Ghee

Ingredients

• Butta, butta, butta, and I really mean more butta (unsalted)

Recipe

1. In a large pot over low-medium heat, stick (pun alert) all your butter in.

2. Once the butter is melted, set the heat to low, the butter will be very lightly bubbling.

3. The waiting game begins. Give it a good stir every couple of minutes and watch carefully.

4. After about 10-15 minutes, the milk solids will rise to the top forming a white layer at the top of the clarified butter, keep stirring.

5. Watch as the milk solids slowly start making their way down to the bottom of the pot, they'll start to brown lightly.

6. After about 20-30 more minutes, once the milk solids are a medium brown and all of the solids have fallen from the top your ghee is ready.

7. Pour carefully through a strainer into large jars and store.

Q/A with the Aunty (Mom)

Q: What is ghee?

A: Clarified butter (but it's not really). That answer means nothing to most people, except maybe a chemist like my mom. Mom hardly described it as that. It is the separated fat from butter, pure fat. The protein from the milk begins to solidify and separate from the fat as the water evaporates off. Once the solids are completely separated, they can be strained out and that is clarified butter. Ghee takes it one step further, until the milk solids turn brown and fall to the bottom.

Q: Why do you wait until the milk solids turn brown?

A: There's a bunch of reasons that Mom does this, and honestly I love all of them.

1) First and foremost, it's easier to strain out the milk solids this way. I've watched Mom make ghee for a long time now, and I've never seen her use a strainer. She simply lets all the milk solids fall to the bottom and then very carefully pours the ghee into separate jars, not allowing any milk solids to flow through, it's artistic.

2) The result is a nuttier, toastier tasting ghee. Imagine the differences between a fresh peanut, a light roasted one, and a dark roasted one. All delicious, but each is a unique flavor.

3) The milk solids can be used to make many things. Mom uses them to make a tasty and flavorful paratha that she grew up with, something our family calls tikra (and something I recently learned is not called tikra in real life)

Q: Can you use the milk solids for anything?

A: Disclaimer, this was not something I asked my mom, it's something I was just curious about. You definitely can use it in other things. Some people mix it in ice cream to add a slightly crunchy and nutty texture and flavor. I've never tried this, but I read that some people will put it on apples with a little bit of cinnamon and bake them until the apples are soft. The first thing that comes to my mind then is, "has anyone put this in a freakin' apple pie yet and if not, WHY?" Call out to my sister to make this happen ASAP.

Q: What is so great about ghee?

A: Besides its delicious and nutty flavor, ghee has a much higher smoke point than butter (375F). For context, a good frying temperature is somewhere between 350 and 365F. Further, ghee has a long shelf life. If you Google it, you might see that ghee will last 6 months to a year in the fridge. I don't know because honestly, a bottle of ghee doesn't last for more than 6 weeks in my house. Again for context, butter will last up to a few months. A bottle of olive oil after opening will start to change it's flavor after a couple of months.

In My Home

Growing up (and to this day), one of the most amazing things Mom does is make fresh roti, put a dollop of ghee in the center, and then scrunch it up with her hands. What's left is this perfectly cracked and blackened roti, shiny from the ghee. I'm not ashamed to say I literally pick apart the top of those rotis just for the ghee, the frickin' ghee.

I'm gonna level with you. Ghee is the effin' GOAT. As far as I'm concerned, no other oil has a place in my home (except for EVOO) if I have a bottle of ghee. Ghee dates back to I don't know when, but tl;dr Butter was not conducive to being stored in the hot Indian climate and ghee was the solution. Ghee is not just about cooking though. Ghee is something that Hindus offer to the Gods during fire sacrifices. It's considered medicinal and mixed with fat-soluble vitamins to improve how our body absorbs those vitamins It's beneficial for aiding inflammation and promoting healthy digestion (let my Dad take you on the journey of ghee, turmeric, and black pepper). I'm not a nutritionist, this is literally just what I'm learning about ghee. I say that to say DO NOT TAKE NUTRITION ADVICE FROM THIS. What does all of this really mean about ghee though? It means it's bigger than just food, way bigger.

This blog is about food though, so imagine those french fries or eggplant parmesan fried in ghee. Tarka for a fresh dal? Take it to the next level with a spoon of ghee instead of oil. Making eggs in the morning? Instead of frying them or scrambling them in butter, use a spoon of ghee. Did you just make some roasted corn on the cob (or more like in a steamer bag)? Mix some ghee with chopped rosemary, chopped basil and some salt and brush it on. When I said ghee was the effin' GOAT, I was not messing around.