Ghee is made by heating unsalted butter
until it clarifies into its separate components:
lactose (sugar), milk protein, and fat. Over a low
flame, the moisture is removed, and the sugar
and protein separate into curds that sink to the
bottom and are later discarded. What’s left is
rich, sweet, nutty ghee—a substitute for butter
or oil in any recipe. With its high smoking point
of up to 485 degrees, it’s perfect for frying
and sautéing. Its robust flavor makes it a great
seasoning for everything from oatmeal to rice,
steamed vegetables, and curries. It’s delicious
spread over any type of bread. And it’s lactose
free and easy to digest.
DOWN TO THE ESSENCE
Throughout India, ghee is a sacred symbol of
auspiciousness and is a household staple in
medicine cabinets, as well as kitchen pantries.
Kept out of sunlight and free of moisture, ghee
has a shelf life of 12 months without refrigeration,
though some people do prefer to refrigerate it.
In Ayurveda, India’s 5,ooo-year-old system of
healing, ghee is as much medicine as it is food,
says Rima Shah, a certified Ayurvedic practitioner
and co-founder of the Diva Ayurveda wellness
center. “It is completely nourishing and healing,”
Shah explains. “It is considered the single most
powerful food for increasing ojas, the vital life
force that lives in all of us. Ojas is the essence of
health and well-being.”
According to Shah, ghee makes appearances
throughout the ancient texts, which give
glowing descriptions of its brilliance and light.
In the Mahabharata, the great Indian epic that
includes the Bhagavad Gita, ghee is described as
an essence flowing through and sustaining the
world.
In Vedic texts, ghee is a kind of metaphor
for the nature of the Divine itself, says ghee
maker Peter Malakoff, an Ayurvedic practitioner
in Bolinas, California. “As the Divine is hidden
in creation and could be considered to be the
essence of creation, so ghee is hidden in milk
and is considered to be the essence of milk,” he
says.
THE RIGHT CHURN
In much of the United States, you can buy ghee
at natural food stores—or you can order it
online. But many people make their own from
butter. Malakoff recommends starting with
organic, unsalted butter to avoid concentrating
hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics.
Of course, I had cream, so my first step
was to make butter out of it. Using an old
countertop mixer, I set up shop at night when
I could work undisturbed. While the beaters
mixed and the bowl spun, I puttered around
the kitchen, periodically checking on the cream.
I was putting dishes away when suddenly the
whir of the mixer was joined by a loud sloshing
sound. Liquid was spraying all over the counter
and floor. I had a mess, yes, but I also had
butter.
As I churned through 19 more batches, I
listened for that distinct sloshing sound, signaling
a newly formed ball of butter swimming in
buttermilk. I didn’t finish until early in the
morning and fell into an easy sleep, knowing my
fridge was brimming with 24 pounds of fresh
butter.HOT STUFF
The next two evenings were devoted to
transforming my homemade butter into ghee. I
filled my biggest pot with butter and turned up
the heat to let it melt evenly and simmer before
the lactose and protein began to separate from
the fat.
During the butter’s time on the stove, the
only thing you have to do is listen and watch.
Allowed to move and roll, the butter makes a
nervous frying noise. Then it quiets. While the
butter is simmering, it’s important to resist the
urge to stir or skim the liquid. If you leave thebutter alone, even as it sizzles and foams, the
lactose and milk protein separate naturally from
the golden essence that is ghee. This can take
anywhere from 2o minutes to hours, depending
on how much butter you start with and the size
of your pot.
It was easy to see when the ghee was ready.
Everything got quiet, and the bubbles were
clear. The aroma was lovely, like croissants.
Then I took the pot off the heat and let it
rest for about 3o minutes. Once it settled, I
poured the ghee through a doubled piece of
cheesecloth (an unbleached coffee filter works
well, too) into clean, dry airtight containers. In
India, the curds are used to make ghee lamps.
In my kitchen, they became a special treat for
the dog.DIVINE FLOW
Before closing the containers, I let the gheecool completely to prevent condensation from
forming on the lid. This step, says Malakoff, helps
keep moisture out so that the ghee will last up
to a year. (Always using a clean, dry utensil to
scoop out your ghee helps, too.) Ghee’s melting
point is close to room temperature, so the
consistency can fluctuate between a solid like
butter and a liquid like olive oil. One pound of
butter makes roughly three-fourths of a pound of
ghee; I collected 17 pints of the stuff, maybe 18 if
you include what was lost to spillage, incomplete
filtering, skin care, and sampling.
After three days of stripping down dairy
to its purest form, it was easy for me to
understand Malakoff’s link between making
ghee and connecting to the Divine. My own
thoughts settled throughout the project,
leaving me with the quiet, unperturbed
awareness that accompanies meditation.
A sense of peace comes with taking part in
a process that spans millennia, and I found
myself happily watching the ghee run through
the filter, admiring its easy viscosity, and
inspired by the sweet, unobscured flow of
liquid gold.Suzanne VanGilder is a yoga teacher in
Madison, Wisconsin.Everything got quiet, and
the bubbles were clear.
The aroma was lovely, like
croissants.47
february / march 2018yogajournal.com.sg