Ghee is one of the staple ingredient in almost all Indian household and is used to prepare various cuisines throughout India and other Asian countries. Ghee is a versatile ingredient that can be consumed in various dishes in multiple ways. I use Ghee to spread over roti/chapati, toast bread, make curries, add dollop over dal-rice, idlis as well as parathas, fry certain snacks and saute vegetables. Ghee has high smoking point which makes it perfect for frying. Since we love to include Ghee in our daily diet, I have started making Ghee at home. Trust me, the homemade Ghee tastes way better than any other store bought brand and it is incredibly easy to prepare.
So what is Ghee anyway?
Ghee is also known as clarified butter. Basically, Ghee is melted butter that has been simmered to separate out milk solids and heated further to bring out the most delicious nutty flavor. This liquid gold is then strained to a jar and can be stored on a shelf for as long as six months or refrigerated for upto a year!!
What are the benefits of adding Ghee to diet?
Originated in ancient India, Ghee has many medicinal properties and has been used in Aayurveda for thousands of years. There are many health benefits of Ghee, particularly the ghee made from grass fed cows' butter. Ghee is known for its anti inflammatory properties which is used to externally treat burns and swellings.
According to various sources, Ghee has abundance of nutrients including vitamins A, D, E and K and healthy fats including Omega 3s. Ghee is an excellent source of antioxidants - more specifically vitamin E. These vitamins and fats are essential for healthy brain function and healthy immune system. There are plenty more health benefits of consuming Ghee on daily basis that can be found online. However, the most important thing to remember here is to consume this super food in moderation to get the most out of it.
So, let's get started with the recipe.
Here is a short video on how to make Ghee followed by detailed recipe.
Important Notes/ Tips
I have used electric cooker to make Ghee, however you can achieve the same result using a thick bottom pot on stove top but the cooking time will vary. The key is to keep a check on the status of ghee to ensure you can get to the same end result.
I have used unsalted butter but you can also use salted butter, just know that the Ghee will also have slightly salty flavor. Also, salted butter will take just a little less time to cook as compared to unsalted butter.
Be sure to start with room temperature butter to yield the best end product and to reduce cook time! Just bring the butter blocks outside of fridge about an hour before.
Ingredients
4 slabs of unsalted Butter - 8 oz each
Cook time - 20 minutes
Yields - 32 Oz
Instructions
Start off by turning on the saute mode of your electric cooker at medium/normal temperature.
Add all the four butter slabs into the pot as the pot starts to heat up.
In about 5 minutes, all the butter will melt into liquid form. Make sure to stir the liquid butter occasionally to prevent it from burning at the bottom.
In about the next 1 minute, it will start simmering and bubbling. The foam will start forming on the top of the melted butter. Let the butter cook for another 3-4 minutes and the foam will start clearing up.
At about 10 minutes, butter will start spluttering big bubbles, and foam will have cleared up.
Continue cooking the butter for next 5 minutes as the simmered butter will start taking a golden color and will turn aromatic. Any additional foam will turn into clear bubbles and the liquid will become translucent. There will also be milk solids separating from the liquid.
At this point, turn off the electric cooker to avoid overcooking the ghee. The pot will gradually cool down in about 5 minutes and the Ghee will continue to cook during this time. Slowly the bubbles on top will turn into frothy layer and the liquid will turn into clear golden brown Ghee. All the milk solids will sit at the bottom.
All the cooking is done at this point. Now, let the Ghee cool down for about an hour. After that, strain and transfer the Ghee to a jar or a storage container.
Let it sit overnight and Ghee will become viscous and light yellow! Enjoy.
