Vegetable cooking oil, olive oil and peanut oil

These days, there are so many kinds of cooking oil available in the market, it’s rather confusing which is best for what. Many people put a premium on “no-cholesterol” while others will still go for the one with the cheapest price. I’m not fussy about my cooking oil as long as it doesn’t smell stale and does not leave a funny smell or sensation in the mouth after recycling.

See, we don’t throw away cooking oil after one use, especially when used for deep-frying. We strain the oil and re-use it. So, it is imperative that we stick with good quality cooking oil.

I always keep three kinds of cooking oil. Vegetable oil is for general cooking and frying. Extra virgin olive oil is for salads and dips while regular olive oil is for cooking pasta sauces and stews. Peanut oil is for Chinese stir fries (although I use ordinary vegetable cooking oil for stir fries just as much) and for specialty sauces like the ginger-garlic dipping sauce that is a must with Hainanese chicken.

I also keep a bottle of extra virgin coconut oil whenever possible but it’s not something I’d consider essential. It’s good for cooking some dishes but I wouldn’t consider it something for general everyday cooking. My family is a huge fan of anything coconut but food cooked with extra virgin coconut oil is something I still have to learn much about.