I quite often have readers asking me what my favourite oil to cook with is. While I absolutely love extra-virgin coconut oil in baking and raw treats, and olive oil for drizzling over meals, ghee would have to be my number one choice for cooking with.
Ghee is also known as purified or clarified butter, and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.
This healthy fat is said to nourish and regenerate the body's tissues, cleanse toxins, ward off pathogens and cancer, aid in learning and memory, lower cholesterol, boost the immune system and promote general vitality.
Ghee is free of casein and other milk solids as these have been boiled off when preparing. If you are intolerant to butter, you may find that you are able to enjoy ghee. It is a great alternative to other vegetable oils and spreads.
I love the weekly ritual of preparing a glass jar full of aromatic and delicious ghee to use in my daily food preparation. It is also fantastically easy and enjoyable to make.
Simply place a block of unsalted (preferably organic) butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and bring to the boil. Allow the butter to bubble away for 5-6 minutes. It will start to fill your kitchen with the most divine toasty aroma, similar to popcorn.
The ghee will turn a lovely dark golden colour, and a foam will appear on the top.
Remove the ghee immediately from the heat and pour over a cheesecloth-lined sieve placed on top of a glass jar.
Allow to cool, and store for three months at room temperate or much longer in the refrigerator.
