How to Make Ghee: Origin, Recipes and Health Benefits

Ghee is clarified butter made from buffalo's milk. Although this may sound a little bit distasteful, ghee has a lot of health benefits.The word ghee is a Sanskrit word for the clarified butter that is primarily used in Indian cuisine. Before commercial vegetable oil, ghee was used for deep frying. It is also described as having a nutty taste. The preparation of ghee involves heat which gives it a distinctive toasted flavor. Unlike other butters, ghee has a high smoking point and can go for weeks without refrigeration. It won't spoil easily if contained in a air-tight container.

Origin of Ghee

Traditional ghee was produced from Buffalo's who were indigenous to regions of Pakistan and India. But it can be made from any animal that produces milk. It starts with the standard butter being churned with milk fats, solids, and water. Since the butter contains such a significant amount of moisture it must be boiled off to clarify.

How to make Ghee

A few sticks of pure butter (about 7 or 8) is placed in either a large saucepan or kettle set to medium to high heat. Eventually the butter will melt and then boil. Reduce heat to about medium-low and wait until it turns golden. While the butter boils causing bubbles, the solid settles at the bottom while a thick layer of oil forms at the top. This let's you know the ghee is almost finished. Once boiling slows, the middle will be a golden brown indicating this is the clarified butter, ghee. You carefully spoon out this layer, making sure not to disturb the layer at the bottom. The ghee should be cooled in a air-tight canister like vegetable shortening. It can be reheated for deep frying or be drizzled over food like a sauce.

Health Benefits of Ghee

Ghee is composed almost entirely of saturated fat. There have been studies to show that ghee can reduce serum and plasma LDL cholesterol. Ghee is also called Desi to distinguish it from vegetable ghee. When cooking, it could be unhealthy polyunsaturated oils such as vegetable oil at high temperatures. It creates peroxides and other free radicals. These things leads to health problems and disease. On the other hand, has the more stable saturated bonds (i.e., it lacks double bonds which are easily damaged by heat) it is not as likely to form dangerous free radicals when cooking.

Ghee is also very good for the hair. If you use it like a pre-shampoo treatment, it will benefit your hair greatly. It leaves hair glossy and healthy. Over time, the ghee will leave your hair shiny and rejuvenated. If you add it to your hair care regimen, you will not be disappointed with the results.

Recipe Using Ghee

Mushroom and Cider Soup

This recipe serves up to about 4 people.

1/2 lb (250g) mushrooms
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon dry of fresh thyme
1 large potato of ghee2 tablespoon
1 pint cider
1 pint (1/2 liter) water or vegetable stock
Salt, and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresh cream
Chives or parsley to garnish (optional)

Wash or peel the potato and dice it. Peel and chop the onion. Crush the pepper. Chop the mushrooms roughly.
Fry the onion and the garlic in ghee, butter or sunflower oil on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the mushroom and sweat them (another 5 minutes,) then add the cider and the water or vegetable stock, the diced potato and the thyme, bring to the boil, add the salt, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Liquidize and serve immediately with fresh cream and chopped chive or parsley.