Photograph by Anna Pruitt
If you’ve ever stepped into an aromatic Indian restaurant and ordered a plate of saag paneer, you would’ve had ghee without realizing it. In fact, ghee is an integral staple in every Indian kitchen—equal to olive oil in every Italian household.
Ghee is really just clarified butter but cooked much longer. It takes a few hours to cook one pound of butter on very low heat, keeping it below simmer. The milk solids will settle nicely, making it very easy to strain the ghee. The sugars in the butter are lightly caramelized, imparting a distinctive nutty flavor.
Ghee originates in humid climates of central Asia with no refrigeration. It can hold its quality at room temperature for up to two months in a cool pantry and up to four months in the refrigerator. Since it is cooked longer, making it more refined than clarified butter, the smoking point is also higher, suitable for even deep-frying.
Before you can make ghee, you need to know the proper way to clarify the butter. Cut the desired amount of unsalted butter into small pieces and melt over the lowest heat without stirring. Do not let the butter sizzle. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. You will see the foamy top layer (the whey protein) which should be skimmed off. The white milk solids will settle in the bottom of the pan. What you have left is the pure golden butterfat. Strain off the clear yellow liquid with cheesecloth. Allow the clarified butter to cool completely before covering. It will stay in the liquid form at room temperature but will become grainy when chilled. Because the water and milk have been removed from the butter fat, it can be kept three times longer and it does not burn as easily.
While clarified butter is used in certain baked goods such as genoise and madeleines and in hollandaise sauce, ghee is used in every savory and sweet concoction in Indian and other Middle Eastern cuisines.
