Well, well the blog's title is A Dollop of Ghee and the first recipe has to be for ghee itself.
What does ghee mean to me? It's ethereal. If you make homemade ghee, be assured you are in for an addiction to homemade ghee. The taste is divine. The aroma engulfs your kitchen like none other. It swiftly wafts through the entire house spreading its divinity. The smell of ghee is comforting and calming to the senses. It reminds me of my childhood in India.
A cycle bound man would carry huge blocks of butter submerged in water within a steel carrier. The butter would be a faint yellow in color which to my grandma was an indication of good quality butter. The butter bearer would promptly appear at our doorstep every month and his arrival meant joy for me in knowing that our house would be filled with the fragrance of ghee and for lunch would be fresh ghee with rice and salt. It is comfort food. It is as simple as that. The joys of which you have to experience when you are in the mood for light food.
Butter derived from cows or buffaloes is all that is required to make ghee. If you can source good quality butter you will make good quality ghee. Yes there is a difference, I can tell from experience with grass-fed butter, organic butter and non-organic butter.
Essentials:
Butter
Method:
Place the butter in a saucepan.
Heat it on medium low heat.
The butter will start to melt and bubble slowly. When bubbles form and the butter starts to foam up, turn down the heat to low.
Simmer on low heat until bubbles have dissipated and the melted butter turns into a clear golden liquid. The milk solids would have settled to the bottom of the pan.
Watch the ghee at this stage and ensure it does not turn dark brown which can happen very rapidly. When the ghee is golden in color turn off the flame and take the pan off the heat.
Strain the ghee through a strainer into a clean container. Collect all the milk solids separately.
Variations:
While preparing ghee, you can add the following to enhance the flavor.
What does ghee mean to me? It's ethereal. If you make homemade ghee, be assured you are in for an addiction to homemade ghee. The taste is divine. The aroma engulfs your kitchen like none other. It swiftly wafts through the entire house spreading its divinity. The smell of ghee is comforting and calming to the senses. It reminds me of my childhood in India.
A cycle bound man would carry huge blocks of butter submerged in water within a steel carrier. The butter would be a faint yellow in color which to my grandma was an indication of good quality butter. The butter bearer would promptly appear at our doorstep every month and his arrival meant joy for me in knowing that our house would be filled with the fragrance of ghee and for lunch would be fresh ghee with rice and salt. It is comfort food. It is as simple as that. The joys of which you have to experience when you are in the mood for light food.
Butter derived from cows or buffaloes is all that is required to make ghee. If you can source good quality butter you will make good quality ghee. Yes there is a difference, I can tell from experience with grass-fed butter, organic butter and non-organic butter.
Essentials:
Butter
Method:
Place the butter in a saucepan.
Heat it on medium low heat.
The butter will start to melt and bubble slowly. When bubbles form and the butter starts to foam up, turn down the heat to low.
Simmer on low heat until bubbles have dissipated and the melted butter turns into a clear golden liquid. The milk solids would have settled to the bottom of the pan.
Watch the ghee at this stage and ensure it does not turn dark brown which can happen very rapidly. When the ghee is golden in color turn off the flame and take the pan off the heat.
Strain the ghee through a strainer into a clean container. Collect all the milk solids separately.
Variations:
While preparing ghee, you can add the following to enhance the flavor.
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- Few leaves of holy basil or sweet basil
- Roasted fenugreek powder
- Vanilla ghee for sweet preparations
- Few Curry leaves
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