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Indian Food and Ingredients
Ghee | Indian Clarified Butter

Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter)

 Description

Ghee is a Indian clarified butter without any solid milk particles or water. Ghee is used in India and throughout the South Asia in daily cooking. A good quality ghee adds a great aroma, flavor and taste to the food.

Ghee can be great assets for people who are on low fat diet since even a lower quantity of ghee can add lot of flavor to the food than any other oil or fat products. According to the ancient Ayurveda, a moderate amount of ghee is the best cooking oil.

Traditionally, ghee is made from from butter churned out of Indian yogurt (curd). It is boiled and constantly stirred until the all the water is evaporated. Then, further heated to get a pleasant flavor, slightly cooled and filtered through muslin to remove sediment.

Cow ghee is yellow in color, and buffalo ghee has off-white cream color. Ghee made from other animal milks, such as sheep milk, mare milk, are valued for their unique health benefits.

Aged ghee, Kumbhiighrta, aged between 10 to 100 years, and Mahaghrta, aged over 100 years, are believed to be a powerful tonics.

Ghee can be generally found in ethnic section of any big grocery store, any Indian/South Asian store or online. If you can not find ghee easily, we have given an easy way to make ghee below. When buying Ghee, be sure to buy Ghee from animal such as cow. Do not buy an artificial ghee made by hydrogenating vegetable oil.


- By B. Shrestha [2003, Updated July 2009]


Recipe of Homemade Ghee

How to make Ghee At Home?

Ingredients:
Pure unsalted Butter (not margarine)

Procedure:

  1. Heat butter in a saucepan in high-medium heat until it boils or bubbles.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered until butter turns to a clear golden color. (Butter usually begins to boils with lots of bubbles. When it is done, it will have foams on top of it indicating that ghee is nearly done.)
  3. Cool it and store it in dry container. Use ghee in you regular cooking.
Tips to see if ghee is done

Ghee is properly done when water is completely evaporated from butter. To find out if water is properly evaporated follow the following procedure. Pour heated butter into small piece of paper. Light the paper on fire. If it gives crackling noise, it is indicating the presence of water. Heat butter for some more time. With experience one can tell if ghee is done with the smell and color.

Ghee Storage Tip:

  • Ghee does not have to be refrigerated.
  • For long lasting ghee, keep it out of moisture, i.e., don't use a wet spoon to take out ghee.
Related Links
Homemade Indian Ghee by Anjuli Ayer (Blog)
 
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