September 20, 2011

Home-made Ghee (Clarified Butter)


Ghee is basically clarified butter. My mom used to make it out of milk cream, but in US we usually get homogenized milk hence we don't see the fat separating from the milk. I make my own ghee at home, out of unsalted butter which I usually buy whenever its on sale. This saves me money and makes me feel good as its home-made.


Ghee is used primarily in Indian cuisine. Because the preparation of ghee involves heat, it has a distinctive toasted flavor, often described as nutty. Before the advent of commercial vegetable oils, ghee was widely used for deep frying and cooking. Unlike other butter-based products, ghee has a high smoking point and can be stored without refrigeration for weeks. As long as ghee is stored in air-tight containers, it does not spoil easily.


Ingredients
2 lb - Butter

Directions
  • Melt butter in a stainless steel vessel over medium high heat. Bring butter to boil.
  • When a white froth forms on top, simmer and stir occasionally. The froth begins to thin slowly and the color of butter changes to a pale yellow shade.
  • Cook on low heat until it turns into a golden color. Brown milk solids will be in bottom of pan.
  • Gently pour into heatproof container through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. It will solidify when completely cool.
Note:

  • Ghee can be stored without refrigeration in a air-tight container. It had a long shelf life 

3 comments:

  1. Good Shema, I too make ghee this way. The butter has to be unsalted, otherwise the salt concentrates along with the froth.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michelle, Ghee is used as the cooking fat/oil in place of cooking oil in Indian Cuisine

    ReplyDelete

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