma
Light sesame aroma, much less intense than toasted sesame oil.
When cooked
Fairly stable when heated and slow to turn rancid, which is why it is favoured for pickles.
Sold as
liquid
Cooking uses
Suitable for frying, Used for tempering (tadka), Commonly cooked, Usually eaten raw

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Keep tightly closed away from light and heat; it keeps 6–12 months.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Sesame.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains sesame, a major allergen.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
884 kcal
Protein
0 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
100 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Oil, sesame, salad or cooking.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Peanut oil — A good neutral substitute for cooking and tempering.
  • Toasted sesame oil — Use no more than a quarter of the amount, topped up with neutral oil; toasted sesame oil is very strong.

Related ingredients

Recipes with gingelly oil (untoasted sesame oil)

More cooking oils