Homemade Ghee

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. 

Chocolate Strawberry Truffles

It is true that food has no language yet it speaks louder than words. Chocolate and strawberry are great examples. They echo love, care and affection. There are no words needed to express your feelings when you have these two by your side. 

Chocolates are my all time favorite dessert. I love them even more when they are paired with fruit or nut. This makes it almost impossible for me to resist them. I still remember when I had first tried the strawberry dipped in chocolate fountain. It was smooth chocolate layer over the juicy red strawberry that tasted heavenly! I have just improvised that simple dessert to make these truffles. I have tried to keep this recipe healthier by including natural sweetener and avoiding white flour. I don't count chocolate as unhealthy 😉, in fact dark chocolate is considered healthy food by most.

As the festive season is approaching, I am sharing this simple yet decadent dessert recipe with you all - Chocolate Strawberry Truffles! These truffles are utterly delicious and will be a delight for your friends and family to enjoy during the holidays. These Chocolate Strawberry Truffles are prepared with just a few simple ingredients and the best part is that you don't even need any fancy equipment to make them. All you need is a blender to mix all the ingredients together. After that just make some strawberry balls, dip them into ooey gooey creamy melted chocolate and freeze them before they are ready to devour.  

Let's dive into the recipe with this short video followed by detailed recipe...

Notes/Tips

• I have used store bought almond flour, but it is very easy to make it at home. Basically soaked and blanched almonds are powdered using a blender. 
• To make oats flour, simply place the rolled oats in a blender and blend them to a powder consistency. 
• To make these truffles extra sweet, just increase the quantity of dates to 3/4th cup. 

Ingredients

1 cup Strawberry fresh or frozen

1/2 cup Pitted dates

1 cup Almond flour

1/2 cup Oats flour

1 cup Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Yields 12-16 pieces

Prep time - 15 minutes

Cool time - 1.5 hours

Instructions

We will start off with hulling strawberries if you are using fresh ones. You will also need to pit the dates to remove the seeds if you are not using pitted ones. 

Now add the strawberries, dates and vanilla extract to a blender to blend into a smooth paste.

Next, add the almond flour and oat flour and blend everything together in a thick paste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Take a spoon full of the mixture or dough and make 12 to 16 equal sized balls. Place the strawberry balls on parchment paper in a tray and chill them in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. 

Melt the chocolate chunks in a microwave or on a double boiler. Transfer the melted chocolate in a small deep bowl. 

Now dip the strawberry balls in the melted chocolate, coat them well and place them back on the parchment paper. 

Place the tray in the freezer for about an hour until the chocolate hardens. Our decadent Chocolate Strawberry Truffles are ready to devour. 

Store them in an airtight container in the freezer. They should stay good for about a week. Enjoy!