Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook
Making ghee
Hi
I read about how to make ghee. If I want to make it from scratch, I want to know how to do it.
The way I remember it, my grandma used to take out the malai (which we maharashtrians call 'saai') once the milk is boiled. Then she would store it in a porcelain jar. She would keep doing this for a week or two. Then one morning she would take out all the stored malai and with some water added to it make buttermilk. Then she would stir it with a special stirrer till the butter started to float. She would collect all the butter (non salted of course) and (try to) keep it away from us kids. ;-). Then in the afternoon, she would heat up all the butter and that's how ghee was made.
I want to know if that is the right procedure or if my memory is not serving me right. Am I missing any steps? I was told that one must add a little curd to the malai when you start storing it to start the fermentation process. Is that right?
Any of the moms there who could help me out?
Thanks.
-AshD
AshD,
what you remembered is a 'recipe' for just butter, not ghee. There is a big difference.
Butter is milk fat with about 20% water.
Ghee is butter with the water removed, but with extra flavour from the reaction between milk sugar (lactose) and casein (milk protein or whey powder). The reaction between the sugar and the protein is the Maillard reaction, the one that gives us brown toast, biscuits and meat, and is responsible for the darkening of coriander and cumin powder when cooked.
'Celebrity chefs' (the bane of my life!) call ghee 'clarified butter', which it is, partly, but without the nutty flavours of the Maillard reaction.
well I never knew that (probably because of TV chef'ery) !
Steve
I use ghee quite frequently, much to some peoples despair. They have a huge hang up about me using a tablespoon of ghee to make a dish that will serve 3-4 people, but they will quite happily spread liberal amounts of butter on their toast in the morning. They probably eat more when having their toast than they do when they eat what I make.
?Then in the afternoon, she would heat up all the butter and that's how ghee was made.?
AshD does mention his/her GM heating the butter to make ghee Lapis :-).
I too call ghee Clarified butter, since I do not know any other word for it. Perhaps you can help here Lapis?
Sid, everything in moderation is fine. I don?t use ghee often but love it in dals and khitcheri etc. and on freshly made corn, sorghum and millet rpties.
Wow....
That's a good response.....Thanks espacially Mamta for defending me...:)
Yeah, I know how to make ghee once I have butter....but getting the butter was a big problem for me !
I just heard another trick....even while making curd, once should use slightly warm milk and add a little curd to it to chainstart the reaction. The warm milk makes a sweet curd....if the milk is cold, chances are that curd might turn sour.....!
So similarly when you add curd to the malai you follow the same procedure, the malai you store should be slightly warm and not room temp. At least that's what I heard....
Any thoughts?
Pls feel free to shell out any advice on the subject....
AshD
Oh ya ya ya that butter was lovely and soft, my mother used to make the same, we used to have it in bread (with a bit of sugar added) or chappatis and the resulting ghee was so lovely and aromatic unlike what we get in the market.
to make ghee, one needs lactose and milk protein. The lactose is dissolved in the water, and the milk protein is suspended (a colloid) in the water, unless precipitated by making curds (yoghurt). Therefore making ghee from pure butter is difficult, one could end up with just clarified butter, which we have discussed is not ghee.
When ghee is made, the lactose and whey protein react, and often form a 'layer' on the bottom of the pan. This is darker than the original ingredients for reasons discussed. The newly formed nutty compounds are soluble in fat/oil, so dissolve in the ghee, giving it its characteristic flavour. Unless some milk solids and watery lactose are present when making ghee, very little flavour will be developed, and the fat can be called clarified butter.
If curds are used, it is possible that all the lactose has been converted to lactic acid by the lactobacteria, so adding a little fresh milk is a good idea.
This is all very interesting stuff. I once bought ghee from an Indian supermarket in a big can, and it was white in colour and had a nutty aroma to it. When I make ghee at home I melt two blocks of unsalted butter over a low heat, skim off the foam that appears on the surface and all the milk solids that come to the top. Once the bubbling nose stops (which I assume means that the water content has gone), I filter it through a muslin cloth and store it in a glass jar. Compared to the shop bought one it is bright yellow.
If Lapis can get around to it, maybe she could create a recipe (if you can call it a recipe) for making proper ghee.
I came across a video on YT some time ago, where an Indian lady was making ghee from yoghurt ? I think it was meant to be used topically, but it was a while ago now so I may be wrong.
Sid.
BTW. When you are making clarified butter can you add some whole spices to it to add extra flavour? Or would you not advise that just in case they burn?
instead of skimming the froth off, stir it in. It should sink to the bottom of the pan, and even stick to it. As the solids turn deep yellow/brown, the flavour should develop.
Adding whole spices to hot ghee is a method of 'perfuming' ghee in Kashmir, they usually use green cardamon or cloves, and add water to cool it rapidly (do we see a H&S problem here? Don't try this at home!!!
LOL. Don't try this at home sort of thing you mean? Here's what not to do with a chip pan fire, but this is how to make perfumed ghee. :o)
I'll alert the fire brigade next time I am making ghee and let them know that this time there will be an added twist...it's going to be perfumed :o) If they see smoke and they smell burning, not to worry, it's just the nutter from number from number 1. I'm sorry, but for some reason that really cracked me up!!
"It should sink to the bottom of the pan, and even stick to it. As the solids turn deep yellow/brown, the flavour should develop."
My mum and sisters used to add this brown solid to the flour and make lovely paratha dough. It had a really nice aroma/flavour, kind of smoking ghee. This is becoming less popular now a days because of constant reminder about cholesterol content of such things!
We used to scratch the brown solid layer and consume it adding little sugar, it had nice aromatic nutty flavour to it
the 'nutty' flavours and aromas are from a group of compounds called pyrazines, and as mentioned, are the result of the Maillard reaction between sugars and proteins.
Actually, the reaction only occurs with so-called reducing sugars, which include glucose, fructose and lactose, but does not include sucrose (ordinary table sugar). To be more specific, it requires adjacent carbonyl groups (that's -C=O) so vitamin C will also undergo the Maillard reaction. And the protein is any amino group, as found on all amino acids (so includes peptides and proteins).
There are many known compounds of the Maillard reaction, which can contribute to the flavour and aroma. One is the reaction between fructose and amino acids, so sprinkling fructose (fruit sugar) on chicken and cooking will intensify the chicken flavour.
Note that glucose also reacts with haemoglobin forming HbA1c, a tell-tale marker for high blood sugar (over previous 3 months) as any diabetic will tell you. The reaction is also known to cause premature aging in people.
By the way, sucrose is split into fructose and glucose in the body, so don't think that just having sucrose will not age you!
Ha...ha....ha....ha....
I just asked how to drive a car and Lapis is explaining the whole damn theory of how the car works.
Now, that's funny!
With due respect, no doubt I'll enjoy your lecture at my leisure Lapis but right now I just wanted to know how to make some ghee that will go nicely with some dal-rice or parathas.
Jokes apart, thanks for the interest guys....
But no one really added anything practical to the process. I guess then I am not too wrong and so can go ahead and give it a try. This is my first time to make ghee on my own so hope it works out well.
Frankly I don't care if it is ghee or 'clarified butter', this is what I remember eating and that's what I am aiming at making.
Wish me good luck......
AshD
p.s. - You are right Rajneesh...we too used to scrape out the brown layer at the bottom of the 'kadhai' and add sugar to it and eat it. In Maharashtra this brown layer is called 'berry' and it is considered a delicacy....(In fact, when I first heard of the famous 'berry pulao' at Britania restaurant in Mumbai I thought that's what it was.....a pulao made with brown ghee layer....later I came to know that it was actully a pulao made with Iranian berries giving the pulao a sweet-n-sour taste!)
Lapis, I think the difference here is making the ghee from scratch. In India we first make the butter using curd (the layer formed above boiling milk is milk fat and it turns to a very very rich curd when stored and allowed the bacteria to do their trick!)
What you are talking about is store bought butter which when heated would just give liquid form of butter and hence you call it 'clarified butter'.
In India we do get store bought butter but any decent household where a female member of age above 40 is present will consider it an insult to use that butter! :)
And since we make it from scratch, your theories about milk proteins etc are really used without sounding too clinical. We just use it without having to think about it.
Sorry about earlier crack about driving ...and yes,driving with understading of the mechanism of the car does make a difference but come on, it isn'really necessary, is it? If it were so, 80 % of people won't be allowed to drive!
Point being, I was little worried about the procedure so I wanted to check...or say double check if what I was doing was right.....
Anyway, I am going ahead and hopefully enjoy some 'ghee' or 'c.b.' soon....doubly sweet as I would be making it with my own hands.....!!
:)
AshD
Lapis, it is really great to know the science behind cooking, only if my old brain could remember it all. I for one always enjoy reading it and finding out new things. Seriously though, perhaps Gujarati people knew something we north Indians didn?t about food flavours. They add sugar to many of their savoury dishes like curries and dals etc. Not sure if they know that it enhances flavours or they just like the taste of sugar. Now, will sprinkling of normal sugar, sucrose, have some effect on flavour? I know Chinese add sugar to many of their dishes and it is sometimes added to marinades, though in tiny quantities. I am thinking (I do, occasionally, ha ha); when we add tomatoes to dishes, does the fructose and glucose in them help to enhance flavours, along with the taste? Can one really separate flavour from taste while eating? Most of use things in cooking, and dare say life, without knowing the reasons behind them. They are just learnt wisdom of generations. I always find that it is good to know why we do them.
?By the way, sucrose is split into fructose and glucose in the body, so don't think that just having sucrose will not age you!?
There is no getting out of getting older, whatever you eat, but diabetes certainly adds to it :(! I should know!! Alas, we have no access to ?Amrit? of Gods.
AshD, it sometimes helps to know how the car works LOL, especially if you are stuck in the middle of nowhere!
?What you are talking about is store bought butter which when heated would just give liquid form of butter and hence you call it 'clarified butter'. ?
In UK, I usually make ghee from shop bought butter, buying the one that is on ?specials?. It is exactly the same, making ghee from it that is. When ready, there is a brown, nutty, residue at the bottom. But these days, I throw it away. With my age, medical conditions, Indian genes and inability to tolerate cholesterol lowering drugs, I need to cut down on my intake (of cholesterol) where I can. I know flavours and taste matter, but one has to be sensible and moderate about these things, health matters too. Perhaps you are too young to worry about these things yet LOL!
It is interesting that you call ?milk skin? curd. We north Indians call is Malai. Curd is yoghurt to most northerners.
??the layer formed above boiling milk is milk fat and it turns to a very very rich curd when stored and allowed the bacteria to do their trick!
I suppose you could add a little yoghurt culture to it (malai), but most people I know in the north just collect the malai, adding no culture to it and make butter directly from it
?In India we do get store bought butter but any decent household where a female member of age above 40 is present will consider it an insult to use that butter! :)
LOL! Women younger than 40 also make butter from malai, at least everyone I know there!! Many families in India buy semi-skimmed milk these days and do not have home made butter any more, especially in big cities. They buy dairy butter from Amul/Mother?s dairy etc., which is pretty reasonable butter, only if they will learn not to add colour and salt to it!
Hope your ghee making goes well AshD.
Mamta
I am reminded of the old Indian story of the young bride, wanting to impress her new husband in the cooking of a leg of lamb. She prepares it in the same way her mother taught her, by cutting the end of the leg off before putting it into a pan. Her husband asked her she did this, and the young bride said it was the way she was taught, but didn't know the reason, but said she would ask her mother. Her mother didn't know, either, and said she would ask her mother.
Her mother, the bride's grandmother said, ''I cut the end of the lamb leg off so that I can fit it into the little pan, always have!!''
The moral of the tale is that a little dogma goes a long way (at least two generations).
Give a man a fish and it will feed him for a day.
Teach him to fish, and you feed him for a life time.
Teach him about fish farming, biodiversity and ecology, and you feed his family and their families forever.
However, give a man a religion, and he dies, praying for fish!
LOL!!
Sorry about forgetting to cancel the italics after the quotes. It looks confusing. It should be like this;
Lapis, it is really great to know the science behind cooking, only if my old brain could remember it all. I for one always enjoy reading it and finding out new things. Seriously though, perhaps Gujarati people knew something we north Indians didn?t about food flavours. They add sugar to many of their savoury dishes like curries and dals etc. Not sure if they know that it enhances flavours or they just like the taste of sugar. Now, will sprinkling of normal sugar, sucrose, have some effect on flavour? I know Chinese add sugar to many of their dishes and it is sometimes added to marinades, though in tiny quantities. I am thinking (I do, occasionally, ha ha); when we add tomatoes to dishes, does the fructose and glucose in them help to enhance flavours, along with the taste? Can one really separate flavour from taste while eating? Most of use things in cooking, and dare say life, without knowing the reasons behind them. They are just learnt wisdom of generations. I always find that it is good to know why we do them.
?By the way, sucrose is split into fructose and glucose in the body, so don't think that just having sucrose will not age you!?
There is no getting out of getting older, whatever you eat, but diabetes certainly adds to it :(! I should know!! Alas, we have no access to ?Amrit? of Gods.
AshD, it sometimes helps to know how the car works LOL, especially if you are stuck in the middle of nowhere!
?What you are talking about is store bought butter which when heated would just give liquid form of butter and hence you call it 'clarified butter'.?
In UK, I usually make ghee from shop bought butter, buying the one that is on ?specials?. It is exactly the same, making ghee from it that is. When ready, there is a brown, nutty, residue at the bottom. But these days, I throw it away. With my age, medical conditions, Indian genes and inability to tolerate cholesterol lowering drugs, I need to cut down on my intake (of cholesterol) where I can. I know flavours and taste matter, but one has to be sensible and moderate about these things, health matters too. Perhaps you are too young to worry about these things yet LOL!
It is interesting that you call ?milk skin? curd. We north Indians call is Malai. Curd is yoghurt to most northerners.
??the layer formed above boiling milk is milk fat and it turns to a very very rich curd when stored and allowed the bacteria to do their trick!?
I suppose you could add a little yoghurt culture to it (malai), but most people I know in the north just collect the malai, adding no culture to it and make butter directly from it
?In India we do get store bought butter but any decent household where a female member of age above 40 is present will consider it an insult to use that butter!:)?
LOL! Women younger than 40 also make butter from malai, at least everyone I know there!! Many families in India buy semi-skimmed milk these days and do not have home made butter any more, especially in big cities. They buy dairy butter from Amul/Mother?s dairy etc., which is pretty reasonable butter, only if they will learn not to add colour and salt to it!
Hope your ghee making goes well AshD.
Mamta
This is getting really interesting Mamta, thanks for the explanation.
During our school/college days he used to get buffalo milk delivered home every morning and of course it was full fat and ghee and butter from it yummy.
and Lapis -"Give man a religion and he will die praying for fish" ? ha ha ha quote of the day.
'I suppose you could add a little yoghurt culture to it (malai), but most people I know in the north just collect the malai, adding no culture to it and make butter directly from it'
Huh.....???
How is that possible?
Pls let me know as it is news to me....
LOL
AshD
p.s. - I don't call milk skin 'curd'....milk skin turns into curd if a bit of curd added to it....milk skin is called 'malai' or in Maharashtra 'saai' as I have written before.....the butter one gathers out of buttermilk is called 'loni' in Marathi....and ghee is called 'toop'....curd incidently is called 'dahi'..and the brown layer 'berry' ....the malai or 'saai' that you store with a bit of curd to start the fermentation process is called 'virjan'....and the 'toop' you get finally is described as 'swaadisth'!!
"During our school/college days he used to get buffalo milk delivered home every morning"
During my school years, we used to have a cow or a buffalo, our house at the time used have a pukka animal shed for this purpose.
"Pls let me know as it is news to me...."
If you look here; Making butter, it tells you how to make it from malai.
Hi !!AshD--- Hope u have successfully made ghee & enjoiyed eating too!!
I agree on the process u have described for ghee making as my mother taught me the same & she has been following the procedure for years. One should take the precaution of how much yogurt to be added to malai depending on season, summer winter etc.( that is a trick)
I have never heard about making ghee directly out of malai as mentioned by some in North India. However nothing wrong in trying & see the results?
Bye for now.
JB