GHEE – CLARIFIED BUTTER – INDIAN’S PRIDE FOOD
Clarified butter is what we Indians call Ghee in Hindi. Ghee is the most important ingredient and a pride food for Indians. because when it comes to making Indian sweets we need Ghee to achieve the desired Taste. There is no substitute for Ghee when it comes to dessert preparation.
Foods are increasingly being adulterated in the market due to high demand, reducing their potential and quality. The slightest amount in the change of Ghee taste is not going to make us achieve the taste we are looking for. As such Ghee in its purest form is absolutely a delight.
WHY IS GHEE SO IMPORTANT TO INDIANS?
- Ghee is also used in Panchamrut the neivedhyam (offering) that we offer to Hindu God during pooja. Panchamrut is a sweet pot made with five ingredients, the most important of which is ghee. We believe that offering panchamrut to God completes the pooja and that by doing so, our God is satisfied.
- Ghee is also used in lighting the lamps during auspicious day or even a normal day. There are different oils specially dedicated to lighting the lamps. But the ghee lamps are always the best one that god loves.
- Ghee is used in most of our Indian recipes. Consuming clarified butter during the winter days or cold parts of India keeps ours entire digestive tract and skin well moist and balanced. Apllying it physically is one of the fastest remedies for skin healing.
- Homemade Ghee can be given to young babies in a very limited amount considering the intake amount suitable for them. It keeps their constipation at bay.
- Ghee is the best cleansing and detoxifying agent in various other Ayurvedic therapies. It is sweet, cooling and pacifies Vata and Pitta doshas. For ages, ghee has been considered a rasayana, which means a healing food that balances both physical and mental entity of a human being.
WHAT ARE THE NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF CONSUMING GHEE ?
- It contains healthy fats, which add good cholesterol to the body. Unlike other types of fat, ghee does not contribute to heart disease.
- Ghee contains butyric acid, which aids the body’s production of T cells that fight disease.
- Ghee is a reliable source of oil-soluble vitamins A and E, which are essential for a healthy liver, balanced hormones, and fertility.
- The antioxidants present in it make it an excellent anti-inflammatory agent.
- It promotes healthy skin and stronger bones. Ghee, which is high in antioxidants, fatty acids, and a natural emollient, aids in the maintenance of healthy skin by retaining moisture, improving skin repair, treating cracks, and softening the skin.
- Ghee is high in vitamin K, which aids calcium absorption. It helps to prevent tooth decay and atherosclerosis.
Smoke point benefit : Ghee does not break into free radicals at a high temperature. Free radicals are responsible for cancer, amongst other diseases. This makes it an ideal medium and a stable fat to cook and fry food in.
Ghee attracts toxic elements in the body and aids in cleansing it.
It is among the most sattvic foods.
PROCESS OF MAKING GHEE – CLARIFIED BUTTER
- I prefer making Ghee at home. So we consume whole full fat milk and this helps me obtain fresh malai (cream) everyday. I get 2 tbsp of malai out of 1 litres of milk everyday. The fastest way to achieve the full thick cream is to boil the milk, cool it down and store in refrigerator. 8-12 hours laters all the cream settles on top of the milk thereby making it very very easy to collect.
- I keep storing this malai in an airtight steel container in the deep freezing section of my freezer. Sometimes i extract ghee once 30 days or 60 days cycle. Not more than that.
- So, to extract the ghee. The process is very simple. But the mess is a real headache. Initially i would make a hell in kitchen, But over the time i have mastered this process and my kitchen and hands stay free from mess.
- So firstly i decide the time when i want to start the ghee extraction. That day 2 hours before i leave the malai outside to thaw it. Let the cool be still there in the malai because when we start churning it disintegrates quicker. When we churn it into the blender the butter starts to seperate from the cream.
- Pour water and blend it again on a pulse-stop mode. Once you see the butter floats on top wash this under the tap water for around 5 times till you see the water is transparent. keep collecting the butter in ice water bowl.
- In a good non stick kadai, transfer all of these butter and under slow fame let them cook. It shoud take around 40 to 60 mins. Once the cream has curdled and seperated from the clarified butter, sieve under a fine muslin clothe and transfer to an airtight container.
- store upto 3 months minimum for freshness and upto 6 months maximum. I usually store in refrigerator immediately once they cool down.