When Marketing Replaces Food Wisdom

The world is guided by — Marketing. Appearance is often valued over substance, aided by ignorance. As the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold.

A customer once called the store to complain that there was oil visible on the malai kofta. They said they didn’t want oil and asked for a thick gravy instead. On the surface, it sounded like a simple preference. In the kitchen, however, the pot told a different story. The koftas were tender, the gravy had finished cooking properly, and a light sheen of oil had risen naturally to the top—exactly as intended.

That oil wasn’t added at the end, and it wasn’t excess. It was simply no longer trapped. In Punjabi cooking, gravies are not thickened with flour, starches, gums, or emulsifiers. There are no artificial thickeners involved. Thickness comes from process, not shortcuts. Onions are sautéed slowly—not fried—until their rawness disappears. Tomatoes are cooked down until their water evaporates. Spices are added with patience, not haste. As moisture reduces and flavour concentrates, the oil separates naturally.

That separation is not a flaw.

Oil on top simply means the preparation is not emulsified. Nothing more. You could weigh the oil and the gravy together if you wished, and you would find that the ratio of oil to sauce is insignificant. The quantity of oil hasn’t changed—only its visibility. If the same oil were blended back in and emulsified, the gravy would appear somehow “healthier.” Nutritionally, nothing would be different. Only perception would change and the process of cooking would change too.

Visible oil is judged. Invisible oil is forgiven. That isn’t a judgement based on facts.

That is fashionable ignorance.

Understand your food.
Understand your body.
Understand life.