What is ghee?
Ghee is clarified butter which is extracted after removing the milk particles and water from the milk cream. We used to have cow's milk delivered to our home for our consumption and there used to be a thick layer of fat on top.I asked my friends ,and some of them told me that I could accumulate the cream in a container and then can use it to prepare clarified butter at home .The process which they had told me needed a lot of patience monitoring the cream on the gas oven till it loses all water and burns the fats to produce aromatic ghee.I tried once and realized that with my busy schedule at work and a small baby at home I will not be able to cope up with this kind of procedure regularly.So I decided to give a try in microwave.I had the idea that microwave dehydrates things very soon and I used to make carrot halwa and other desserts in microwave very successfully .So one day I decided to take a leap risking around 250 gms of homemade cream for my experiment. But again it was not that success ,not because of microwave but the container.I used Tupperware containers which gave away in the heat. Next time I was more careful and used borosil glass container and voila it was just the ghee I wanted which we get in Bengal ,very aromatic,golden and clear.I really love adding it to mashed potatoes ,steamed rice ,dal and even khichdi.It will take your dish to a new level all together .Though a child's health is very unpredictable but my daughter's immunity increased ,she was less prone to cold and cough and I have to rarely visit a doctor for her.Since then I prepare ghee regularly at home.Benefits of Ghee
There are lots of benefits of ghee to infants as well as adults:-- Easily digestible
- Friendly for those who are lactose intolerant as the lactose is broken down during extracting ghee.My daughter is lactose intolerant and cannot consume milk ,she consume soy milk otherwise, but with ghee she has no problem.
- It is Rich In Vitamins and help promote healthy bone and brain development of your baby.
- It will give the extra calories a baby need in her diet.
- Hot Ghee when applied on chest nose and back gives a relief from congestion and cough.
- Though unbelievable but true homemade ghee can aid in weigh loss if used in controllable quantities and is better than oil.The energy from these fatty acids can be used to burn other fats in the system and lose weight.
Homemade Desi ghee
The milk fat can be accumulated in refrigerator for days one layer after the other. If using fresh milk fat refrigerate for at least 48 hours before using. It causes dehydration which will help to get clarified butter quicker. Fresh milk fat or cream is not advisable to use in this recipe.
- 1 kg Milk fat
- Place the Heat proof glass container with the milk fat inside the microwave
- Micro on 100% power for 30 minutes.
- Check intermittently and stir with a wooden ladle
- The milk solid will separate resembling a foam.
- Take out the container.
- Strain the clarified butter when hot.
- Store it in glass bottles for months
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