How to Make Ghee

Rashmi September 22, 2012 0 Comments

Ghee or clarified butter is a cornerstone of Indian cooking and a traditional part of the diet. It’s incredibly versatile—perfect for sautéing, pan-frying, and even deep-frying—thanks to its higher smoke point than most vegetable oils. Beyond cooking, a simple dollop of ghee added to your Daal before serving elevates the dish’s rich flavor.

Making ghee involves slowly cooking butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids separate, leaving behind pure golden fat. This process not only intensifies the flavor compared to regular butter but also gives ghee an impressive shelf life, making it a reliable kitchen staple.

For a delightful twist, try substituting ghee for butter in your favorite baked goods, like chocolate chip cookies. The result is a deeper, more complex flavor that will make you fall in love with ghee!

yeild:
1 3/4 cups

ingredients:
1 lb. (2 cups) butter (salted or unsalted)

cooking time:
9-10 minutes

preparation:

Place butter in a 4-5 quart saucepan, heat a 3-4 quart pot on medium heat.
After the butter has melted (about 3-4 minutes), the milk solids will foam at the top, and the butter will start to make spattering noises as the water evaporates.
Continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to scrape any milk solids stuck to the pan. By this time, the spattering will be much less, the foam will start to subside, and the browned milk solids will settle at the bottom (it is okay if all the foam does not disappear completely).
Take the pot off the stove and let Ghee cool as it continues to cook.
Do not overcook or Ghee will burn (it is better to undercook Ghee than overcook it; it will be heated again when you cook with it later).
Strain into a glass jar using a strainer lined with cheesecloth. If you do not strain the ghee, the residue will settle at the bottom, and you can throw it out as you reach the bottom of the jar.