Cold Pressed Coconut Oil (Thengai Ennai): Uses & Storage

Thengai ennai, or coconut oil, is the oil many South Indian homes reach for when a dish should taste of coconut. Avial, poriyal and coconut curries all carry its aroma. This guide explains how Chettyz cold pressed coconut oil is made in Dharmapuri, how to cook with it, why it turns solid on a cool morning, and how to store it.

What is cold pressed coconut oil?

It is coconut oil extracted only by mechanical pressing. Chettyz coconut oil is chekku, cold pressed oil: no chemical solvents are used to extract it, it is not refined, and nothing is added to it. The oil keeps the colour, taste and aroma of the coconut it came from.

Cold pressing avoids the high heat used in some other extraction methods. If you want to know more about the press itself, read What is chekku oil?

How does Chettyz make its coconut oil?

There are three simple steps, done at our farm and unit in Dharmapuri.

• Selected coconuts. Our coconut oil starts with carefully selected coconuts.
• Sun-drying. The coconut is dried in the sun. Dried coconut is called copra.
• Cold pressing. The copra is cold pressed for its natural taste and aroma.

The oil is prepared fresh and bottled in 500 ml, 1 litre and 5 litre packs.

Is this the same as virgin coconut oil?

No. Virgin coconut oil is made from fresh coconut. Chettyz coconut oil is cold pressed from dried coconut, or copra. This is the kind of coconut oil many Tamil and Kerala kitchens cook with, and it has a familiar coconut aroma.

What can I cook with thengai ennai?

Use it wherever you enjoy a coconut flavour. Some everyday ideas:

• Avial. Many cooks stir a spoon of raw coconut oil and a few curry leaves into avial right at the end, for aroma.
• Poriyal and thoran. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves in coconut oil, then add beans, cabbage or carrot with grated coconut.
• Kootu and coconut-based kuzhambu. It matches the coconut already in the masala.
• Thengai sadam (coconut rice). Use it for the tempering so the oil and the grated coconut taste of the same thing.
• Kerala-style curries. Fish curry, stew and kadala curry are traditionally cooked in coconut oil.

Coconut oil has a strong taste of its own. If you are new to it, start with a small amount in a dish you already know. For recipes that call for groundnut oil, such as most deep frying, use kadalai ennai instead. Our guide which oil for which Tamil dish has a full list.

Why has my coconut oil turned solid?

This is normal. Coconut oil naturally turns white and solid when the weather is cool, and melts back to a clear liquid when it is warm. It does not mean the oil has gone bad. To melt it, keep the closed bottle in a warm spot in the kitchen for a while, or stand it in a bowl of warm water. Never heat the bottle directly on the stove. If you live somewhere cool, a wide-mouthed jar makes it easier to scoop out.

How should I store coconut oil?

• Close the cap after every pour.
• Keep the bottle away from sunlight, moisture and stove heat.
• Use a clean, dry spoon if the oil is solid. Do not let water get into the bottle.
• If you refill a smaller kitchen container, wash and dry it fully first.

Because the oil is prepared fresh and nothing is added, buy a size you will use comfortably and check the best-before date on the pack.

Which bottle size should I choose?

A 500 ml bottle suits homes that use coconut oil now and then, for avial or a weekend Kerala curry. If coconut oil is your main cooking oil, the 1 litre or 5 litre pack is more convenient. To try it alongside groundnut and sesame oil, look at the kitchen combo.

Where can I buy Chettyz coconut oil?

Order it on chettyz.com or Amazon.in, or find it at departmental stores. On chettyz.com, shipping is free on orders above ₹499. Chettyz is a brand of Sasi's Home Foods, Dharmapuri, started in 2017 and chosen by 2,400+ happy customers. Read our story to learn more about the family behind it.

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