Butter and ghee are not the same. Ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer to remove all the moisture, and the milk solids are browned (caramelized) in the fat and then strained out. This gives a rich nutty taste. Ghee has a longer shelf life, both refrigerated and at room temperature. It is traditionally used in Indian cuisine. Always use unsalted butter. Use organic butter or the best butter you can buy. Cheap butter contains lots of water and chemicals, plus it burns much faster.
When making clarified butter always start with at least 25% more unsalted butter than the amount of clarified butter needed, as the volume is reduced during the melting and straining process.
Depending on where you live sometimes Ghee can be expensive to buy... making it in your own kitchen is easy and inexpensive..So here is the easy method to make ghee @ home...
Ingredients:
500 gm unsalted butter
Muslin cloth, & funnel
Method:
Heat a pan & melt the butter.
Allow it to simmer gently for 25-30 minutes.
Never cover the pan during the whole cooking process.
After that some solids will be visible on the bottom of the pan and the liquid deepens to golden and turns translucent and fragrant. Also a rich aroma ( aroma smells like popcorn) arises in the air. Immediately remove from the heat.
Important - If you leave it on the heat too long, you will burn the residue and all of the ghee will have a burnt taste. allow the pan to cool in room tempr.
Filter the ghee into a clean , dry airtight jar...
Or
Pour the hot melted butter into a container and allow it to separate on its own while cooling, and then refrigerate. After it has solidified, you can easily scrape off the hardened foam on top.
