Oils
What Is Ghani Pressing?
3 min read · Published 9 Jun 2026
A ghani (also called kolhu) is a traditional wooden mortar-and-pestle press for extracting oil from seeds.
How a ghani works
Seeds are placed in a wooden mortar. A wooden pestle, historically driven by bullocks and now often by a slow motor, crushes and presses them, releasing oil gradually.
Why the wood matters
The slow rotation and wooden contact keep temperatures moderate compared with fast industrial extraction, helping preserve flavour and natural nutrients.
The trade-off
Ghani pressing yields less oil per batch and takes longer — which is exactly why it produces small-batch, full-flavoured oil.
Frequently asked questions
Oil extracted using a traditional wooden ghani (kolhu) that presses seeds slowly at moderate temperature.
Yes — the terms are used interchangeably for oil pressed on a wooden ghani.
