Ghee has a nice nutty flavor, lasts up to a year and has a high smoke point. It can also often be enjoyed by people with lactose intolerance.
In this recipe
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Ghee in Indian culture
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What is ghee?
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The best butter for ghee
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How to store ghee
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Does ghee go bad?
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Ghee is good if you are lactose intolerant
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Use your ghee in these recipes!
If, like me, you grew up in an Indian home, then you probably said the word “ghee” long before you even said your own name! Ghee is so common in an Indian household.
Video: How to make ghee
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ghee
Ghee in Indian culture
Ghee plays a huge role not only in the kitchen but also in everyday life – all credits to the great properties and qualities that ghee possesses. Ghee is considered sacred and used in religious rituals in a traditional Hindu family.
According to Ayurveda, the traditional medicine practiced in India, ghee aids digestion and gives you a clear head. For this reason, ghee is mainly used in Ayurvedic cuisine.
What is ghee?
Ghee is made by boiling the milk solids from butter. When butter is cooked at a low temperature, the milk solids separate and settle to the bottom of the pan, and the water evaporates.
The liquid is then strained, and the result is a clarified liquid called ghee — it’s the golden goodness you see in beautiful mason jars that line health food store shelves. (By the way, ghee solidifies at low temperatures – don’t worry if this happens to you!)
The best butter for ghee
The recipe for ghee I’m sharing today isn’t the traditional Ayurvedic recipe that an Indian grandma would make, but it’s just as good and more accessible.
This recipe uses store-bought butter. I recommend using organic butter for two reasons: Ghee made from organic butter just tastes so much better than that made from regular butter. Second, we know that organic butter is pure butter, so the ghee has a longer shelf life.
But if you don’t have organic butter, you can still make ghee with the butter you normally use.
How to store ghee
Ghee is a fairly resilient product. You can simply store it in a clean, dry place in a container, preferably with a lid. Even if the lid isn’t airtight, it doesn’t really matter. I just keep it in my pantry with the rest of the oils.
Does ghee go bad?
Ghee is also much more durable than butter. It can be used for up to a year as long as it is properly cooked and all milk solids are strained out. Store ghee in an airtight jar away from light and heat at room temperature for up to three months or in the refrigerator for up to a year. My mom made (still makes) large batches for the whole year or as long as they lasted!
Ghee is good if you are lactose intolerant
Ghee is a great substitute for butter. It can often be used by those with lactose intolerance or milk sensitivity as the milk solids have been removed.
Use your ghee in these recipes!
- Make this lamb curry on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the pressure cooker!
- Ghee goes great with this Basil Chicken Coconut Curry
- Indian Chicken Biryani is powerhouse with spices!
How to make ghee
ingredients
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1 pound unsalted organic butter
special equipment
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cheesecloth
method
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Cut the butter and put it in a pan:
Cut the butter sticks into smaller pieces (any shape or size is fine) and place in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-low heat.
Let the butter and the heat play together. Just stay close to keep an eye on it, but don’t touch it and definitely don’t stir it.
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Skim off the foam:
As the butter melts and the milk solids begin to boil, it will begin to bubble and a white foam will slowly rise to the surface over the next 5-8 minutes.
Use a large spoon to gently scoop the foam off the surface without touching the bottom of the pan and discard the foam. This should continue for a few minutes, about 5-8 minutes after the butter has melted.
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Look for more foam and turn off the heat:
Once you’ve pretty much skimmed all of the foam from the melted butter, you should see an almost clear liquid with golden-brown milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
About 30 seconds after this stage, a very faint foam will form on the surface of the ghee again. It will be less dense than the previous foam – more like a thin cloud of small, clear bubbles covering the surface of the ghee. When you see that second foam shape, it’s time to turn off the heat. Take the ghee off the stove and let it rest for 10 minutes.
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Strain the ghee:
Place a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth over a clean, dry mason jar. Pour the ghee through the strainer and into the jar. Allow the ghee to cool completely before putting the lid on the jar.
Store in a dry place at room temperature. It is shelf stable. If you have a hot kitchen, you can keep ghee in your fridge just for it to solidify.
