Sunflower oil

A neutral refined oil with a smoke point near 225 degrees C. It contributes no flavour of its own. In a chilli paste or a chilli infusion, the fat is a solvent and a carrier, not a flavour. Capsaicinoids, carotenoids and the terpenes of lemongrass and ginger are all fat-soluble and will move into any triglyceride. Chain length changes the rate of extraction, not the quantity extracted. So sunflower replaces coconut oil with no loss of mechanism. What it loses is the lauric sweetness of coconut and some speed at low temperature, which matters in a 65 degrees C infusion and not in a 160 degrees C fry. It stays liquid in the refrigerator. Coconut oil sets below about 24 degrees C. A jarred chilli oil made with sunflower can be poured cold.