Kachi Ghani
A traditional wooden cold-press used to extract oil from oilseeds at low temperatures, preserving aroma and nutrients.
Kachi Ghani, literally 'cold press', is the centuries-old wooden mortar-and-pestle apparatus used to extract oil from oilseeds like mustard. A heavy wooden pestle, traditionally driven by oxen and now by slow-moving electric motors, rotates inside a wooden mortar, gently crushing the seeds and pressing oil out at temperatures below 50°C. Because no heat is applied and no chemical solvents are used, the resulting oil retains its natural color, aroma, antioxidants, and fatty-acid profile. Refined oils, by contrast, are extracted with hexane at 200°C+ and then bleached and deodorized, destroying most of the original character and nutrients.