Mustard oil was once popular as a cooking oil in northern India and Pakistan and is still the chief ingredient used in Bengali cuisine of Eastern India and Bangladesh. In the second half of the 20th century the popularity of mustard oil receded in Northern India and Pakistan due to the availability of mass-produced vegetable oils. It is still intricately embedded in the culture:

• It is poured on both sides of the threshold when someone important comes home for the first time (e.g. a newly-wedded couple or a son or daughter when returning after a long absence, or succeeding in exams or an election.
• Used as traditional jaggo pot fuel in Punjabi, Bengali and many other weddings in different part of India.
• Used as part of home-made cosmetics during mayian.
• Used as fuel for lighting earthen lamps (diyas) on festive occasions such as Diwali.
• Used in instruments. The residue cake from the mustard oil pressing is mixed with sand, mustard oil and (sometimes) tar. The resulting sticky mixture is then smeared on the inside of Dholak and Dholki membranes to add weight (from underneath) to the bass membrane. This enables the typical Indian drum glissando sound, created by rubbing the heel of the hand over it. This is also known as a (Tel masala) Dholak Masala or oil syahi.