Mustard oil is pungent in a way no other cooking oil is. Sharp, almost sinus-clearing when it first hits the pan, and completely essential to Bengali, Bihari and Kashmiri cooking.

Heat it until it just starts to smoke, then let it cool slightly. That step tames the raw bite, and it is why experienced cooks never skip it.

Use it for fish curry, for Bengali vegetable dishes, in pickles where it works as a preservative, and for the sarson ka saag it was practically invented for.

Available at Curry Corner in North Melbourne.