Mustard Oil Nutrition: Calories, Fats & What's Inside

Mustard oil is almost entirely fat, so its nutrition reads much like other cooking oils: roughly 884 kilocalories and close to 100 grams of fat per 100 grams, with essentially no carbohydrate, no protein and no cholesterol (as USDA FoodData Central lists for plant oils). What sets sarson ka tel apart is the kind of fat. It is naturally high in monounsaturated fat (MUFA), carries the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the omega-6 linoleic acid, and is low in saturated fat. It also has a high smoke point of around 250 C, which is why Indian kitchens reach for it for tadka, deep-frying and searing. Its trademark pungency comes from sulphur-containing compounds released when the seed is crushed. One thing worth knowing: traditional mustard oil is naturally high in erucic acid — the reason some countries restrict it — though in India it is a permitted, everyday edible oil regulated by FSSAI.

How many calories are in mustard oil?

Like all pure cooking oils, mustard oil is calorie-dense and it is all fat. USDA FoodData Central puts vegetable oils at roughly 884 kcal per 100 grams, with about 100 grams of fat and no carbohydrate or protein to speak of. In everyday kitchen measures that works out to roughly 120 kcal in one tablespoon and about 40 kcal in a teaspoon, because fat carries about 9 kcal per gram whatever the oil.

• Per 100 g: about 884 kcal, roughly 100 g fat
• Per 1 tablespoon (about 14 g): roughly 120-126 kcal
• Per 1 teaspoon (about 5 g): roughly 40-45 kcal
• Carbohydrate and protein: essentially zero

Wondering how mustard oil compares with ghee on calories? They are almost twins. Both are close to pure fat, so both land near 880-900 kcal per 100 g and about 120 kcal a tablespoon. The real difference is the type of fat, not the count: mustard oil is mostly unsaturated and has no cholesterol, while ghee is mostly saturated fat and, being an animal fat, does contain cholesterol. Neither is a low-calorie ingredient, so portion still matters.

What kind of fat is in mustard oil, saturated or unsaturated?

Mustard oil is predominantly unsaturated. It is naturally high in monounsaturated fat (MUFA), contains both the omega-3 ALA and the omega-6 linoleic acid (the polyunsaturated, essential fats), and is low in saturated fat. Like every plant oil, it carries no dietary cholesterol. This unsaturated-heavy profile is one reason many nutrition bodies, including Harvard's Nutrition Source, generally favour liquid plant oils over solid fats, though they judge any oil on its whole fatty-acid picture, and mustard oil's erucic acid is part of that conversation.

• Monounsaturated fat (MUFA): the largest share
• Omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 linoleic acid: the essential fats
• Saturated fat: low
• Erucic acid: naturally high (roughly 20-40%+), more on this below
• Cholesterol and carbohydrate: none

What about erucic acid in mustard oil?

Traditional mustard oil is naturally high in erucic acid, roughly 20-40% or more of its fat, and this is the one part of its composition that draws regulatory attention. Because of erucic acid, the U.S. FDA does not authorise mustard oil as a cooking oil for domestic sale; oil imported into the US must be labelled "For external use only" and is not recognised as a food (GRAS) oil there. The EU and Codex set limits on erucic acid in edible oils, and low-erucic ("double-zero" or canola-type) mustard varieties do exist. In India, though, mustard oil is a permitted, everyday edible oil regulated by FSSAI and a genuine culinary staple, so the "ban" you may read about is a US and some-Western regulatory position rather than an Indian one.

Does mustard oil contain sulphur?

Yes. That sharp, nose-tickling kick in fresh sarson ka tel comes from sulphur-containing compounds. Mustard seeds hold glucosinolates such as sinigrin; when the seed is crushed and meets water, the enzyme myrosinase converts them into allyl isothiocyanate, a pungent sulphur compound. Cold-pressing (kachi ghani) keeps these compounds intact, so a good mustard oil smells alive, while heavy heating and refining mellow them. That same pungency is a big reason mustard oil has long been the traditional oil for achaar.

On that note, mustard oil is not a chemical preservative, but it has been used for generations as a natural preserving medium in pickling. A layer of oil seals the ingredients from air and its pungent compounds discourage spoilage, so home cooks top an aam ka achaar jar until the oil floats above the masala. Many cooks believe this is what helps a well-made pickle last a season. Treat this as culinary tradition rather than a food-safety guarantee, because proper pickling still depends on salt, sun, clean dry jars and dry ingredients.

What are the ingredients of pure mustard oil (and is there TBHQ)?

A true kachi ghani mustard oil has exactly one ingredient: mustard seed (sarson), cold-pressed and nothing else. There are no added preservatives, no TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone, a synthetic antioxidant permitted in some refined and fried foods) and no added colour or flavour. Cold-pressing crushes the seed slowly at low temperature, without added heat, solvents, bleaching or deodorising, so the oil keeps its natural colour, aroma and the seed's own compounds. Refined oils, by contrast, are heat- or solvent-extracted and then degummed, bleached and deodorised, and can carry added antioxidants. If purity is what you're after, the label tells the story: a single-ingredient, cold-pressed oil is the one to look for.

What is the smoke point of mustard oil?

Mustard oil has a high smoke point, around 250 C (about 480 F). That is higher than many refined seed oils and comfortably above the temperatures of Indian tadka, deep-frying and searing — a big part of why it has long been the traditional high-heat cooking oil across North and East India. A high smoke point means the oil stays more stable and does not start smoking and breaking down at everyday frying heat.

Mustard oil, blood sugar and allergy: what else to know

Because oil is pure fat with no carbohydrate, mustard oil has no meaningful glycemic index and does not raise blood sugar on its own, though the total amount of oil you use still adds calories to the plate. This article is general food information, not medical or dietary advice. Mustard is a recognised food allergen, and mustard oil can occasionally cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction in sensitive people, so if you have a known mustard allergy, avoid it and speak to your doctor. For babies and infants, consult a pediatrician before using mustard oil, whether for cooking or on the skin, as some guidance cautions against applying mustard oil to a newborn's skin. Anyone managing a health condition should check with a qualified doctor or registered dietitian before changing what is on their plate.