Ghee, Butter or Oil? Which to Use When in Indian Cooking
By Thaaro Foods · 8 October 2026
Ghee, butter and oil behave very differently in a hot pan. A simple guide to which fat to reach for, dish by dish.
Most Indian kitchens keep at least three fats: ghee, a cooking oil and a slab of butter. Each has a job it does best.
Ghee
Ghee is butter with the water and milk solids cooked away. Because the solids are gone, it can be heated much more than butter without burning, and it keeps for months.
- Best for: tadka for dal, rotis and parathas, khichdi and rice, halwa, ladoo and most Indian sweets, and pooja.
- Flavour: nutty and rich; buffalo ghee is fuller, cow ghee lighter.
Butter
Butter still contains water and milk solids, which brown and burn quickly over high heat.
- Best for: spreading, finishing dishes like pav bhaji or dal makhani, and baking cakes and cookies.
- Avoid: long frying or high-heat tadka; use ghee instead.
Mustard oil
Pungent and golden, kachi ghani mustard oil is the backbone of North and East Indian cooking.
- Best for: pickles, sabzi, saag, fish and marinades for tikka.
- Tip: heat it until it just smokes, then cool slightly before adding spices. More in our mustard oil guide.
Neutral oils
Groundnut, sunflower and similar oils have little taste of their own.
- Best for: deep-frying in large quantities, and dishes where you do not want any fat to stand out.
A quick guide
- Dal tadka: ghee, or mustard oil for a sharper taste
- Rotis and parathas: ghee
- Pickles: mustard oil
- Halwa and ladoo: ghee
- Cakes: butter
- Pakoras in bulk: a neutral oil, or ghee for festive batches
Shop A2 cow ghee, buffalo ghee and kachi ghani mustard oil.
Questions
Can I use ghee instead of butter?
In most Indian cooking, yes. For baking, butter’s water content matters, so recipes may need adjusting.
Is ghee good for frying?
Yes. With its milk solids removed, ghee handles high heat far better than butter does.