Ghee, the secrets of trendy food

El ghee (pronounced gui) is one of the pillars of Ayurveda, the ancient traditional Indian medicine. It is nothing other than clarified butter, that is, deprived of water and protein.

Its peculiar texture and flavor make it an ingredient interesting in the kitchen, but in India it is attributed endless uses and benefits for both the body and the mind. The truth is that it is a luxury product, since its price triples that of traditional butter. Today at Summum we discovered how to make the most of this brilliant delicatessen.

What is Ghee

El Ghee It is one of the most valuable and prized ingredients in Indian cuisine and the Ayurvedic diet. It is a kind of clarified butter. According to the recipe of Manjula Balakrishnan In Ayurvedic Cooking, Food of the Gods book, traditional butter is first melted over medium heat in a saucepan and then simmered until bubbly.

The water then evaporates and the milk solids (proteins) settle to the bottom of the container. After fifteen to twenty minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat, remove the foam and allow it to cool.

Some people advise adding a few grains of rice and turning off the fire when they have turned brown. Finally, it is filtered with a fine cloth, definitely separating the milk solids, it is put in a glass container and stored at room temperature. In order for it to solidify quickly, it must be put in the fridge. Its pretty Golden colour and the qualities that are recognized are responsible for the name of this food. In Sanskrit, Ghee means “bright.”

Purity emblem

The Ghee is considered a purity emblem and it is used in religious rituals, as an offering to the gods, as fuel for sacred lamps and funeral pyres.

According to Harold McGee in The Kitchen and Foods, the Ghee arose out of necessity. Compared to traditional butter, this brilliant ingredient withstands the passage of time better, especially considering the climate of some areas of India. It can be kept in perfect condition during meses.

The reason for this longevity is in the production process itself: roasting the milk solids, something that differentiates traditional clarified butter from Ghee, generates compounds Antioxidants that delay rancidity.

Butter in «royal» version

The Ghee is a pure and noble butter, without protein or water. It is considered more light compared to traditional butter and has a high smoke point, that is, it can be subjected to very high temperatures without burning and becoming toxic.

For this reason, it is preferred over other oils for sautéing and frying. Another reason for its frequent use in Indian cuisine is that it is believed to aid digestion and improve the absorption of certain components.

The secret ingredient in Golden milk

Golden milk is one of the fashionable drinks. It is made with milk, honey and turmeric, being able, yes, to customize according to the tastes of each one. Plant-based milk instead of animal milk, dates instead of honey and a host of spices, berries and herbs such as black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, saffron, goji berries or ashwagandha.

But the trick to make the golden milk come out perfect is the Ghee, whose fats in their pure state facilitate the absorption of curcumin. The recipe: first a teaspoon of Ghee is melted in a saucepan, then the turmeric and other spices are added and finally it is mixed with the milk.

The importance of Ghee in Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the traditional health and healing system of India. It is an ancient medicine that boasts more than 3.000 years of history. Apart from properly medical knowledge, it also includes notions of cooking, music, dance, astrology and spirituality. Something we could call lifestyle. In fact, one of the possible translations of the term is “art of living”, in addition to “science of age”.

According to Ayurveda, there are three doshas (vata, pitta and kafa), invisible forces responsible for all the biological and psychological functions of the human being. If the three doshas are in balance, the organism will be too. Its imbalance, always according to this traditional medicine, is the cause of the disease.

Ghee, consumed in moderation, is considered a “tridoshico” ingredient, that is, able to appease or reduce the three doshas. It is also considered a stimulator of the ojas, the vital energy that connects the body, mind and spirit at the same time. 

Milk, sattvic ingredient

Traditionally, the Ghee was made with whole buffalo milk, turned into a kind of yogurt (dahi) and then into butter. Now it is more common to use whole cow’s milk. Milk is a sattvic food, meaning good and pure, in the Ayurvedic diet.

According to this traditional system, there are three categories of food. The tamásicos, such as meat, fish, those with an excessive odor, those that are fermented or those that are difficult to digest; the rajasic, such as spices, alcohol, fried foods, those that are eaten very hot or make you very thirsty; and finally the sátvicos, such as fruit, vegetables, cereals, honey, nuts and, of course, milk and dairy.

Unlike the other two categories of food, which should be eaten in moderation, sattvic ingredients are the healthiest and we can eat them in quantity.

Why should we make room for Ghee in the pantry?

To start with its light aroma of nuts, due to its sweet taste and texture, softer and grainy compared to that of traditional butter.

Second, because of its high smoke point, which makes it preferable when frying or sautéing. Because it is lighter, more digestible and favors the absorption of certain components. Regarding its nutritional profile, Ghee is pure fat, which is why moderate consumption is so important.

No contains protein or carbohydrates, has around 2 IU of vitamin A per 000 g and some vitamin D.

The thousand uses of Ghee

According to Joyce Villaume-Le Don in the book Ayurvedic Diet, The Definitive Guide, ancient texts recognize Ghee as “1.000 healing potentials, 1.000 effects and it can serve as the basis for many 1.000 recipes.” Between these virtues They would be to delay aging, give energy, provide beauty, charm and harmony to the body (hence its success among some celebrities) and stimulate cognitive functions.

In addition to acting positively on a myriad of diseases, Ghee would also be a good aphrodisiac and a remedy against bad karma. A small sample of the versatility of this ingredient in traditional Indian medicine.

From goat’s milk, coconut or rosemary: the Ghee Easy range

Ghee Easy is a Dutch company that makes different varieties of organic Ghee from cows that predominantly eat grass.

There is the traditional one, which comes in four different formats: rosemary, coconut oil and goat’s milk. They also sell packs with a mix of spices for Golden milk and for a “Coffee not coffee” based on chicory. The prices of each jar vary from 3 to 10euros. Its products can be purchased through the website.

Fourth & Heart: variations on the theme

Californian company Fourth & Heart boasts a wide variety of Ghee made from the milk of grass-fed New Zealand cows.

There is the traditional one, the organic Madagascar vanilla, the Californian garlic and the Himalayan pink salt. They also sell it in the form of oil (in bottle and spray) and in chocolate cream format, with cocoa, dates, guarana or passion fruit. The prices are around U.S. dollar 14.