How to Make Ghee (Homemade Ghee Recipe)
Ghee is a type of clarified butter made by slowly simmering unsalted butter until the milk solids separate, caramelize, and the water evaporates. The golden fat is then strained and used in Indian cooking for its rich flavor, high smoke point, and long shelf life. Traditionally made at home, it keeps well and adds flavor to both sweet and savory Indian dishes. Here's how to make ghee at home in a simple and reliable way.
Servings: 101 teaspoons
Calories: 43kcal
Instructions
Cook and Simmer Butter
- Take a large, heavy-bottomed pot or pan. Chop butter roughly and place in the pan covering the entire surface of pan evenly.
- Place pan on stovetop and heat on medium-low to medium heat. The butter will begin to melt.
- Stir in intervals when butter begins to melt to assist the larger pieces. When all the butter has melted, reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer gently.
- About a minute or so after all the butter is melted, you will hear sounds from the bottom of the pan and see milk solids appearing on the surface.
- The entire surface will be covered with milk solids. Continue to simmer.
- You will see the color change gradually to a from a buttery, pale yellow to light golden with the butter bubbling and shimmering. Continue to stir occasionally.
- After some time, the milk solids will begin to settle at the bottom and the surface will start to look clearer.
- Continue to simmer for a couple of minutes after all the milk solids have settled.
Make Ghee
- When you see medium to large sized bubbles forming on the top and the entire mixture is bubbling, you are almost done! Continue to simmer for a 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Remove from heat and place the pan on the countertop. You will see a layer of fine tiny bubbles on the top. Don't worry - these bubbles go away as the ghee gradually cools.
- The milk solids will begin to caramelize and turn golden from the residual heat, and you will see the color of ghee become darker.
- Wait until all the simmering stops and you see the browned bits of milk solids at the bottom.
Strain
- While the ghee is still hot, pour it through the strainer or cheese cloth placed on top of a glass jar.
- If your pan isn't very heavy, simply lift it and pour the ghee. I used a heavy ceramic coated cast iron pan, so using a ladle made this process easier.
- Use ghee as required. I recommend pulling out enough ghee for a week or so worth of cooking and keeping it in a small container in the kitchen.
- Store the rest in a cool, dark spot in the pantry for best storage. If stored well, ghee can last up to one year at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Flavored Ghee: Some people prefer to flavor the Ghee with moringa leaves or curry leaves. If you like flavored Ghee, add a few strands of either moringa leaves or curry leaves when you place the Ghee pan on the countertop. The leaves will cook and become crisp, releasing their flavors in the fat. Strain the Ghee and discard the stems or leaves.
- Pan type: I prefer to use a light colored pan so that I can see the color of the milk solids at the bottom when I stir. Ensure that your pan or pot is heavy or has thick bottom, so that the butter does not get burnt.
- Be attentive: If you keep the pan on heat for too long, the milk solids will get too browned or even burnt. You must be attentive here
- Jars for storing ghee: Make sure the glass jars are heat proof as the Ghee will be hot and can shatter glass that isn’t tempered. I find mason jars perfect for this. You can also store Ghee in steel jars.
- Scaling: While I make Homemade Ghee with 500 grams of unsalted butter, you can use any quantity of butter.
- Note that the approximate nutrition data is for 1 teaspoon of ghee.
Nutrition
Calories: 43kcal | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 1mg
