Ghee is butter that has had the solid fats and salts removed by slow simmering. Although it’s often thought of as a part of Indian Cuisine, it can be used in place of oil for sauteeing in any cuisine and can even be spread on toast instead of butter. Ghee is better for you as it is relatively free of oxidized cholesterol and it also has a much higher burn temperature and is less likely to become rancid. It will keep for months if store in a closed container in a cool dry place.
Ghee is surprisingly easy to make and homemade is more cost effective and fresh then ghee purchased at the store.
From The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking:
Begin by heating the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. When the surface of the butter is covered with a white foam, reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer uncovered. From time to time remove the solids that accumulate on the surface. Make sure the ghee doesn’t burn. If ghee
is cooked over too high a heat or cooked too long, it will darken and give off a pungent odor.
How much time you need for preparing the ghee depends on how much you are making (see table below). The finished ghee should be golden-colored and clear enoug~ to see through to the bottom of the saucepan. Carefully ladle the ghee into a can or crock and allow it to cool uncovered to room temperature. The milk solids skimmed off
the surface and the solids remaining in the bottom of the pan can be mixed into cooked vegetables, soups, and grains. Ghee properly prepared and stored in closed containers in a cool dry place will keep for months.
| Quantity of butter | Cooking time | Yield of ghee |
| 2 Ibs (1 kg) | 1/2 hr. | 1 3/4 lbs. |
Note: I’ve made this with one pound of butter and it turned out fine.
