I’m seeing a lot of recipes lately using Ghee instead of oil/butter/fat. I think I even saw it on the shelves at Aldi!
Wondering how you use it, what items you sub it in for, what is the flavor like, etc.
It’s basically clarified butter, which gives it a much higher smoke point than regular butter. Some say it is healthier than regular butter, but I don’t know about that.
How about flavor - as compared to butter? More intense? More savory? Similar?
Me! I love it! I get it at Trader Joe’s. But trust me, it’s not healthy. It sure tastes good though. I manly use it in Indian food, but I’ve also put dollops into anything I want to add a some buttery flavor to.
I use it. Started when we were making Indian recipes, but now I use it in other cooking. It’s perfect for things where you want butter flavor but the high temps might cause the butter to burn - like when you’re searing steaks in your cast iron pan.
If you want to make your own, Alton Brown has an easy recipe. I make our Ghee using Alton’s recipe and Kerrygold butter and keep a crock of it beside the stove.
Well, “healthy” wasn’t really expected - LOL! I’m going to have to try a little. And look up that Alton recipe.
Is it more for savory than sweet (baking?)???
I use ghee for recipes that require melted butter. I prefer not to use it for recipes that say softened butter as I have found that it does change the taste.
I like to drop in a spoonful of ghee on top of hot simmering curries or rice dishes when I make Indian food.
I use it in my waffles / mashed potatoes / sauces etc. Anything that requires ‘cooking’ butter. TJ sells it is small, 8oz jars. Comparatively, it is about 2x the price of stick butter.
You can use it anytime a recipe calls for clarified butter or melted butter. I usually just substitute oil and have never bought ghee from a jar.
It’s butter with some savory toasted notes, some call it a nuttiness.
To make clarified butter you heat regular butter over low heat until the water simmers off and the milk solids fall to the bottom. You can tell by the sound; it gurgles as the water escapes, when it stops gurgling the water is gone. Skim the stuff at the surface off, pour it out and leave the milk solids behind in the pan. I use clarified butter instead of regular butter when pan-frying or sauteing since it doesn’t spatter when heated (that’s the water boiling) and doesn’t burn because the milk solids are removed so you can use higher heat.
To make ghee, instead of pouring the butter out once the water is gone you let the pot continue cooking a while until the milk solids at the bottom brown. Their flavor infused into the butterfat. You can choose how dark you want to let them go. If you leave it on too long and they turn black it will be bitter and not usable.
What I did is buy a jar once, then reuse that jar when I make my own; a lot less expensive. One stick of butter fills the jar after it is clarified.
I have used it for decades when I pan fry Prawns or scallops or steak. Have made my own in the microwave. The smoke point is higher than butter.
I mostly follow the Whole30 food plan and ghee is a recommended fat. I use it to sauté some foods, but I am more likely to use EVOO. I buy ghee—don’t use it enough to take time to make my own.
Thanks for the lesson all! I may buy a bit to see if it enhances flavoring of some things.
A best price might be found at Indian grocery stores. Have never bothered with it during over 30 years of Indian cooking, but we always watched the fat.