Making Ghee
Ghee is the traditional oil for cooking in Indian cuisine and is also used for preparing many herbal treatments. The higher smoke point makes Ghee an excellent oil for any heating techniques and it is DELICIOUS.
Ghee helps food and nutritional elements absorb more fully into your digestive system, and because the butter fat and caseins have been removed, many people with dairy allergies may still be able to eat it. It will definitely help with pacifying Vata because it is so unctuous.
How to do it! You need:
One pound organic unsalted butter
Heavy stainless steel pan
Two fine mesh strainers (like tea strainers)
Pyrex measuring cup -2 cup size best
Glass jar with tight fitting lid
I use Organic Unsalted butter from Shop Rite (salted is ok too, I understand, but I always use unsalted. ) Butter made from high-quality grass fed or organic milk should be used since it will be concentrated, any contaminants will be concentrated too. From the Ayurvedic perspective, everything you eat will become your tissues, so the best quality, purest foods are what you should put in your system!
Melt one pound of butter on a medium-low heat, and let it begin to bubble vigorously. You will hear it. Turn it very low as soon as all the sticks of butter have disappeared. You will see a thick layer of dense foam on the surface.
When it has simmered very slowly on very low heat for 10 to 20 minutes, the foam will begin to break up into clumps and there will be clear oil under them.
You can simmer on a very low flame for up to 30 minutes, but for at least for 10 or 15 minutes. Just watch it and keep the heat very low. You do not need to stir or skim off the foam, although I have seen recipes that suggest that. The foam will become thinner and more clumped. There will also be milk solids on the bottom of the pan. If they turn a deep brown your Ghee will become Buerre Noir, or Beurre Noisette: yummy but maybe not what you want. ( I always keep it and use it anyway, but to start with, try not to go there.)
Use a very fine mesh tea strainer and strain it once into a Pyrex glass measuring cup. Let it sit, covered, (a paper towel or one of the wax papers from the butter sticks will do) 15 to 30 minutes until it is cool, but not yet starting to turn solid.
Strain it again with another strainer into a wide mouth glass jar that has a tight fitting lid. Pour off the oil from the bits of milk solids at the bottom of the measuring cup.
As it continues to cool it will turn semi-solid, depending on the butter itself and the season and ambient temperature in your house. It does not need to be refrigerated and will stay fresh for weeks in your cabinet, provided: it does not get contaminated with any water or liquid, and you keep it covered. Always use a completely fresh clean spoon or knife each time you take the ghee from the jar and you will be all set until it is all gone. I use it on toast, in oatmeal, for any cooking (roasted vegetables, sauteing onions etc. ) and for all my recipes!
Some links to articles on the health benefits of Ghee:
From LiveStrong
From Dr Oz (Scroll about 2/3 down on the page)
From Yoga Journal