How to Make Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Ghee is 100% butter fat which is used in many oil therapies, healthy cooking and herb combinations. Ghee is salt and lactose free with 14 grams of fat per tablespoon.

Difficulty Level: Average Time Required: 1 hour 30 minutes
Here's How:

1. Melt 2 pounds of organic, unsalted butter at a very low heat.

2. Once melted, slightly increase the heat.

3. Decrease slightly if it starts to smoke or show signs of scorch. Do not let it burn.

4. Remain at this point for approximately an hour checking often but not disturbing it.

5. You will notice milk solids sinking, and foam at the top. Do not disturb this foam.

6. After an hour, let it cool approximately 15 minutes.

7. Carefully skim any remaining foam or floating substances off the top.

8. Filter the remaining clear liquid into a clean white jar. You may use cheesecloth, coffee filter or paper towel as a filter.

9. Cover and store in a cool place.

10. Use with moderation since it is 100% butterfat.
Tips:
1. Do not let it burn. Monitor the process until you get the hang of it. If you see or smell smoke or notice ripples on the surface, turn the heat down.

2. Avoid stirring while the solids are separating.

3. Use wisely, it can increase your risk of coronary artery disease.

4. Your finished product will have a rich golden color and buttery aroma. It will solidify but will not be hard.

Didnt know you were into Indian cuisine, MM. Pleasantly surprised. :)


Surprised again. Newb knows all about ghee! :eek:

Needless to say, I am pretty glad to see two foods from my part of the world popping in here.

I'm really getting in to Indian Style cooking - there is so many non-meat dishes. but I imagine my idea of real indian cooking is like V's version of Cornbeef and cabbage :-)

I love Dhaal and I love paneer dishes too.

But to drag stuff to a juvenile level the word 'Ghee' is the slag here for women's genitalia. Some where cruder than pussy but not as bad as cunt. So going into a shop and asking for Ghee is a weird thing here :-) lol

It was the same in martial arts when we were shown the 'Gi Choke' :-)

But hey lets turn this into a COOKING THREAD....

V could you be so kindas to tell be the different types of Dhal there are and the major differences...cheers..

au contraire.....newb knows Google

Had me there.


Great to hear.


Well I am no expert in our cuisine and my trips to the kitchen are only limited to brewing some hot tea or coffee or making the occasional omelette. But let me try this...

The best and most tastiest is Rahar dal (also called Tuar/Toor/Tuvar dal). Needless to say, its the most expensive too. The seeds of this lentil are about medium sized and almost completely round, and they melt and blend nicely into the preparation if they are boiled well.

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/IMGP0012.jpg

Then comes Chana dal. Most of the Chana masala dishes are made using this. It is slightly more coarse than Tuar dal, and has a rough surface. Needs good boiling to get soft and easy to eat. Punjabis sometimes prefer to cook this lentil with its skin on, but its not advisable for those with weak stomachs or digestion.

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...IMGP0013-1.jpg

A distant third is Moong dal. Inferior to both its cousins above, its much smaller in size (almost half in size to Tuar and Chana) and is almost tasteless. See this pic to have an idea of how it looks like...

http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/w...l/moongdal.jpg

The prepared dish looks like this...

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/P1000509.jpg

It may end up being a sticky, blended mess if boiled too much. Also, there's no natural taste to moong dal so its advisable to spice it up as much as possible.

Then there's Rajma. These are big lentils, almost identically shaped like beans (kidney-shaped). Almost always cooked with its skin intact, and has great taste. You can either make a dal preparation of it, or deep-fry it with chopped onions and oil to make a splendid dish.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...album/P153.jpg

In addition to the above, there are plenty of pea preparations - black-eyed peas, yellow and green peas (dried), khichdi (made by mixing dal and rice together), and soups.

And so ends __V__'s cooking lesson 101. I m afraid thats all I know. I m sure Cheeba knows a lot more than me (even though he's an Aussie and I am Indian), because he's a certified cook, and has a great taste for Indian cuisine.

Forgot two other types...essentially the same dal but found in two colored types...

Black - Kala Urad dal... (black beluga lentils)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...h/DSCN0044.jpg

and Normal colored - Biri dal... (beluga lentils)

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...GP0011-1-1.jpg

Not in regular use as dals all over India, but mostly in the northern parts especially Punjab. Biri dal is often used to make pancakes after being ground into fine biri flour.


And the one MM mentioned, Masoor dal, is not a very popular choice in India. Its the red-colored lentil, and considered the most inferior in quality and taste. Rahar dal/Tuvar dal is the king, followed by Chana dal and Rajma.

Cheers mate...

Terrible you don't goto the kitchen though :-)

As my wife loves to say..."You are much better off outside of the kitchen than in it."

And thats how it has pretty much stayed from the first day of marriage.

:D

Cheers. Glad I could be of some help.

Here's a link for some info on this, Ferox :- http://hitechpulses.com/product.html

Going back to watching the Australia-England Champions Trophy Semi Final match.

One of my favourite cuisines, along with French and central European (hey there's nothing wrong with variety :D )

Cool idea Ferox!

Everything I cook is pretty simple so I don't really need a recipie to go by :)

I've got a bunch of vegetarian recipies floating about that I haven't tried yet so I'll post some up when I dig 'em out.