Welcome and welcome to Paulina Kitchen! This is a special delivery because we are going to talk about an ingredient highly valued in Indian cuisine. We are talking about Ghee . That clarified butter that lately has more marketing than a rock star.
But in addition to being fashionable, the Ghee is an ingredient of those who earn their little place in the cupboard for their own merit. This note is to understand what the ghee is , how it is used, why some love it and others ... they should love it.
We are going to talk about the tips to make a good homemade ghee and if it really should use GHEE instead that the common butter. Do they come?
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About the ghee
The ghee is basically a clarified butter that is cooked over short heat to eliminate water and milk solids. What remains is liquid gold (or solid, if it is cold): pure healthy fats , with a nut flavor that smells of Indian grandmother's kitchen.
This comes from the world of Ayurveda , that ancestral medicine of India that believes that what we eat has everything to do with how we live.
5 characteristics that make a star ingredient
- Deep, toasted and with character: It is not the same to cook with butter as with clarified butter. Clarified butter has a toasted nut flavor , which adds layers of flavor to any dish. It gives personality to what it touches. Even white rice is elegant.
- High smoke point: This is a goal for those who cook with a strong fire. This endures high temperatures without burning or becoming toxic , as it happens with other fats. The famous high smoke point makes it the real ace under the sleeve to skip or brown.
- It lasts a lot : once done, this clarified butter can be stored inside or outside the refrigerator for months. Of course, always in clean and dry bottle. If it is saved in the refrigerator it is best to take it out for a while before using it to soften.
- Versatile: Go with everything: baked vegetables, baked meat , fish , rice , a good homemade bread , cakes and more. In healthy kitchen, it is a wave wildcard.
- It does not need preservatives: the clarification process makes the GHEE naturally stable. So no additives or rare labels. Only pure transformed butter.
Differences between ghee and butter
One of the most circulating questions is: Is it simply a melted butter? And the answer is ... no. Not at all. Although both leave the same origin, the result is different .
Common butter contains water, milk and fat proteins. Instead, clarified butter is only fat , but more concentrated, tastier and with better kitchen performance.
So, if you have to choose: Ghee or butter ? It depends on tastes and needs. If you want deep taste, cooking at high temperature and an ingredient that lasts your time, the clarified butter wins by win.
But if it is to prepare some French toast , for example, butter is an ally. Although, eye, a homemade ghee on warm bread ... Mamita!
The 3 secrets to prepare homemade ghee
Making a good clarified butter is more an art than a science. Here it is not just to melt butter and voila. The trick is to know when to stop, look at the bubbles, smell the right point, and have patience. Because yes, making clarified butter takes its time.
The fire has to be very low , of those that barely whisper. And you have to stay there, with the ear in the pot. The ideal moment is when milk solids are brown in the background and the aroma changes. If it happens to them, it is bitter; If they cut it before, it is butter. So calm, honey, and ladle.
Another secret of experts: strain it with love. And not any strainer, a fine filter , those for coffee or gauze is needed, because we want the homemade ghee to be clean like the soul after a detox.
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Uses of ghee in the kitchen
This part is like opening a toolbox. The ghee serves a thousand things. It is basically used the same as butter, but it is lighter and more beneficial.
- Sauté vegetables: without burning.
- Brown meats: to give them that tempting crispy.
- Cook eggs: without sticking.
- Currys: the ghee is special to perfume and give flavor.
- In pastry: in cakes, muffins and flavor pancakes.
- Spread in bread: or to melt about choclos.
- Mix with spices: it is ideal for creating flavored butter.
8 tips to make a perfect homemade ghee
- Use good raw material: butter has to be of quality. The more natural, the better. Ideal if it is without salt , so that it does not interfere with the final taste.
- Calculate quantities : During the ghee preparation , milk solids (lactose and casein) and water are eliminated, so it is lost between 25% and 30% of the original weight.
- Low heat: nothing to hurry, this butter needs time, affection and patience. If you burn, it is bitter.
- Foam and not abandon : at the beginning a white foam is going to form. You have to remove it with a spoon. And stay close, as who expects the candy.
- Looking at the bottom of the pot : when the solids go to the bottom and brown slightly, it is the right moment. Neither before nor after.
- Strain well strained: coffee filter, gauze or fine canvas. No noodles. We want a clear, golden and impurities liquid.
- Package with elegance: clean, dry and preferably glass bottle. Save it covered and in a cool place. And ready: they have homemade ghee for a while.
- Try spices : once they grab your hand, you can infuse: with turmeric, garlic, laurel, cumin. A universe of flavors opens.
