Ghee—exploring the secrets of an ancient Indian ingredient 

Recent decades have seen rising health consciousness among people. Many avoid highly processed foods with artificial ingredients and are returning to traditional and natural food products. It is this growing awareness about the properties of foods and ingredients that is making ghee globally popular—more and more people are asking “what is ghee?”

What is ghee?

Ghee, or more precisely, desi ghee, is a very special ingredient that emerged in India thousands of years ago. You can call it a type of clarified butter, only richer in flavor and with a higher smoke point. 

Traditionally, it has been part of daily food consumption throughout the Indian subcontinent. In rural areas, where people raise a lot of dairy animals, even today, they often eat roti with ghee when they’re unable to have proper meals and must rely on what they can produce with resources at home. Paradoxically, ghee has also been considered a luxury ingredient. It is expensive since it requires a significant amount of milk to make a small amount of it, and the process of making it is labor-intensive. Only the wealthy would use it as a cooking fat. 

Ghee was accorded a special place in the cuisine of the subcontinent, unlike any other food product or ingredient, until the anti-fat dietitians started saying saturated fats are bad for health, and modernity rendered it old-fashioned and out of date. Interestingly, in urban desi households, you would often hear members of the older generation saying that nothing can substitute for ghee and that it is particularly important for health and nourishment. 

Well, guess what. 

The ancient wisdom about ghee is being embraced by younger generations because new research confirms its health benefits.

Ghee benefits—it’s a healthy form of saturated fat  

The concept of healthy and unhealthy fats, together with the awareness that fat intake is necessary for our health, has greatly influenced modern attitudes towards incorporating fat in daily food intake. Gone are the days when all forms of fatty foods were demonized, and body fat was seen as nothing but a problem. Our bodies store energy in the form of fat. Fat also provides insulation to organs and contributes to the functioning of our nervous system. Fat is necessary for our bodies to absorb nutrients, to process fat-soluble vitamins, and to produce hormones such as estrogen. 

Ghee was once considered unhealthy because it is a saturated fat, but it is very different from other forms of saturated fats, such as animal fats, because it is constructed of short-chain fatty acids. High consumption of animal fats composed of longer-chain fatty acids is associated with negative effects on the body, such as cardiovascular diseases. Modern research shows that ghee is a form of healthy fat. It is easy to digest, and like other short-chain fatty acids, it can help remove excess cholesterol. It is an antioxidant and a natural source of vitamins A and E. 

The origin of ghee—an ancient source of physical and spiritual nourishment  

Archaeological research in the Indus Valley suggests that ghee was in use in India around 8,000 years ago. It is mentioned in sacred Indian texts as the divine nectar or amrita for nurturing the soul and a symbol of purity, and is an integral ingredient in foods prepared for worship, festivals, and rituals. 

The ancient Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, appreciates it as a pure substance that helps harmonize and enhance physical and mental well-being. In fact, Ayurvedic texts include it in the eleven food items that are recommended for daily use. Three different words are used to describe ghee: ‘pavitra’ or pure, ‘ajya’ or long-lasting, and ‘amrita’ or life-giving. These words highlight the importance that ancient Indian medical systems attached to this dairy fat ingredient. Ghee is seen as therapeutic in itself and is also part of many Ayurvedic medicines. It is thus viewed across the Indian subcontinent as a highly valuable food on its own, a medicine, and also a flavor-enhancing and nourishing ingredient to add to dishes. 

In Hinduism, worship includes offering food to the gods called ‘prasad’, and food and sweets prepared with ghee are an important feature of these offerings. Furthermore, in festivals such as Deepavali or the festivals of lights, lamps are lit with ghee, and in Yagnas or rituals of sacrifice performed before a sacred fire, ‘homa’ is performed when ghee, herbs, and grains are added to the fire. Thus, its purity represents both physical and spiritual benefits, cleansing the body of illness and the soul from vice. 

How to make ghee—from sweet cream butter or the traditional Indian bilona method 

In a simplified way, ghee is often described as clarified butter. Frequently, it is made by cooking sweet cream butter until the milk solids caramelize, are extracted, and a golden liquid remains. If you want to try making it from store-bought unsalted or sweet cream butter, follow this easy recipe by Savita. Ghee obtained from this method is sweet and fragrant and retains the most important health benefits of desi ghee made by using the authentic traditional Indian bilona method. 

Traditionally, it is made according to the Vedic method.

• The slow and elaborate process starts with boiling fresh milk to disinfect and concentrate it. 
• Once it has cooled down, a little curd (Indian yogurt or dahi) is added to it, and it is allowed to ferment overnight. 
• The next step is the most laborious—slowly hand-churning the curd using a wooden bilona, a special utensil for churning. This process ends when the curd separates into butter and buttermilk. 
• The cultured butter is then cooked slowly. Gentle simmering results in the milk solids at the bottom turning brown, and it is clarified to produce ghee. 

This traditional method produces ghee that has a bit more complex, nutty flavor and a grainy texture. You can find more information about this way of obtaining ghee from fresh unprocessed milk here. If you want to recreate this method without access to fresh, unprocessed milk and traditional tools, you can follow this recipe by Puja. 

How to use ghee—daily use and special occasions 

Adding a dollop of ghee to melt on top of a hot roti to eat with a lentil curry, or rolling it inside layers of dough to make a delicious paratha, and cooking dishes in ghee rather than plant-based oils or any other fat—these are some of the common daily uses of ghee. 

Desi ghee is also used to make many types of sweets that are mostly dairy-based. For example, besan laddu (sphere-shaped sweet made with gram flour), as well as laddu made with other types of flour. This round and delectable dessert is loved all over India and Pakistan and is associated with festive occasions such as weddings and births, as well as prasad offerings. 

Recipes with ghee as the star ingredient 

You can use ghee instead of butter, oil, or other forms of fat, depending on your preference, while preparing various dishes. Many Indian and Pakistani recipes recommend using ghee, and you can follow these to enhance flavor and increase nutrition and health benefits in daily meals.

There is also a very special way of using ghee for various dishes, called the ‘ghee tadka’. Tadka is a method of tempering spices in hot oil before pouring it into a dish, and when we use ghee instead of oil, the flavor becomes very special indeed. 

Here is a recipe for preparing red lentils or masoor dal with ghee tadka. The tadka made with ghee, adding cumin seeds, dry red chilis, coriander powder, red chili powder, and a bit of salt, will make the simple lentil dish super delicious and nutritious. Enjoy it with Kaiser’s romali roti or paratha.

Having already mentioned besan laddu, it would be highly amiss not to provide a recipe to make this delicious sweet at home. This gram flour sweet is made with ghee and can be stored for up to two weeks in an airtight container. Refrigerate to use for longer periods of time. Of course, you don’t have to make this dessert at home if you can buy authentic besan laddu at a sweet shop, but whether you buy or make it at home, this indulgent sweet can be the perfect dessert after your favorite desi meal such as Kaiser’s Bombay chicken biryani!  

Concluding words…

Fragrant, nutritious, medicinal, golden ghee, which becomes solid in lower temperatures and liquid in higher temperatures without spoiling, was the product of an ancient technique of preserving dairy products in India. But it was far more than that. It was a source of sustenance, nourishment, and healing. No wonder it became revered and sacred, a divine gift accepted with gratitude, and offered in worship to be shared with the community.