Make Ghee at home

Ghee: Butter on steroids?

I’ve often heard people say that ghee is butter on steroids. I, however, tend to see it as a clearer and purer form of butter - ghee after all is called clarified butter. If you listen to Ayurveda, it’s much better than some of the ‘butter’ we often consume.

Growing up with ghee ~

My grandma always had a jar of old ghee in our pantry. As a kid I remember her bringing it out whenever she had a cut, headache or even rashes. We used to make fun of it but at the same time were amazed to see how miraculously it worked every time without fail. She was the first one to show me how traditionally ghee is considered to have amazing healing qualities. She told me stories from her childhood about how her mom would keep 100-year-old jars of ghee just to use them on skin rashes, burns, scars and even to treat peptic ulcers. In fact such old ghee was preserved by families and often passed on to the next generation to be used for medicinal purposes.

It might sound funny, but up until the last generation in India, there used to be men who gave massages with ghee on the streets! It was always the preferred substance for the skin, but since it was more expensive than oil it has come to be used only for cooking.

Ghee is also used in lamps in temples and rituals all over India. Though beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, I’ve also heard that the light of a ghee lamp is more beautiful and brilliant than any other light.

Some more info on ghee ~

Ghee originally comes from South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan) where it’s used to prepare food. But again it would be wrong to think that South Asia has a lock on ghee. Several countries like Egypt has a similar process of making their own form of ghee; Ethiopia, also uses the same process except that they add spices. Brazil uses an unrefrigerated butter very similar to ghee called manteiga-de-garrafa (butter in a bottle) or manteiga-da-terra (butter of the land). North African and Middle Eastern cuisines on he other hand uses a special kind of spiced ghee which they age underground for months or even years.

Nutrition count ~

Agreed, ghee has some amount of saturated fat (14 grams of fat per tablespoon) but it’s high in Vitamin A and Vitamin D content and has amino acids essential for a good health. In fact according to traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda (more on that in my future blogs), it helps nourish the skin, hair and cell membrane.

It is also said to increase the medicinal properties of spices when sauteed in it. Yes, considering the small downside of ghee, moderation is the key when using as ingredient or directly in your food. But this is the stuff to reach for when you want to be seriously smothered  around by buttery goodness !

Why not just use butter?

…especially since ghee is going to be more trouble to find (it’s only found in Indian grocery stores or natural food stores) and one has to pay way more for it.

Although it’s not common to spread ghee on your bread, besides your usual breakfast butter, ghee tends to flavor things in a way that butter cant and has a much longer shelf life. Clarifying butter and turning it into ghee prolongs its unrefrigerated life from a couple weeks to many months. But there’s a easy solution to finding ghee and that is to make your own ! Believe you me, its the easiest thing on this planet. And I can never over-rule the fact that it is a rich indulgence and is so totally worth the effort :)

How I use Ghee ~

I’ve used ghee when cooking rice, vegetables, curries or breads. And it goes unsaid that it is one of the most important ingredients in most Indian desserts. It gives this unique flavor and aroma to any sweet dish and takes it to a completely new level.

My dad being a food connoisseur has always loved to cook. Like most people I’m sure he finds it therapeutic but the best part of his cooking is his own unique touch. And ghee always features in most of his dishes. I still remember how he used to make rice pudding sometimes where he would add ghee to the boiling milk. And every time I was found scraping the sides of the pot to have the last drop of the pudding.

How to make ghee ~

Now the easiest and fastest method of making ghee is from unsalted butter (not ultra-pasteurized). I take about 4 sticks of butter and it yields almost 3 cups of butter.

1. Take a heavy stainless steel deep bottomed pot (these distribute the heat more evenly) and start heating up all 4 sticks of butter on a very low heat. I avoid the aluminum ones for their toxicity.  

2. The butter will come to a boil after some time.

3. As it boils, moisture evaporates off it and it will begin to “clarify” and turn from cloudy yellowish liquid to a more golden color.

4. Foamy and watery froth will float up at the top and heavier milk solids will sink to the bottom.

Your ghee will be ready after about 30-45 mins or more, depending on the amount of butter and the size of the pot.

After the ghee is done, you can skim off the top light crust of whitish milk solids. These and the heavier ones at the bottom of the pot are traditionally used to make sweets. Then, you pour the golden, sweet-smelling golden liquid into a clean glass bottle through a layered muslin/cheesecloth to catch any last impurities, leaving the slightly burned milk solids (caramelized lactose) on the bottom of the pot.

So, as it stands, the ghee you just made has no lactose or milk sugars in it !

Quick tips:

Stir the butter from time to time to prevent the milk solids burning at the bottom.

If you cook the butter too little, it’ll contain moisture and will lack the exquisite taste and qualities that it can develop and eventually tend to spoil or sour. If you cook it too much, it will burn and impart a certain nutty flavor to the ghee. This does not really ruin the ghee and you’ll still enjoy it thoroughly. But these are two extremes and over time you’ll learn to make the “perfect” ghee.

And tell you what, it’s the easiest thing you’ve made. Be sure to not close the glass jar into which you pour the hot ghee until it cools down to room temperature. Because any moisture left from cooling the ghee will form molds and spoil your ghee.

For the same reason, you wouldn't want to refrigerate (it’s also unnecessary) or dip a wet and unclean spoon in your jar of ghee. And of course, there is a little bit of fat in it, so have it in moderation. Enjoy !