Recipe: Ghee (Clarified Butter)

I use so much ghee in my cooking, it's not even funny.  Then again, I'm Vata-Pitta, so it's great for my dosha type.  For years I've bought ghee, but that was out of convenience.  It's super easy to make!

Ghee is an amazing substance, and aside from the Ayurvedic reasons, it kicks up the level of taste like nobody's business.  Since I tend to cook high-heat recipes (i.e., Chinese stir-fry), I need a fat that will not burn or smoke, and ghee is great for that.  Between ghee and coconut oil as kitchen staples, I'm set.

Ingredients:
1lb unsalted butter (you can up the quantity, say, 2-10lbs!  I used 1lb here as a test run).

Instructions:

Heat 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 heat to as low as possible and simmer uncovered.

From time to time, removed the solids that accumulate on the surface.  Make sure the ghee does not burn!  If ghee is cooked over too high a heat or cooked too long, it will darken and give off a pungent odor.

The finished ghee should be golden-colored and clear enough to see through to the bottom of the saucepan.  Carefully ladle the ghee into a can or crock and allow it to cool uncovered at 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 (anywhere you use butter really!).

Ghee properly prepared and stored in closed containers in a cool dry place will keep for months.

My 1lb of butter yielded 10oz ghee perfectly!