Homemade ghee or clarified butter needs no introduction to vegetarian cooking. Indian ghee has been a choice of cooking for any important occasion. Most people cook in ghee for meals when preparing for young kids. It has been used for deep frying, cooking curries and Indian desserts. Smearing little ghee on roti or pouring a spoonful on basmati rice takes the flavor to the next level. It also ensures that sugar is released slowly when food is digested. In South India, spoonful of ghee is added to dry podi or dry chutney when served with rice, idli or dosa.
No pooja or havan will be complete without the addition of ghee. Contrary to what many now think, ghee has many medicinal properties. It is great for cooking on a high heat as it has a high smoke point.
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Health benefits of ghee
- It is great for bones hair and overall health.
- It is liquid gold and so are the benefits.
- Contrary to what people think, ghee helps lose weight and belly fat if you consume in limit,2-3 tbsp. per day.
- Having a spoonful of ghee with milk relieves constipation.
- Provides a great flavor to dishes and helps you avoid extra oil added to cook spices. It is great for frying as it has a higher smoking point.
- Ghee helps with skin issues and prevents premature graying of hair
Ingredients
- milk cream
- yogurt
- ice-cold water
How to make ghee at home?
Making ghee is not very difficult, although you need little patience to get the cream together. I usually remove cream everyday once I boil milk and store separately in a box. Once we have enough cream,its time to make my own batch. Also, removing cream,means my skimmed milk is ready to use anytime I want to use it for overnight oats.
The only precaution you need while making from malai,do not leave the cream for too long else it may spoil even before you can use it.I have lost it sometimes when I have been lazy or lost track of cream left in the fridge.Don't let this deter you.Make your batch from cream.It is like therapy too and you can do this while you do regular cooking.
Alternatively, you can make it from ghee from blocks of butter too. We use unsalted butter for this variation.
How to make ghee from malai directly?
Most Indian moms use this technique to make desi ghee from using this age-old process. Pure and unadulterated! You also get white butter during the traditional way. Once you strain ghee,you get khurchan. Use it to make sweets, curry or paranthas. Here we have made ghee from fresh cream. Remove the top layer of cream once you boil and cool full fat milk. You can drink this as skimmed milk. Save this cream repeatedly in a freezer. Bring the cream to room temperature. Now, use it to prepare ghee.
How to make ghee from milk cream? Step-by-step
- If the malai/cream is frozen, allow it to come to room tempreture first.
2. Mix the cream with a spoon, add 2 spoons of curd , cover it and set it aside for overnight
3. Use a hand blender to churn the cream for few minutes
4. Add ice cubes with water, this will allow the butter to seperate
5. Mix it with a spoon so that the white butter starts coming together
6.Take this white butter in a pan and start heating this up on low flame.
7. As it starts to cook, the fat will seperate out,turn off when the fat turns light brown.
Storage
Store it in a clean glass jar or in an airtight container at room temperature.
Homemade Ghee recipe
Equipment
- hand blender
- deep saucepan
- Sieve
- Spoon / ladle
Ingredients
- 500 gram milk cream Yields around 250 gm pure ghee
- 2 tablespoon yogurt
- 1 cup water with 1 cup ice
Instructions
- If the malai/cream is frozen, allow it to come to room tempreture firstMix the cream with a spoon, add 2 spoons of curd , cover it and set it aside for overnight
- Use a hand blender to churn the cream for few minutesAdd iced water with ice, this will allow the butter to seperate.
- Mix it with a spoon so that the white butter starts coming togetherTake this white butter in a pan and start heating this up on low heat.
- As it starts to cook, the fat will seperate out,turn off when the fat turns light brown. Let it cool for few minutes.
- Pass the ghee through a sieve so that the solids are separated. Store in a clean jar. Homemade ghee has a golden hue.
Video
FAQs
How do I know if my ghee is A1 or A2?
In comparison to A1 ghee, A2 is more grainy in texture. Generally, you will see A2 ghee made with the traditional bilona method in the market. A2 ghee is preferred as it has higher nutritive value and benefits as compared to the A1.
Why is ghee so expensive?
It is usually made from milk of grass fed cows.
How to make traditional ghee? (video recipe)
Conclusion: Ghee is the most important ingredient in Indian household. You can make it from melted butter or collected cream from fresh milk.
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