I was lucky enough to be involved in many an artisan process since early childhood. Out of all the artisanal things mum practised in the kitchen, my favourite was the art of making butter. I wasn’t taught. I was probably brainwashed from watching mum go through her rituals every single day. Education via osmosis. It was like living in a churnery (is that a word?) where fresh cream was religiously skimmed off the top of boiled milk and collected in an earthen pot. When it started going sour, it was churned with a long wooden handled contraption by gently rolling between the palms of her hands (something that I do in my Kitchenaid stand mixer now). The luscious fluffy white butter would separate from the whey. And it is this butter that I would lap up with bread, flatbreads and everything in between. It was unsalted, cold, creamy and had a slight sour tang. I loved it.
Ingredients
- 500 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place butter in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat.
- Simmer till butter is melted. Reduce heat to low and give the melted butter a stir. Let it simmer slowly for 20-30 minutes ensuring that the heat is low enough for it to not start burning.
- Using a netted skimmer, skim the foamy bits off the top of the liquid (these are the milk solids separating from the liquid and burning off). Check from time to time (every 5 minutes) and skim the foam from the top.
- At the end of 30 minutes, you will have a reasonably clear golden liquid. You will see a solid brown (beehive patterned) residue at the bottom of the pan.
- Remove pan from heat. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Strain hot liquid carefully in a glass jar and allow it to cool completely before covering with a lid.
- Ghee will keep at room temperature for up to 3-4 weeks.
Sneh, you took me back to my childhood days. Ghee was always homemade and that beehive solid brown at the bottom of the pan was my abdolute favourite 🙂
Childhood memories! My mum used to make ‘scrambled’ mava with the leftover beehive – just add sliced onions, chopped tomatoes and green chilies, garam masala and salt. Cooks in a few minutes, delish with fresh rotis. Or the sweet version, which would make me heady! Sugar, crushed cardamom seeds and chopped nuts.
Lovely! I’ll have to make some very soon…
Cheers,
Rosa
Beautiful! I always wondered how this was made! I’ll have to try it sometime.
What a lovely childhood story! I’ve been meaning to make clarified butter for awhile now…I’ll get to it some day!
What a simple process! It’s nice to have an option to get some proper ghee when making a curry and opening the fridge to find out that it’s run out.
I didn’t grow up knowing about ghee much less ever tasting it. It wasn’t until I moved to Australia that I had my first opportunity and found I loved it. I’ve never made it but I’m going to now!
I’ve never cooked with ghee, but really enjoy the meals that my Indian friend cooks for me using it. I think she buys her ghee though, rather than making her own!
I had no idea how one actually made ghee. You put it in terms that I could totally understand. So excited to give it a try.
Sneh… you have brought so much joy & love into my kitchen…you so generously share your recipes… I have a chilli tree full of red & green Thai style chillies …what would you suggest I do with them all…my friends all say… “I have enough chillies for now”!
I could send you a parcel if you would like