The Melaniff Family Cookbook

Ghee

This form of clarified butter is sometimes used in Indian cooking. Since it can be heated to a high temperature, ghee makes frying less troublesome, as butter in conventional form burns rapidly. Another advantage is that it can be stored at room temperature for over six months; this is vital in India, where the heat can quickly cause spoilage.

Ingredients

500 g butter

Procedure

Use 500 g butter; this will yield about 350-400 g ghee.  Put the butter in a deep saucepan, place it on the stove and bring it to a gentle boil.  Keep it at a medium to low temperature and boil the liquid butter for 15-20 minutes.  The butter will bubble audibly as the water evaporates (however, once all the water has evaporated, the sound will cease).

At this stage a layer of scum will rise to the surface, the salt will settle to the bottom, and the clarified butter will settle in the middle.  Place a steel, enamel, or glass container on a flat surface nearby.  Remove the ghee from the heat and blow the scum to one side of the saucepan.

Pour the clarified butter into the container, leaving the salt at the bottom of the saucepan.  The ghee should be crystal-clear.  Cool and store.

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