Neyyi (Ghee)

Making ghee, I guess, is one of the few things I cook that makes me home-sick. It brings forth the realization that I no longer am the carefree kid sitting in the kitchen eating tasty bites of food, fresh as they were prepared, but am now in the unenviable position of the responsible adult. Well, nostalgia aside, making ghee is one ritual I love and enjoy. It brings warm memories of being in India. When I first moved to California, the only ghee we bought came off Amul tins and the only time I ever used ghee was for making prasadams.

Since I discovered the ease with which I can make ghee at home, it has become an integral part of my cooking. I cannot wholeheartedly say that it is the healthiest diet possible, but I know for sure that "moderation is better than abstinence"!

Nutritional Information:*
(As obtained from CalorieKing)
Per tsp of ghee:
Calories: 45
Calories from Fat: 45
Total Fat: 5 g (8% of DV)
Saturated Fat: 3 g (15% of DV)
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 8 mg (3% of DV)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 0 g
Proteins: 0 g

Making ghee:
What you need: Unsalted butter and a large heavy bottomed vessel.

Unsalted or sweet cream butter is available in most grocery stores. Two one pound bars of ghee make about 600 g of ghee.

To make ghee, place the unsalted butter in the pan and heat on a low flame for 10 minutes. Then lower the flame and heat for another 30 minutes to one hour till the lower layer turns clear.

Filter the white layer that forms on the top out and store the lower clear liquid ghee in an air tight glass or metal container.

Things to remember:
Make sure that the container is not moist at all. Ghee is best stored at room temperature. Presence of any moisture will result in fungus forming in the ghee. Formation of fungus can be identified by the appearance of thin black filaments.

Another thing to remember is that ghee needs to be made at a very low flame. If you make the ghee on a high flame it will result in the ghee turning dark brown. This liquid does not have the taste or flavor of ghee.

I have never tried this out, but I remember reading that you can use cinnamon, cardamom or pepper to flavor ghee if you use it mostly for biryani's and gravies.

*Percent daily value are based on a 2000 calorie diet and may vary based on individual requirements.

Please note that Ghee is 100% Fat!!!