Clarified butter or Ghee.

Clarified butter or Ghee. When from the butter the milk solids and water is being completely removed and the remaining liquid which is the butterfat I.e clarified butter or ghee. This clear looking butterfat has a high smoke point and is ideal for cooking and sautéing. It is very easy to prepare at home. This could be prepared using salted or unsalted butter by cooking in low flame for a few minutes or until the milk fat and water is separated completely. When comes to room temperature it solidifies and could be enjoyed in many ways.

There are numerous things that could be prepared by this light glossy clear liquid i.e clarified butter. Like sweets and desserts. Sautéed recipes and fried things as well. This provides the food with extra taste and flavor. Clarified butter ( ghee ) contains nearly 100% of calories from fat. It contains a higher concentration of fat than butter.

Taste and texture:

Buttery nutty and creamy flavor with light aroma. Simply melts in mouth.

Description

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India. It is commonly used in cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, Middle Eastern cuisine, Southeast Asian cuisine, traditional medicine, and religious rituals.Wikipedia

Ingredients required to prepare Clarified butter or Ghee are:

• Butter 3 cubes ( 4 oz each) salted or unsalted and preferably at room temperature.
• Thick bottomed pan or Indian karahi

Cook Time: 25 to 30 minutes in low flame

Directions to prepare Clarified butter or GHEE.

Use a thick bottomed pan. Add softened butter into the pan altogether. Turn on the heat. keeping the flame at low. Slowly let it heat and boil. After about a minute it will start to form a white layer on the top which are the milk solids. They look like tiny foamy bubbles that eventually settle down at the bottom of the pan.

By continuous cooking, the tiny bubbles changes to bigger bubbles and starts to pop up and then eventually disappear and settle down in the form of milk solids. The clear liquid that is left is pure clarified butter. Simply transfer and sieve the milk solids into a heat-safe jar by passing through a fine pore strainer or by using a cheesecloth. You may store this for more than a month or for a long time into a refrigerator. Clarified butter freezes when kept in a cooler temperature and melts once the temperature is hot. The consistency changes according to the temperature at which it is being stored.

Step by Step method to prepare along with images:

Use a thick bottomed pan. This reduces the risk of burning at the bottom of the pan. For this recipe, I am using 3 packs of unsalted sweet cream butter which is at room temperature and each pack is of 4 oz (113g)

Add softened butter into the pan altogether. Turn on the heat. keeping the flame at low. Slowly let it heat and boil.

After about a minute it will start to form a white layer on the top which are the milk solids. They look like tiny foamy bubbles that eventually settle down at the bottom of the pan while you cook.

Continue cooking until the tiny bubbles changes to bigger bubbles and starts to pop up and then eventually disappear and settle down in the form of milk solids.

The milk solids that start to settles down are slightly pinkish or reddish in color. By stirring gently with the spatula you need to check at the bottom of the pan in between cooking so that it does not burn out.

Be very careful at this point as soon as you see the pinkish form of solids starts to appear and you need to turn off the flame at this point immediately and then strain.

The clear liquid that you see is pure clarified butter.

Simply transfer and sieve the milk solids into a direct to the heat-safe jar by passing through a fine pore strainer or by using a cheesecloth.

You may store this for more than a month or for a long time into a refrigerator.

Clarified butter freezes when kept in a cooler temperature and melts once the temperature is hot. The consistency changes according to the temperature at which it is being stored.

Many people asks?

What is the difference between clarified butter and regular butter?

Clarified butter is more clearer form of butter fat that is left after heating and cooking process from which milk solids and water is completely removed. It’s clear and golden in color and has high smoke point which works great with cooking and sautéing. Where as regular butter is made up of butterfat, milk solids and water. Clarified butter also contains extra calories than any other regular butter fat.

How long does it take to clarify butter?

It depends on the amount of butter you are using. For three packs each of 4oz of softened butter it took me around 25 to 30 minutes at the lowest heat. Slowly let it simmer and cook. It might take a while depending on the thickness of the pan used as well, but once done the result would be outstanding.

What is Clarified Butter used for?

Clarified butter could be used numerous ways. It is used for sautéing vegetables and many other things. Tastes great if applied on seafoods or other non vegetarian foods like steak or lamb etc. could be used for preparing authentic Indian old sweet recipes , cakes and desserts etc.

How clarified butter tastes like?

Since water and milk solids is removed from it, it is more clear liquid form and tastes for rich and creamy and extremely flavorful. For eg To taste the real flavor try using 1 tablespoon of Clarified butter with 1 cup of rice with some salt and pepper. Along with the taste the aroma also differs from regular oil or butter.

Is Ghee the same as Clarified Butter?

Ghee is the purest form of butterfat or the clarified butter i.e Ghee. The purest form of butterfat that is left once the milk solids and water is removed completely by caramelizing the milk solids which settles down completely at the bottom of the pan and then strained. Whereas Clarified butter is just the process where Milk fat and water are being separated to a certain point which is in the form of a foamy white layer at the top of the melted butter which is then removed with a spoon and the liquid that is left is Clarified butter.

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