How to make Ghee from butter
(Clarified Butter)
Ghee is clarified butter and widely used in Indian and South Asian food. Ghee is a Hindi language word but it has several names around the world. Ghee is not only for culinary use but it is considered sacred and is used in religious rituals and Ayurveda uses ghee as a base for many of its medications. Ghee is flavorful and has a rich, nutty taste. It also has a higher smoke point, so it’s great for sautéing or frying.
Homemade ghee is aromatic and adds an incomparable richness to any dish. Traditionally, ghee is made from the milk of cows, which are considered sacred. Ghee, although a type of clarified butter which is prepared by boiling butter until the clarified butter is golden and the solids at the bottom are toasted but not burnt then residue is removed by straining the clarified butter. Ghee becomes solidified at lower temperature but can easily be melted. Making ghee at home is easier than you think.
Homemade ghee is aromatic and adds an incomparable richness to any dish. Traditionally, ghee is made from the milk of cows, which are considered sacred. Ghee, although a type of clarified butter which is prepared by boiling butter until the clarified butter is golden and the solids at the bottom are toasted but not burnt then residue is removed by straining the clarified butter. Ghee becomes solidified at lower temperature but can easily be melted. Making ghee at home is easier than you think.
Ingredients:
1 pound unsalted butter
Makes about 1½ Cup Ghee
Also needed:
Heavy bottom stainless steel pot
Fine mesh Strainer
Ladle
Cooking measurement conversion
Measurement converter
1 pound unsalted butter
Makes about 1½ Cup Ghee
Also needed:
Heavy bottom stainless steel pot
Fine mesh Strainer
Ladle
Cooking measurement conversion
Measurement converter
Unsalted Butter
Sauce pan
Fine mesh strainer
|
Ladle
|
Directions:
1. Use a big heavy bottom stainless steel sauce pan. Make sure it is dry and clean.
Using a bigger pot is essential to avoid overflowing. When butter boil foam
builds up and it start flowing.
2. Place the butter in the sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium low.
1. Use a big heavy bottom stainless steel sauce pan. Make sure it is dry and clean.
Using a bigger pot is essential to avoid overflowing. When butter boil foam
builds up and it start flowing.
2. Place the butter in the sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium low.
In a pan place butter
3. Let the butter melt slowly. This will take a few minutes do not rush it by raising
the heat. Low and slow is the way to go! don't stir the butter as it melts, just let
it melt.
the heat. Low and slow is the way to go! don't stir the butter as it melts, just let
it melt.
Turn the heat to low
Butter start melting
4. Once the butter is completely melted, you'll notice a foamy white layer has
formed on the top.
5. As the butter boils, it will slowly separate into three layers: The top layer is a
thin layer of foam (this is the butter's water content boiling off). The middle
layer contains the liquid. The bottom layer is where most of the milk solids are.
6. Boil butter uncovered on low heat, watching carefully and stirring occasionally
for 25 to 30 minutes or until solids on the bottom of the pan turn light brown.
formed on the top.
5. As the butter boils, it will slowly separate into three layers: The top layer is a
thin layer of foam (this is the butter's water content boiling off). The middle
layer contains the liquid. The bottom layer is where most of the milk solids are.
6. Boil butter uncovered on low heat, watching carefully and stirring occasionally
for 25 to 30 minutes or until solids on the bottom of the pan turn light brown.
Foam start to form on the top
7. If lot of foam is forming then use a ladle to skim that foam from the surface of
the butter. (some brand of butter create more foam)
the butter. (some brand of butter create more foam)
Skim the foam out
Foam from the butter
Give a stir
8. Once butter is completely melted and begins to bubble, it will begin to foam
and spluter a lot keep the heat on low. You want a steady bubble but not so
much that butter is jumping out of the pan or spraying on the stove top.
9. If butter sputtering a lot then just leave a spoon in the boiling butter that will
also prevent over flowing.
and spluter a lot keep the heat on low. You want a steady bubble but not so
much that butter is jumping out of the pan or spraying on the stove top.
9. If butter sputtering a lot then just leave a spoon in the boiling butter that will
also prevent over flowing.
Leave the ladle in the butter
10. Soon the froth evaporates and butter began to bubble rapidly.
Foam started to clear up
Butter began to bubble
11. Milk fat start sinking to the bottom and butter becoming clear.
Milk fat sinking to the bottom
12. Slowly the liquid on top becomes more and more transparent and most of the
bubbling stops.
13. When crackling subsides, this means all the moisture has been cooked away.
bubbling stops.
13. When crackling subsides, this means all the moisture has been cooked away.
Butter is clarified
14. When the clarified butter has a golden transparent color, there is very little
foam left on the surface, and the solids have settled on the bottom, the
clarified butter is ready.
15. If you like golden transparent color then stop here and turn the stove off.
foam left on the surface, and the solids have settled on the bottom, the
clarified butter is ready.
15. If you like golden transparent color then stop here and turn the stove off.
Milk fat deposit in the bottom
Turn the heat off
16. Remove the pan from heat immediately as it can burn easily at this point. If
you leave it on the heat too long, you will burn the residue and all of the ghee
will become dark brown and have a burnt taste.
17. Let the butter cool a while to let more of the solids settle.
18. Place the strainer on the bottle.
you leave it on the heat too long, you will burn the residue and all of the ghee
will become dark brown and have a burnt taste.
17. Let the butter cool a while to let more of the solids settle.
18. Place the strainer on the bottle.
Place the fine mesh strainer on the bottle
19. With a ladle slowly pour clear yellow liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into
the bottle to filter out the foam and solids that have settle, letting the
clarified butter flow into the bottle.
20. When you get to the bottom of the pan, you'll notice more milk solids. Do not
pour those through strainer - stop when you run out of butterfat and only
the solids remain.
the bottle to filter out the foam and solids that have settle, letting the
clarified butter flow into the bottle.
20. When you get to the bottom of the pan, you'll notice more milk solids. Do not
pour those through strainer - stop when you run out of butterfat and only
the solids remain.
Pour clarified butter into a bottle
21. Discard the toasted bits from the bottom of the pan.
Solids have settled on the bottom of the pan
22 Ghee can be stored, covered, without refrigeration in a glass jar. At room
temperature, the ghee become semi-solid and has a grainy texture but with
refrigeration it becomes hard.
23. Store ghee in a clean, dry glass bottle. But don’t put the lid on till the ghee is
fully cooled, because hot steam turn into moisture and you do not want
moisture in Ghee.
temperature, the ghee become semi-solid and has a grainy texture but with
refrigeration it becomes hard.
23. Store ghee in a clean, dry glass bottle. But don’t put the lid on till the ghee is
fully cooled, because hot steam turn into moisture and you do not want
moisture in Ghee.
At room temperature ghee has grainy texture
Store Ghee in a glass bottle
* If you like slightly brown color of Ghee then continue to slowly cook over
low heat, watching carefully and stirring occasionally, until solids on the
bottom of the pan turn light brown and the liquid deepens to golden and turns
translucent and fragrant. Also a rich aroma arises in the air. Immediately
remove from the heat. Important - If you leave it on the heat too long, you
will burn the residue and all of the ghee will have a burnt taste.
* The browning of the Ghee adds a nutty, toffee-like flavor to the ghee.
It has a deeper, richer, more intense flavor than melted or clarified butter.
(I like the flavor of slightly brown color of Ghee)
low heat, watching carefully and stirring occasionally, until solids on the
bottom of the pan turn light brown and the liquid deepens to golden and turns
translucent and fragrant. Also a rich aroma arises in the air. Immediately
remove from the heat. Important - If you leave it on the heat too long, you
will burn the residue and all of the ghee will have a burnt taste.
* The browning of the Ghee adds a nutty, toffee-like flavor to the ghee.
It has a deeper, richer, more intense flavor than melted or clarified butter.
(I like the flavor of slightly brown color of Ghee)
Slightly light brown Ghee
Pour ghee through strainer
|
Milk solid become little dark
|
Light brown ghee
|
Light brown Ghee
|
* If yo do not have fine mesh strainer then you can use a towel to filter Ghee
(clarified butter)
* Place the strainer on a bowl
* Line the strainer with towel.
* Pour hot melted butter through towel to filter out the foam and solids that
have settle, letting the clarified butter flow into a bowl or a jar.
(clarified butter)
* Place the strainer on a bowl
* Line the strainer with towel.
* Pour hot melted butter through towel to filter out the foam and solids that
have settle, letting the clarified butter flow into a bowl or a jar.
Place a strainer on the bowl
|
Line the bowl with a towel
|
Pour the Ghee through towel
|
Filtered Ghee clarified butter)
|
Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Tips:
1. You can use any kind of butter – Salted or Unsalted. But salted butter will foam
more when boiling. So if you are using salted butter to make ghee, make sure
you use a pan that’s large enough to accommodate the foaming, and be very
careful when the ghee begins to boil it will foam and it can spills out of the
pan, to subside the foam gently stir with a spoon.
2. Ghee can be kept at room temperature for 2 months but if you are making ghee
in large quantity then store in the refrigerator.
3. Do not let any water get into your clarified butter or ghee jar. A drop of water
can easily promote bacteria and spoil the ghee.
1. You can use any kind of butter – Salted or Unsalted. But salted butter will foam
more when boiling. So if you are using salted butter to make ghee, make sure
you use a pan that’s large enough to accommodate the foaming, and be very
careful when the ghee begins to boil it will foam and it can spills out of the
pan, to subside the foam gently stir with a spoon.
2. Ghee can be kept at room temperature for 2 months but if you are making ghee
in large quantity then store in the refrigerator.
3. Do not let any water get into your clarified butter or ghee jar. A drop of water
can easily promote bacteria and spoil the ghee.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Thank you
Geeta Seth
