Desi Ghee: Clarified Butter A Nutritional Delicacy BY Mathilde Weglage

Desi Ghee: Clarified Butter A Nutritional Delicacy

Clarified butter is rendered milk fat which is obtained from butter and by separating the milk solids and liquids. In other words it is obtained by melting butter and heating it for a period of time causing the water to evaporate away allowing different components to separate out and the butter fat is left on top which is drained off.
Clarified butter is mainly used in places where frying is required for a longer period of time or on high heat. Sometimes in certain food we would prefer the flavor of butter instead of oil.

Clarified Butter Has Different Names And Uses Depending On The Region. Some Of Them Are:

1. In United States clarified butter is commonly called drawn butter and is used in cooking seafood or served unbranded.
2. In England it's used for preserving food in a process call potting.
3. In South Asian countries such as India and Pakistan clarified butter is commonly known as ghee and is used to cook a variety of dishes.
4. In Brazil it is known as Manteiga Clarification and is used in different types of cuisine.
5. In Egypt and other Arabian countries clarified butter is used as a rare delicacy and is served on top of bread.

Clarified butter is composed of entirely of fat and is high in vitamin A and D. It is very useful for eyes, legs, hands and bone health. It helps in absorption of not only vitamins and minerals but also some rare nutrients such as phytonutrients. In recent medical studies it has shown to reduce serum cholesterol slightly by reducing plasma LDL cholesterol.

Clarified butter surprisingly has a religious role in Hindu libation and anointment rituals. It's used as a type of fuel for the burning of their ceremonial lamps.
There are many various methods available to produce clarified butter at home because having clarified butter at hand is very useful in times of deep fry. One of the methods for producing clarified butter at home as follows:

1. Melt unsalted butter on a saucepan at very low heat. Let it simmer until foam rises on top of the butter.
2. Once spluttering of butter has stopped and no more foam is rising, stop heating and skim off the foam with a spoon or by using a strainer.
3. Line a strainer with a thin piece of cloth or gauze if available and carefully pour the butter through the strainer into a container leaving behind solids on the strainer.
4. Clarified butter can be stored for 3 to 6months in the fridge or better yet it can be frozen and used occasionally to leave a taste of butter on your Deep fried dishes.

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