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Saturday 19 April 2014

Homemade Ghee / clarified Butter / Neyyi .... Kitchen Basics


Myself used to make Ghee in India using Cream of milk after boiling. I used to store them for 15 days in a glass jar and sharp on day 16 used to make Ghee. The smell while making ghee was so strong that it used to reach our neighbors downstairs.
Today am happy that I am making some fresh Ghee for my daughters though its not from homemade butter - I feel satisfied that they are farm fresh and with the same taste and smell. Most of all Indian Desserts / Sweets use Ghee as one major ingredient that enhances the taste and flavor.


Ingredients for Homemade Ghee :

Butter (unsalted - Farm fresh / Homemade / Store brought)
Salt - a pinch
Betel leaves -2 (optional)
Garlic cloves - 10 (optional)

To prepare Homemade Ghee :

1. Heat a pan, set the temperature to medium low and add the required amount of butter you need to the pan(Its better to have the butter in room temperature)
2. When the butter melts we will see white foam starting to form. This means it will start to boil in some time. Keep stirring continuously to avoid burning.
3. When the butter starts to boil the foam slowly starts to disappear and froth starts forming.
4. Keep stirring in the medium low flame and we can see that the butter changes its color to light brown and we can see the bottom of the pot through it.
5. Before switching off the stove add garlic cloves and Switch off and let it sit to cool down to room temperature. If you want to add betel leaves, this would be the time. We can see the sediments settled down.
6. Takeout garlic cloves and betel leaves,  take a tea strainer strain the Ghee. to this add garlic cloves, betel leaves and a pinch of salt and stir well(salt is added in order to form the granules in ghee).
7. Fresh Homemade Ghee is ready to use. The Ghee gets set to semi solid state after some time.

Tips / Notes:


  • The time taken to prepare ghee differs from the amount of butter we taken, the more the quantity the higher the time
  • Salt is used to give the grainy structure for the ghee. Don't use more than a pinch per litre of ghee.
  • Adding garlic and betel leave enhance the flavor and taste of the Ghee.
  • Do not fasten the process. Cooking ghee is a slow process. Ghee requires your observation and patience so concentrate on the Ghee. 
  • You can add curry leaves or drumstick leaves during the cooking process instead of adding garlic and betel leaves. It will give a good flavor.


FAQ’s about Ghee :

1. Why my Ghee not taste so good?
Ghee’s taste depends highly on the butter used. If you use good butter, the Ghee will taste good. Do not use cheap butter. Best one is 

2. What to do if I have only salted butter?
Do not worry! You can still go ahead and make Ghee. It would not taste salty.  But Salted butter will foam a lot when it is boiled. Use a large pan to accommodate the foam. If you stir it continuously, the foam will subside.

3. What to do if my pan could not hold the froth?
When the froth overflows, stir it continuously. This will being the froth down. If not, take the pan out off the heat for few seconds and stir. After the froth has come down, you can continue the process.

4. Can I use butter which has extra ingredients in it like vitamins, emulsifiers and minerals? Or can I use a any other butter that serves a different purpose like spreadable butter?
I would not recommend such butter as it would not come out well or the way we need it.

Health benefits of Ghee :

1. Use ghee to fight inflammation.
2. Use ghee if you’re lactose or casein intolerant.
3. Use ghee for a healthier butter choice.
4. Use ghee to boost your daily dose of antioxidants.
5. Use ghee to boost your micronutrient intake.
6. Use ghee to increase the effectiveness of some herbs.

So try this recipe and write back to us…We love to hear from you.

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