How to Make Authentic Indian Ghee-Clarified Butter

I learned how to make ghee, also called clarified butter, from a friend of mine from India. We were chefs in an upscale ayurvedic resort that specialized in authentic Indian cuisine, ayurveda treatments and massage. Ayurveda means an alternative form of medicine. To me, ghee has a toasty, movie popcorn butter sort of flavor. The good news is clarified butter has health benefits movie popcorn butter doesn't have. It's easy to make authentic Indian ghee and once you've given it a try, you'll think twice before going back to your old cooking oil.

Ghee was first used in India and the middle east region thousands of years ago. It was cooked to eliminate the water and milk fat solids that resulted in a golden liquid that could be easily and safely stored for use in cooking. It's essentially pure butter oil and you can use it the same way you use regular butter.

Caution:
Make sure your saucepan is large enough to allow for expansion as the butter cooks. Remember, you are boiling butter which can be a fire hazard if it boils over and it is hot oil that will burn if it splatters on you. We made ghee in large quantities and I have seen first hand how quickly butter boiling over the side of a pot can catch on fire.

How to Make Authentic Indian Ghee:
Take a pound of unsalted butter and place it in a saucepan over medium heat. Make sure your saucepan is large enough the butter can't boil over. Some recipes tell you to stir the butter as it's cooking. There's no need to stir, but you do need to keep a watchful eye to avoid burning the butter while it cooks. Bring your butter to a boil and keep it at a steady boil. The cooking time will be about 20 minutes. As it boils, a frothy foam will begin to form on top and it will settle down on it's own. It will foam up a second time and at this point the cooking process is almost done. After the foam has settled down the second time, remove your pan immediately from the stove burner to prevent the finished product from burning.

How to Tell When Ghee is Done:
Clarified butter has a toasty smell that will begin to rise from the pot just before it's done. You should be able to see brown specks bubbling around the side of the pot on the last foam. The finished product will be an amber color and you will be able to see brown sediment in the bottom and sides of the saucepan. Let it cool for a half hour then strain out the sediment on the bottom using a fine strainer with a piece of cheesecloth inside it. Store in an air tight container and your clarified butter is ready for use in frying, drizzled over vegetables, poured over popcorn or any other way you use butter. It's important to keep moisture away from ghee. If you prefer a solid form, you can store it in the refrigerator. It's easier to use as a spread that way. Because ghee has no milk fat solids or water left in it, you can store it right on your counter top 4 to 6 weeks.

To Make An Herb Flavored Ghee:
Use fresh herbs and add the following to 3 lbs of boiling butter. For a ginger flavor, add fresh ginger cut into 4 pieces, for cumin flavor add 3 tablespoons cumin seeds and 6 to 8 dried curry leaves in a cheesecloth bag dropped into the boiling butter. Black pepper ghee, two tablespoons peppercorn wrapped in a cheesecloth bag and added to the boiling butter. Clove, sesame seed ghee, 25 whole cloves, 2 tablespoons whole sesame seeds and one quarter whole nutmeg tied up in a cheesecloth and added to the butter. Cinnamon ghee, which is great on popcorn, add 3 or 4 fresh cinnamon sticks. If you want a larger or smaller batch of flavored ghee, adjust the amount of herbs. Herb ghee is great to use when you want to perk up an old recipe for a special dinner with extra flavoring.

Ghee vs Other Cooking Oils:
Because clarified butter has a higher burning point than other oils, it won't smoke or burn like other cooking oils. You can use it to deep fat fry, cook an egg, fry chicken or baste your Thanksgiving turkey. You can even butter your dinner roll using ghee and it makes great garlic toast. I have used ghee when baking cookies, pies, etc., but you need to adjust liquids like oils, water or milk accordingly.

Health Benefits of Ghee:
Clarified butter can help boost the immune system, enhance digestion, help with the absorption of vitamins, help to reduce inflammation, promote better memory, produce more and better quality semen, helps to lubricate connective tissues for better flexibility and unlike butter, ghee can be used on mild burns to reduce pain and blisters if applied immediately to the burn. You can take 2 teaspoons of ghee daily as a supplement, but if you are using it to cook with or adding it to your vegetable dishes, there's no need for more. Clarified butter is a fat and you don't want to overdo your daily fat consumption.

We need some fat in our diet to maintain good health. Ghee is a great tasting and versatile alternative to any cooking oil. It's lactose free and if you are looking for a healthy alternative to your present cooking oil, clarified butter will meet your needs and can provide health benefits.

Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa Ghee: Better Than Butter, Yoga Journal

Ghee, Indiaoz

Ghee: Ayurvedic Cooking Oil, Marharishi Ayurvedia